Hadley Mountain is a

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...

located in the southern

Adirondacks The Adirondack Mountains (; a-də-RÄN-dak) form a massif in northeastern New York with boundaries that correspond roughly to those of Adirondack Park. They cover about 5,000 square miles (13,000 km2). The mountains form a roughly circular d ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and is the second-highest peak in

Saratoga County Saratoga County is a county in the U.S. state of New York, and is the fastest-growing county in Upstate New York. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was enumerated at 235,509, representing a 7.2% increase from the 2010 popul ...

after neighboring Tenant Mountain. The

Hadley Mountain Fire Observation Station The Hadley Mountain Fire Observation Station is a historic fire observation station located on Hadley Mountain at Hadley in Saratoga County, New York. The tower is a prefabricated structure built by the Aermotor Corporation in 1917. It is one ...

was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

on September 23, 2001 for its role as a

Fire lookout tower A fire lookout tower, fire tower or lookout tower, provides housing and protection for a person known as a "fire lookout" whose duty it is to search for wildfires in the wilderness. It is a small building, usually on the summit of a mountain or ...

with the

New York State Forest Preserve New York's Forest Preserve, comprises almost all the lands owned by the state of New York within the Adirondack and Catskill parks. It is managed by the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). , the Forest Preserve covers nearl ...

. Hadley Mountain is the highest of the three peaks that form the West Mountain ridge.

Location

Located in the Town of Hadley,

, the trailhead parking area is located approximately 1.5 miles along Tower Road, which off branches from Hadley Hill Road.

Trailhead A trailhead is the point at which a trail begins, where the trail is often intended for hiking, biking, horseback riding, or off-road vehicles. Modern trailheads often contain rest rooms, maps, sign posts and distribution centers for information ...

parking can accommodate 10-15 vehicles. The trailhead coordinates are: 43.37386, -73.95063.

Route

Hadley Mountain is a popular hike which, though short in distance at , achieves a sharp elevation gain of 1525 ft. The summit offers outstanding views of the Southern

Adirondack Mountains The Adirondack Mountains (; a-də-RÄN-dak) form a massif in northeastern New York with boundaries that correspond roughly to those of Adirondack Park. They cover about 5,000 square miles (13,000 km2). The mountains form a roughly circular ...

and especially the

Great Sacandaga Lake The Great Sacandaga Lake (formerly the Sacandaga Reservoir) is a large lake situated in the Adirondack Park in northern New York in the United States. The lake has a surface area of about at capacity, and the length is about . The word ''Sacandag ...

. The only trail begins from the trailhead parking area next to an Historic Marker and begins an immediate climb. The hiking register is reached within a couple of dozen yards of leaving the trailhead. A moderate climb following red trail markers leads through woodland on a mostly bedrock trail. Crossing back and forth over a small creek (dry in summer), the trail continues steeply past interesting boulders and cliffs to a level shoulder at about . Following this brief gentle section the trail steepens and continues mostly on bedrock to the summit. Outstanding panoramas can be viewed from clearings along the final to the summit, and from the summit itself. Hadley_Mountain_Fire_Tower_plaque

At the summit, a firetower affords a commanding 360 degree panorama, taking in Great Sacandaga Lake, the surrounding southern Adirondacks and the High Peaks of the Adirondacks. The summit of Roundtop Mountain may be reached via a bushwhack from the summit of Hadley Mountain by heading NNE. In Winter this is a popular snowshoe trail due to access and length of trail to summit.

History

Significant fires in the early 1900s resulted in the first fire tower being built in 1916. This wooden tower was replaced with a steel tower in either 1917 or 1920, followed by a staffed cabin for a ranger. The tower was decommissioned in 1990 as the forest service shifted to a combination of aerial surveillance and reporting by local citizens. The tower was restored by volunteers in 1996, and may be staffed in summer months by a steward who will answer questions from hikers. A historical marker was added to the site in 1999 detailing a brief history of the tower.

References

External links

PeakbaggerAlltrailsNew York State Department of Environmental ConservationHadley Mountain Fire Tower
(at

Historical Marker Database The Historical Marker Database (HMdb.org) is an online database that documents locations of numerous historical markers in the United States as well as other countries. The database was launched in 2006 by computer programmer J. J. Prats. The HMd ...

) {{Mountains of New York Mountains of Saratoga County, New York Tourist attractions in Saratoga County, New York Mountains of New York (state)

Location

Route

History

References

Further reading

External links