02-05-2025
Vermont's fire towers to be restored and improved to ensure continued recreational access
Vermont's state-owned fire towers are going to get a long overdue makeover, starting this summer.
The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation launched the first phase of a project to restore and maintain the towers on May 1. The restoration work will begin at Bear Hill fire tower in Allis State Park in Randolph, which will be closed to the public from May 1 to June 15, followed by the Burke Mountain fire tower in East Burke, which will be closed from May 15 to May 31.
Safety railings will be installed on the Spruce Mountain, Elmore Mountain, Okemo Mountain, Bald Mountain and Mt. Olga fire towers later in the summer. These towers won't be closed as long as the Bear Hill and Burke Mountain fire towers, which require more extensive work.
Vermont's fire towers were built in the early 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps to monitor forest fires, but today serve primarily as a fun spot to climb up to for a great view, having been made obsolete by new technologies to detect fires.
FPR will use $450,000 from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to complete the maintenance and safety improvements at the Bear Hill and Burke Mountain fire towers, preserving their historic character while providing better access for visitors. An additional $60,000 from the Recreational Trails Program will be used to install the safety railings on the other five towers, with work continuing into spring 2026.
Valley Restoration, LLC, of Litchfield, Connecticut, a company specializing in historic preservation of fire towers will do the work.
"These fire towers are an important piece of Vermont's forest management history and provide a unique way for Vermonters and our visitors to enjoy our public lands," Oliver Pierson, director of the forests division, said in a news release.
Contact Dan D'Ambrosio at 660-1841 or ddambrosio@ Follow him on Twitter @DanDambrosioVT.
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Renovation of Vermont's historic fire towers has begun this year
