Mount Beacon Fire Tower

Ensure a comfortable hike by donning sturdy boots for the rocky and damp terrain of the Casino Trail. Initiate your journey with stair climbing to warm up, as the subsequent uphill stretch demands endurance with brief resting intervals over an hour. Revel in the breathtaking panoramic views upon reaching the initial part of the trail. The subsequent segment leading to the fire tower offers an effortless traverse with level pathways and slight undulations. Brace yourself for a brief challenge as you approach the tower, navigating steep hills for a mere 10 minutes—a hurdle well rewarded by the tower's captivating vista.

I went to this fire tower as a part of breakneck ridge hike. Overall, it was spectacular to see a tower at an elevation like that. There is also an option to go up the tower. It was super windy when I went. I think it’s usually windy there.

Great hike but somewhat difficult. Bring good hiking shoes and lots of water. This has a lot of elevation gain on slippery dirt and rocks. Not a walk in the park. Come prepared and you'll have a great time. This will take about 3 hours round trip from parking lot to fire tower and back.

Amazing hike with a great payoff. Roughly 4 miles round trip to the fire tower and back down. Great views halfway up by the old casino. Ive done the hike many times. My kids started when they were 5. Although it's challenging, it's accessible for almost all ages. Enjoy the views of the NYC skyline on a clear day!

Great place for a free workout. Elevation gain, and quick. If you are not in shape, up to the overlook and back will beat you up. Take it nice and slow if you are not in good shape. Views of the Taconic Ridge Trail (Border of NY, VT and MA), NYC Skyline, High Point NJ, the Southern Catskills and the Gunks are all visible from the fire tower on a clear day.

Challenging hike for anyone. All the hard work is done at the beginning portion getting up to the look out. Did it with my 5 and 8 year old who are used to tough hikes but this was one of the toughest we have done. Took us 3.5hrs with many stops along the way. It was well worth it and my kids loved the fire tower!

A good morning birthday hike.
The climb up was awesome. Multiple chances for a great view. I love seeing the mountains and city. Don’t be afraid to go up the tower. It has a lot to offer and worth the effort.

The trail starts with a steep staircase. Followed by another steep hike for good 20 mins.
Once you go past that, you reap the benefits. But first 30 mins or so is hard. Don’t recommend to take kids along. Past the stair case it’s a bit rocky and rough hike.

We rook the Metro North from NYC to Beacon which is a scenic ride, along the Hudson river. There was free shuttle from station to trail head back and forth quite frequently.

There a bunch of different paths once you reach mid-way, depending on the level. We took another hard one from there on, which ended up like rock-climbing, at which point we decided to circle back.

It was strenuous but worth the views and satisfaction.

Definitely a challenging hike yet the views are so worth it! The hike up the mountain from the parking lot you start out walking by the ruins of the old cog railroad which went up to mountain side to the old casino which is no just ruins history… anyway he didn’t climb up a ton of stairs thank you whoever put those in I cannot remember at the moment anyway then you follow a bunch of switchbacks up to the casino ruins for some great views and if you want you can you can continue to follow the trail up to the fire Tower for even more amazing views Remember to bring plenty of water, maybe a couple granola bars or other snacks and a good pair of hiking shoes or at least good sneakers and if you have them trekking poles they come in handy especially on the way back down the mountain! Oh yeah and if you have a camera that would be a good idea too!
Ps: There’s a great little deli at the bottom of this mountain by the parking lot if you want to grab breakfast, lunch or something to drink before or after the hike just check the hours before you go can’t promise it will be opened when you get back. Remember to have fun!

Great hike including the Railway Summit Overlook. Total of 5 hours with stopping (more than most hikers) while taking the red-blazed trail from the Parking Lot on 9D/Howland Ave through the Overlook until the white-blazed trail for .2 miles to the tower. A harder hike so if you're a beginner I'd recommend doing Anthony's Nose first to get a taste of it, but its really all rocky, uphill paths. The ascent/descent to and from the Overlook was the hardest part. The Overlook gives you clear views west, north and partially south. If you continue to the Fire Tower, it's somewhat flat for half of the journey. Whether you ascend the tower, you'll still have commanding 360 degree views of the region. On a clear day you can see the NYC skyline along with the Tappan Zee Bridge in the foreground, the high grounds of Storm King and the West Point Preserve with Schunnemunk Mtn., Orange/Ulster Counties west to The Gunks and Trapps (and beyond), to the east you can see the Taconic Ranges into Connecticut, and to the north is Poughkeepsie and Dutchess County with the Berkshires in the backdrop (some say you can see Albany). Of course, to the northwest blending between the hills and sky are the Catskills which triumph over the foreground landscape. Bring plenty of water and binoculars so you can try to point out all the ridges and landmarks!

This was a wonderful hike for me .
I went for sunrise so started out very very dark .
Which made it a little hard to maneuver the rocks and the right way to go up , however it all turned out beautiful. I made it just in time for the sun to rise and it was magnificent and very spiritual.

Great views in summer and fall. The hike up is a little bit of a workout but definitely something kids and adults can do given enough time. The Tower can be climbed up to from Beacon to the North or Cold Spring to the South.

Beautiful experience nice views the only thing needs to be marked the trail to go to the tower; but we founded, going up is stepping, in total 2:30 thanks,please bring with you what you bring up thanks 🙏

Moderate hike, family friendly with some of the most beautiful views you'll ever see.

Awesome hike and great views, killer sunsets when cloudy.

such an incredible hike. great rocks underfoot, good workout, not too long, and the fire tower is a real treat. aim to arrive at the tower about an hour before sunset and you won't regret it.

Excellent hike. About 2 miles to the fire tower. Not too difficult if you take your time. “ the stairs are the hardest part” the view is worth it

Don't be fooled by the hike. The hike up to the Casino ruins is only a mile but it's a rocky trail full of switchbacks and all ascending. But the climb towards the fire tower is much more level and offers a gorgeous 360 view of the surrounding Hudson Highlands, Beacon Reservoir, the towns of Newburgh and Beacon, the Newburgh-Beacon bridge, Stewart Airport and NYC.

If it’s cold out, you can expect it to feel much colder up top… but it’s well worth it! I love fire tower views. There are railings and it all feels very sound and safe, but I imagine it could be nerve-wracking if you have a fear of heights.

The hike from cold spring to beacon is absolutely stunning