Belfry mountain fire tower

08/31/2025

08/29/2025

The 2025 Firetowers Light the Night is happening on Saturday, August 30th, between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m.

Numerous fire towers nestled in the Adirondacks region will once again partake in the annual, synchronized illumination of these iconic structures. Marking the milestone of the 10th annual occurrence, a group of dedicated volunteers will light up the fire towers!

Find a spot with a clear view of a fire tower on the horizon, look up, and reflect as you witness the radiant light emanating from the tower.

Important Note: This is NOT a hiking event. Please view the tribute from a distance.

Participating Adirondack Fire Towers:

Mount Arab (Visible from Route 3 west of Tupper Lake - Piercefield Flow)
Adams (Visible from Tahawus Road in Newcomb)
Azure
Bald Mountain
Belfry
Blue Mountain
Buck Mountain
Cathedral Rock
Adirondack History Museum in Elizabethtown
Goodnow
Hurricane (Visible from Route 73 near the Village of Keene)
Kane Mountain
Makomis (Speculator)
Mt. Morris (a/k/a Big Tupper - Visible from Tupper Lake)
Owl's Head (Visible From Lake Eaton State Park beach in Long Lake - Mt. Sabattis side)
Poke-O-Moonshine
Snowy
St. Regis (Visible from Paul Smith's VIC)
Vanderwhacker
Wakely

09/02/2024

Lighting up Belfry mountain fire tower

08/30/2024

Annual Fire Tower Lighting Event
The NYS Chapter of the Forest Fire Lookout Association is pleased to announce the 11th Annual Lighting of the Fire Tower Event! Saturday, August 31st at 9:00 pm we hope to have a light begin to shine in the cab of many towers across NYS! Last year we had so many wonderful volunteers that we were able to light 37 towers! We hope to increase that number this year. In the event of rain, the event will be held on Sunday, September 1st at 9:00pm.

The event is done to honor the men and women who worked in these historic towers; protecting homes, businesses, communities and surrounding forests. The plan is to place a light in fire towers around the state from 9 to 9:30pm. We invite people to go to locations around the community (listed on our website) where they can look up, see the light on the horizon and remember that there was a fire tower there watching over them. Thank you to Doug Hamilton for this wonderful idea to honor the past!

All Illuminators also read aloud the names of those who served in the towers as they turn on the light.

If you have any questions, please reach out to [email protected] and I will get you all the information you will need. We will close registration on August 19th to allow time for all Illuminators to get their advertisements out. Additional information can be found at the website: www.nysffla.org

09/03/2023

Belfry Mountain Tower 2023

09/28/2022

What was a project you and others worked on? What sparked the creation of this project? What were the results?

09/09/2022

Belfry mountain fire tower is part of the Moriah Challenge!

Take the Moriah Challenge!

The Moriah Chamber of Commerce is announcing the details of the Moriah Challenge!

The Chamber is promoting our four local CATS (Champlain Area Trails) with the “Moriah Challenge”. To complete the challenge hikers must complete all four hikes, which include Belfry Mountain Trail, Big Hollow/Coot Hill Trail, Cheney Mountain Trail, and Crowfoot Pond Trail.

Starting May 1, 2017, anyone who successfully completes the challenge and submits their information will receive a commemorative embroidered patch to celebrate their accomplishment. To claim your patch, provide the Moriah Chamber of Commerce with the dates that you hiked each of the trails (remember your hikes must be after May 1, 2017). You can drop off your info at our office at 4317 Main Street in Port Henry to pick up your patch, or email your information and address to [email protected] and we will mail you a confirmation letter and your patch. A $10 donation is requested.

The Moriah Challenge is a family-friendly event that anyone can participate in at no cost. The challenge can be completed in a short amount of time and by people with limited hiking experience. It is designed to encourage hiking with children in mind.

Here are brief descriptions of the hikes that comprise the challenge:

Belfry Mountain Trail
The trail is an easy, quick hike that rewards you with views of the high peaks of the Adirondacks, the Green Mountains of Vermont, plus the Champlain Valley, then Belfry Mountain. The trail also features a fire tower that you can climb. Belfry Mountain Trail is a short 0.35 mile hike along a gravel road with spectacular views.

Big Hollow/Coot Hill Trail
Hikers can walk along an un-maintained portion of Lang Road or drive the rough road to an old cemetery. From the cemetery, the hike is about a quarter mile to an amazing overlook. This 0.5 mile round trip will reward you with stunning views of Big Hollow and a panoramic vista of the Champlain Valley.

Cheney Mountain Trail
The trail is located on property owned by the Town of Moriah. Views from lookouts along side trails near the 1347 foot summit include the Green Mountains of Vermont to the east and some of the Adirondack High Peaks to the west. The total round trip of this hike is two miles.

Crowfoot Pond Trail
The 6 mile trail is relatively flat with only a slight gain in elevation. This old forest road turned foot trail starts to climb through an evergreen forest as it passes over the low shoulder of Stiles Hill on your left. The trail reaches the pond and passes beyond it. The trail eventually ends at private property on the north Shore of Crowfoot Pond, marking the point for the return hike.