Bald Mountain, also known as Rondaxe Mountain, is a very popular hike located in between the towns of Old Forge and Eagle Bay. It is a 2 mile round trip and is classified as easy/moderate, depending on who you ask or which website you read. In my opinion, it is easier than Rocky Mountain, despite being longer. Let's just say I am not an expert though. LOL... There is a 400-500 foot ascent and it tops out at an elevation of 2350 feet.

The summit is a wide open area that stretches for hundreds of feet. In the middle of that summit is the Rondaxe Fire Tower which offers even more expansive, amazing views. The first tower was built in 1912 and made out of wood - just a 20 foot high deck. That was replaced in 1917 with a steel tower that measures 35 feet high. From what I understand, today's structure is the same structure that was placed there in 1917 - with some improvements obviously. Restoration began in 2002 by a group called "Friends of Bald Mountain". This information was gathered from the website: www.adirondackjourneys.com. From the top you can see the Fulton Chain of Lakes including 4th Lake, 3rd Lake and 2nd Lake. In the distance you can see Stillwater, McCauley Mountain and the Moose River Plains. If it is very clear, they say you can see Blue Mountain and some of the Hike Peaks.

Bald Mountain is part of several hike challenges including the "ADK Fire Tower Challenge", the "Fulton Chain Trifecta Challenge", and the "Inlet Outdoor Family Challenge" .

Apparently there are the remains of the observer's cabin, 150 feet past the fire tower. I am sad to say I have never seen those, but that is on my to-do list. Has anyone seen this????

Originally this mountain was named "Pond Mountain" by early settlers. Eventually it was changed to Bald Mountain because of the rocky/bald appearance. In 1912 it was changed by the state to Rondaxe Mountain (because of nearby Rondaxe Lake) to avoid confusion with a mountain in a neighboring county, but it is still most commonly referred to as Bald Mountain. This information was gathered by the website: www.newyorkdiscovered.com.