Cathedral Rock
Location: Fine, New York
Mileage: 2.22 Miles
Elevation Gain: 241 Feet
Trail(s) Used: LathamTrail
Views: 360 from Fire Tower Cab
Difficulty: Easy
Hiking List(s): Fire Tower Challenge (Adirondack/Catskills), Adirondacks 29er Challenge
The second fire tower hike on Saturday took us on a pleasant, though somewhat lengthy, drive from Buck Mountain. We chose this one first since it was the farthest from our stay in Saranac Lake, with plans to tackle Azure Mountain afterward if time and energy allowed. Rain came and went during the drive, adding a bit of atmosphere. The trail starts at the parking lot of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.
Cathedral Rock is #32 on the Fire Towe Challenge (Adirondack/Catskills) and #31 on the Adirondack 29er Junior Peaks lists.
From the parking lot at the Wanakena Ranger School Campus, head around the gate and walk about 200 feet to reach the Latham Trail.
The Latham Trail takes you up to the summit area and the fire tower on Cathedral Rock.
The Latham Trail was a mostly flat, one-mile stretch that passed over a few dirt roads and through some lovely, wooded areas.
The only steep part of the Latham Trail was well maintained, but I could imagine it getting pretty icy or wet.
The Latham Trail even featured a single set of steps on the way to the summit of Cathedral Rock.
A couple of memorial plaques along the Latham Trail, one with a somber tone and the other with a cheerful touch.
A small ledge offers a view just below the summit of Cathedral Rock, with a pavilion situated nearby..
An NYS Ranger Monument sits atop a glacial erratic just below the summit of Cathedral Rock.
The Cathedral Rock Fire Tower stands 47 feet tall atop the summit of Cathedral Rock, which rises to an elevation of 1,727 feet. This is its second location, the first being on Tooley Pond Mountain.
The view from the fire tower on Cathedral Rock wasn’t much, thanks to the rain, and in a few years the trees might grow as tall as the tower.
We retraced our steps and headed back down the way we came. We saw just one other person at the summit of Cathedral Rock, and no one else on the quick hike to the car. Luckily, the rain held off during our trek, which was a bonus. Of the three fire towers we visited that day, this was probably the least impressive, with the long drive and so-so views being the biggest letdowns.
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