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AdirondackRegion.com

Buck mountain fire tower trail

A short, steep climb to one of the few remaining fire towers in the southeastern Adirondacks, Buck Mountain rises from the shore of Pilot Knob on Lake George. The 1.1-mile ascent gains roughly 2,000 feet, making it a condensed vertical push that rewards hikers with panoramic lake views from the restored cab. The trail typically takes 1.5 to 2 hours round-trip and sees heavy traffic during summer weekends.

Length
1.1 mi
Operator
Network
Difficulty
Not rated
§ Trail details
Surface
Ground
From OpenStreetMap. Surface + access tags vary by trail.
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§ Listed trailheads nearby

Curated trailheads & parking near this route

Editorial trailhead listings within roughly 3 miles. Useful for permit info, parking capacity, and access-road conditions.

§ Closest essentials

Nearest, each within 25 miles

Coffee
Waypoint Cafe
8.0 mi away
Restaurant
Long Lake Diner & Owl’s Head Pub
8.4 mi away
General store
ADK Trading Post
7.4 mi away
Shelter
Black Bay Lean-To
6.9 mi away
§ Nearby Points of Interest
Peaks (6)
Lakes & ponds (24)
Trails (7)
Lean-tos (79)
  • Lower Sargents Pond Lean-To13.5 mi
  • Deep Hole Lean-To11.4 mi
  • Unnamed lean-to15.2 mi
  • Unnamed lean-to15.1 mi
  • Cold River Lean-to #414.4 mi
  • Catlin Bay #28.2 mi
  • Plumley's Point10.7 mi
  • Rodney Point #19.6 mi
Primitive campsites (269)
  • Round Lake Campsite #22.0 mi
  • Round Lake Campsite #12.0 mi
  • Round Lake Campsite #32.1 mi
  • Round Lake Campsite #112.5 mi
  • Round Lake Campsite #42.8 mi
  • Round Lake Campsite #82.8 mi
  • Round Lake Campsite #102.8 mi
  • Round Lake Campsite #52.9 mi
§ Nearby parking

50 parking areas

Closest parking lots within range, ranked by walking distance. Accessibility flags come from Google verified-data; surface and capacity from OpenStreetMap. Confirm hours and seasonal closures before you go.

+42 more on the map above

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§ Nearby vacation rentals

Closest cabins, camps & lakefront rentals

§ More field guides

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§ Frequently asked
Trail data from OpenStreetMap (© OSM contributors, ODbL).