The Glens Falls-Saratoga Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) created the Fire Tower Challenge for those who are gripped with fire tower fever.  Spruce Mountain probably doesn't belong on the list for the fire tower challenge until the tower is restored and the trail rebuilt (in our opinion).  There are no views from the summit and the bottom stairs have been removed from the tower to keep people off.  The tower is in bad shape.

There have been rumors (as of 2012) that the tower/trail may receive the funding to be refurbished.  The 73 foot fire tower on the 2009 foot summit of Spruce Mountain was built in 1928 and manned until 1988.  The summit is accessible by a gated service road and a 1.2 mile hiking trail.  The trail has downfall and the remains of past logging operations.  This area was heavily logged in the past.

You will also find numerous radio towers near the fire tower.  The trailhead is a snowplow turnaround at the end of Spruce Mountain Road near Wells Road in the small hamlet of South Corinth.

The trail crosses an old concrete culvert over a stream then immediately climbs.  The total elevation gain is 1011 feet over this 1.2 mile hike.  The trail can be tough to follow at times with many old logging roads crossing the trail.  The trail is marked sometimes with red DEC discs.  Hiking up the service road is about twice the distance of the hiking trail.

You'll find more info on this hike from the hiking guide book Guide to Adirondack Trails: Southern Region (Vol. 7). Look below for a picture and some maps of this hike.

The start of the Spruce Mountain Trail

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