Hadley Mountain Fire Tower hike is a relatively good hike for beginners and for people who are not very fit. The trail is not a loop. There is only one way up and one way down. The views at the top are blocked by trees unfortunately. A person has to climb the Hadley fire tower in order to see some scenery. The top was closed when I went there and maybe because the fire tower hasn’t been being maintained for a long time. So for safety, they must have closed it for the public.
Hadley Mountain Fire Tower Important Information
Trail Map: Trail Map 1
Suggested Phone GPS Apps: Alltrails.com, Avenza Maps, Google Maps
Difficulty: Easy To Moderate
Distance: 3.6 Miles
Elevation Gained: 1,600 ft
Portable Toilet At Parking: None
Trail Breakdown
1.8 Miles Going Up
1.8 Miles Going Down
Note: The information is just an approximation.
Parking
Start Of The Hike
It took me a little while to find this place as my GPS was acting up again but to make the long story into a short one, I arrived here and all was well. The place was deserted, without a car parked in the parking lot and not a soul in sight. I considered this to be lucky as I could take pictures easier without people interfering with the angles but it also meant that if I got mauled by a bear then no one would be able to help me.
Trail Head
I came across an empty trail head, and silence filled the Earth, no sound, no soul, nothing but my footsteps could be heard from miles but my heart did not sank as I love hiking in solitude, away from tourists, noisy people and crowds that seemed to pollute the solemn atmosphere of the land. There was gladness in my steps as I kept moving forward. It was time for another adventure, and I was eager to get to the top of the mountain and enjoy the scenery.
Trail
The atmosphere turned awry the deeper I got into the forest as the light of the sun started waning. The sun was high above the sky and with its powerful rays, it illuminated the landscape with ease but inside the forest, everything was darker, dimmed and muted in color as the light could barely reach the ground due to the tall trees blocking it. Shadows swept through the footpath with dead leaves and broken branches scattered through out the trail.
Trail
Dead leaves were everywhere as if no one had been here for quite days or even weeks. The trail markers were not maintained as well as they were too far apart and missing some numbers. The place screamed mediocrity or too wild for pictures to be taken but I still kept going, hoping the viewpoint will be good and satisfactory to my liking.
Smooth Rock Formation
The smooth rock looked slippery at first and I was hesitant to step on it but it proved to be rather easy. I was almost at the halfway point and there was still no hiker or soul in sight. There was no one going down nor going up. Solitude and silence were both friends of mine but I was worried that there might not be a viewpoint at the top.
Trail Numbers
The trails that had fire towers seem to have these numbers that go from 1 to 10. However, this place had missing numbers as I didn’t see a three, or four or even a seven. It was a bad sign that says that this place was not maintained and that the viewpoint maybe blocked by trees or other obstacles.
Trail Ascending
There was no flat terrain in this place as the footpath just kept going upwards. This hike had around 1,600 feet of elevation gain too. This was the second hike of the day and as much as I didn’t want to rest due to the limitations of time, I may have no choice. Still, I kept going up and kept moving, hoping I would reach the fire tower in time.
Trail Going Up
I checked my GPS, and I was almost at the top but I couldn’t handle it any longer. The constant ascent took its toll on my body and even though I wanted to keep moving, I really needed a quick rest. I unstrapped my backpack and lay it on the ground. I wiped the dirt of a stone and sat there with my head hanging down, trying my best to recuperate and get back the energy that I lost.
Intersection
The heavy summer sun greeted me at the top of the mountain, with its powerful rays beaming down upon me, I could feel the heat weighing upon my skin. I took haste, hurrying to find shelter from the light that was blasting from the heavens, but I could not find any.
Cabin
The cabin looked deserted and abandoned but it looked sturdy and well maintained as if people lived here from time to time. I dare not enter it nor sit upon its porch as I could be trespassing and could get a ticket inadvertently. The windows were darkened and shut tight, the plants around the cabin were trimmed and preserved, and the whole place seemed clean.
