Wakely Mountain - A Hike in Two Parts to a Great Fire Tower

The trailhead for Wakely Mountain is reached by taking the Cedar River Rd 11.6 miles from its junction with NY 28/30 about 2 miles west of the town of Indian Lake at a sharp bend in the road. At first the road is very good. However the last 3 or 4 miles is at first on a poor paved road and then finally on a gravel road. Shortly after you pass this pretty view, you will see the trailhead parking sign on the left side of the road. The trailhead parking is down a short lane to the right.

 

The first 1.1 miles of the trail is really a woods road with excellent footing. I was able to cover this section in less than 20 minutes. You then cross a nice stream and walk comfortably for another 0.8 miles to a beaver pond that can be viewed to some extent by following a side trail or old overgrown woods road to the left. After you leave this place, the second part of the hike begins and the character of the trail changes dramatically. The footing is not as good, and the trail begins a steady fairly steep ascent of about 1200 feet in the next 1.1 miles. There were a few switchbacks on this section much to my relief. As I neared the summit I was expecting to see the tower ahead. However, I was really almost at its base before I saw it to my left through the woods. The summit area has a well preserved cabin and even a nice picnic table on a grassy flat. The tower (right) is said to be the highest in the Adirondacks. The views from the tower are expansive. It is in a state of fair repair, but there is no extra safety fencing. I would not recommend this hike for people who are not comfortable with heights as the views without climbing at least part way up the tower are limited. This give you a rough idea of the view from the summit.

NOTE: For a more complete description of the trail, please see ADK's guide to ADIRONDACK TRAILS - Central Region, pp 97-99.

 

Have a great hike!
Bob Goodwin