Buck Mountain Fire Tower (Long lake)
May 2024 | near Long Lake, NY
About the hike: I am so delayed with writing this, but better late than never, I suppose! This is a nice shorter hike, so wanted to be able to share with you all. Having opened in September 2023, this is one of the newer fire towers to be added to the ADK fire tower roster. It’s one of the shorter ones so you can pair it with another hike (within driving distance) or it’s an enjoyable hike on its own if you have just a morning or afternoon to spend outdoors.
Getting to the trailhead: From the Village of Lake Placid, it’s a little bit under an hour driving, while from Tupper Lake it’s ~20 minutes. If coming from the direction of Lake Placid, take NY-86W past Saranac Lake until you reach NY-30S. Turn left, and drive for 11 miles until you reach Circle Road, where you’ll turn right. Drive for 3.7 miles until you reach the parking lot on your left. There is ample parking and no fee. Cell service may be spotty depending on your carrier, so as always, don’t rely on it.
About the trail: It’s 2.4 miles (3.86 km) round-trip, out-and-back to the tower with an elevation gain of ~500 feet (152m.) The trail is well-marked and easy to follow, having been recently developed. While no views from the summit itself, there are some nice views from the viewing platform when you climb the tower. The platform was open when I visited in May 2024, and believe it should be open when you visit, as I have not read recently of any mention of it being closed.
An ideal day and what you can pair this hike with:
Any combination of hikes from the Tupper Lake Triad: Coney, Goodman, Arab (NOTE: As of June 10, 2025, the Goodman trail is closed to the public for now.) Read more about them here.
Goodnow Mountain Fire Tower (near Newcomb)