Seeing the sunrise from a mountain fire tower is one of my favorite things. The downside - you have to climb in darkness to make it happen. It's perfectly still as I hike - no birds, no wind.

For decades, the fire towers in New York's Adirondack Mountains defended the wilderness against fires. The soaring structures offer a vantage point high above summits to take in beautiful sunrises.

The top of the mountain had a history and four concrete feet that once held a fire tower. “It was very popular locally within the community as a destination, and several people said ‘Gee, I ...

The fire tower on Bald Mountain during the 2022 lighting of the fire towers. Photo: Kurt Gardener, courtesy of the New York State Chapter of the Forest Fire Lookout Association.