Alander Mountain is a prominent peak of the south

Taconic Mountains The Taconic Mountains or Taconic Range () are a range of the Appalachian Mountains, running along the eastern border of New York State and adjacent New England from northwest Connecticut to western Massachusetts, north to central western Vermont. ...

; it is located in southwest

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

and adjacent

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 * '' ...

. Part of the summit is grassy and open and part is covered with scrub oak and shrubs; the sides of the mountain are wooded with northern hardwood tree species. Views from the top include the southern Taconic Mountains, the

Hudson River Valley The Hudson Valley (also known as the Hudson River Valley) comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in the U.S. state of New York. The region stretches from the Capital District including Albany and Troy south to Yo ...

including the

Catskills The Catskill Mountains, also known as the Catskills, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains, located in southeastern New York. As a cultural and geographic region, the Catskills are generally defined as those areas c ...

. Several trails traverse Alander Mountain, most notably the

South Taconic Trail The South Taconic Trail is a hiking trail in the Taconic Mountains of southwest Massachusetts and adjacent New York. The trail extends from Shagroy Road in Millerton, New York, north along the ridgecrest of the southern Taconic Range and the bor ...

, which passes just beneath the summit. Much of the mountain is located within

Taconic State Park Taconic State Park is located in Columbia and Dutchess County, New York abutting Massachusetts and Connecticut within the Taconic Mountains. The state park is located off New York State Route 344 south of Interstate 90 and north of New York City ...

and

Mount Washington State Forest Mount Washington State Forest is a state forest in the Mount Washington, Massachusetts. The forest conjoins with New York state and the state of Connecticut in the southern Taconic Mountains of the southwestern Berkshire region of Massachusett ...

; other parcels have been conserved by non-profit organizations. Primitive camping is allowed on Alander Mountain; a cabin is located near the summit and there are two hike-in campsites on the east slope within Mount Washington State Forest. The west slope of Alander Mountain is located within Copake, New York. The point where the state line crosses the ridge next to the

is, at , the highest elevation in Columbia County. The summit and east side are within the town of

Mount Washington, Massachusetts Mount Washington is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 160 at the 2020 census, making it the least populous town in Berkshire Co ...

. The west side of Alander Mountain drains into the Preachy Hill Brook, then into the Noster Kill, Bash Bish Brook, the

Roeliff Jansen Kill The Roeliff Jansen Kill is a major tributary to the Hudson River. Roeliff Jansen Kill was the traditional boundary between the Native American Mahican and Wappinger tribes. Its source is in the town of Austerlitz, New York, and its mouth is at t ...

, thence the

Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between Ne ...

and

Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York to the south. From west to east, the sound stretches from the Eas ...

. The east side drains into Ashley Hill Brook, then Bash Bish Brook and the Roeliff Jansen Kill.

History

In 1926, New York State's

Conservation Commission Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws. Conservation may also refer to: Environment and natural resources * Nature conservation, the protection and manageme ...

received a request for information regarding its fire observation stations from the

Taconic State Park Commission Taconic can refer to a location in the United States: * Taconic, Connecticut, an unincorporated community in rural Litchfield County, Connecticut * Taconic Correctional Facility, a medium security women's prison in Bedford Hills, New York * Tacon ...

(TSPC). The TSPC felt that a station on Alander Mountain would be of great assistance to the fire protective organization, not just within the park, but also on large areas outside the Park. In early 1927 Conservation Department rangers supervised the erection a Aermotor LS40 Aermotor steel fire lookout tower on the mountain. Approximately of

telephone A telephone is a telecommunications device that permits two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into e ...

line was constructed to connect the tower with the New York telephone system. Initially, the tower was intended for spotting fires in the park, but later on, arrangements were made with the TSPC so that fires on State land or private land outside the park would be reported as well. In August 1930, the Conservation Commission received a notice from Mr. William A. Miles of Salisbury, Connecticut that he was terminating the lease to the part of his property being used as the site for the tower. In response, the park had the tower dismantled by the end of the year. The parts were placed in storage at High Valley Farm, the home of then-Commissioner Francis R. Masters until it was decided where the tower would be rebuilt. In 1932, the Conservation Department agreed to accept a transfer of the tower from the TSPC. In late 1932, the tower was rebuilt on private lands on Washburn Mountain and became operational in 1933. The tower remained on Washburn Mountain until 1964 when it was moved to Beebe Hill, where it still remains today.

References

* ''Massachusetts Trail Guide'' (2004). Boston:

Appalachian Mountain Club Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) is the oldest outdoor group in the United States. Created in 1876 to explore and preserve the White Mountains in New Hampshire, it has expanded throughout the northeastern U.S., with 12 chapters stretching from Ma ...

.
Commonwealth Connections proposal PDF download
Retrieved March 2, 2008.

References

External links

South Taconic Range trail map

Massachusetts DCR.
Mount Washington State Forest map

Taconic State Park
New York DEC.

Berkshire Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club

Mid-Hudson chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club

New York - New Jersey Trail Conference

The Sierra Club
Mountains of Columbia County, New York Taconic Mountains Mountains of Berkshire County, Massachusetts Mountains of New York (state) {{BerkshireCountyMA-geo-stub

History

See also

References

References

External links