CROSS RIVER MOUNTAIN
FIRE TOWER
AN ICON OF THE PAST
The beautiful and historic fire tower was erected in 1926 and was used by the community until the 1970’s. The County Parks operated the tower until the 1930’s when the NYS Conservation Department began its operations.
The tower, the only one of its kind in Westchester County, was a critical asset to the community as it served as a monitoring station for forest fires.
According to a Westchester County government report from 1975 indicates that about 500 fires were reported from the tower between 1966 and 1968, with tower observers working with aerial support to pinpoint their locations.
The tower was decommissioned by the DEC in 1971 and was taken down without county approval around 1982.
A FIGURE OF BEAUTY SOARING ABOVE THE GROUND
The 60 foot tower stood at the highest point of Cross River Mountain.
The tower stood a staggering 960 feet above sea level.
It had a spectacular 360 degree view with a visibility of 50-100 miles depending on the weather
From the tower Long Island, New York City, the Hudson River, the Catskill and the Appalachian Mountains can be observed.
A SYMBOL FOR THE COMMUNITY
ALL WILL BE PROUD OF THE TOWER
Over 100,000 people per year visit the reservation, the addition of the restored fire tower would increase tourism in the area as a much sought after destination
Restoration of the historic landmark will give the community and surrounding tri-state area a symbol for our shared history
As a focal point of the reservation, the tower would aid in drawing concern and support for the future of the reserveration and all that it offers
This site was created and maintained by Rob Cummings – email crossrivermountainfiretower@gmail.com with questions.
Featured Photos
We have a photo gallery of current activity photos as well as historic photos and document scans. If you have any historic photos (or just family snapshots) of the fire tower, please send them to crossrivermountainfiretower@gmail.com – THANK YOU!
How You Can Help
We are fundraising through the Westchester Parks Foundation to raise money to enhance the accessibility of the fire tower and to enhance the educational tools and materials both on-site and off-site about the fire tower and the surrounding areas.
We have started an event to help drive the fundraising – The Fire Tower Trail Half Marathon & 10k race on June 7th, 2026. This event will help raise awareness of the fire tower project and provide a focal point for fundraising.
If you are interested in keeping updated on Fire Tower restoration news, fill out our contact page here
More Information
Check our news archive where we have collected past articles written about the Fire tower restoration project. The oldest article is from 2012 and shows the long-term commitment that the passionate volunteers have for this project.
Email us at crossrivermountainfiretower@gmail.com with questions or to send a photo or document.