Hadley Mountain First Look At The Fire Tower
The tower soared among its surrounding structures underneath the clear blue sky. I gazed upon the fire tower from a far, through the bushes, and trees that blocked the view of its body. The sun’s heavy rays was still weighing down on my body and my shoulders could feel the burden and weight of my heavy backpack, but there was gladness in my eyes and a smile in my face as I knew I was near the top. I could finally get some well deserved rest and that thought kept my spirits up and kept my legs from falling.
Hadley Mountain Fire Tower
The Hadley fire tower stood tall, glistening underneath the afternoon sky. Its skeletal body felt tough to the touch but it looked frail and diseased with rust prominent on its metallic surface. Spiderwebs were seen on the glass windows at the top, and one side was devoid of any glass as if it was destroyed by nature or perhaps destroyed by the passing of time. Age was the prominent feature of the fire tower. It looked old and decrepit as if it was abandoned by human beings a long time ago, now devoid of any glory and majesty, it still stood proudly while eagerly waiting for its demised.
Hadley Mountain Lookout
Peace had overflowed into my body as my mind became clear of any haze and obstruction as I looked at the scenery in front of me. The blue sky met the blue mountains, and there was gladness and cheerfulness among the land, as if the trees were pleased, the wind was rejoicing and the sun merry in its current place and form within the landscape.
Hadley Mountain Scenery
In front of me was a sea of green trees bathing in the scorching light of the very forceful sun. The valley was filled with diverse shades of green as far as my eyes could see and at the top of my view had the clear white sun hanging on the infinite blue sky. It was a great moment to take pictures as every piece of the land seemed to be in perfect harmony with each other. I took several pictures of the viewpoint and ingrained such elegance into my memory.
Fire Tower Closed
I climbed the tower slowly and carefully. The sides were blocked by metal rods but I could still slip and fall if I was not careful. I kept on going until I could no longer go any further. The top was locked as I expected. All is well, and all is good as the tower was not well maintained and I may even injure myself if I go to the top of the fire tower.
Hadley Mountain Fire Tower Views
Took a few pictures all around (360 degrees) the fire tower.
Hadley Mountain Fire Tower Lookout
The afternoon sun was slowly sinking as the fire tower casted a long shadow on the valley of trees. I sat down on the steps to take a rest, enjoying the magnificent view as the cool winds caressed my skin. The winds were kind and gentle, rejuvenating my body and cooling it, giving me reprieve from the burning hot sun.
Hadley Mountain Fire Tower Scenery
More pics.
Hadley Mountain Fire Tower Vista
Sitting here, I could see everything. Beautiful trees and various plant life could be seen everywhere, they were near and they were far as they blanketed the whole scenery with their lively color. Vibrant and wild, with a few touches of soft light, made the landscape reverberate in grace and charm that I felt lucky to be here in this place and in this time.
Hadley Mountain Fire Tower
High atop the fire tower on top of a mountain, I gazed over the landscape. The sun was slowly sinking, its fiery rays were slowly fading, becoming more gentle on the skin as time passed by. The mountains in front of me were swarming with life, a blanket of trees covered the lands, glistening underneath the afternoon sun. The cool winds were very comfortable, lulling me to sleep, with droopy eyes, I fought hard not to close them but in the end, I failed to do so. I opened them again 30 minutes later and I knew that it was time to go back home.
Going Back Down
I took haste trying to get back down as I ran with all my might. I was not in a hurry to get home but I didn’t feel like staying here anymore. I zoomed down the mountain, avoiding big roots that were bulging from the ground as well as big boulders and rocks in my way. I was flying down the mountain but I knew it was also not safe to be running down the trail like this so I slowed down whenever possible, whenever I deemed necessary and when the trail seemed dangerous as well.
End Of The Hike
Finally, the story was ending, and I could see the trailhead and parking lot in front of me. It was a good hike and a good viewpoint, just getting there wasn’t the most pleasant experience ever as the footpaths were not maintained and marked very well. Still, I was happy and glad I did this hike and hopefully, I will do more hikes like this in the future. So I said farewell to the place, drove back home, in order to get ready for the next adventures that were about to come into my life.