South Mountain Fire Tower

The Pawtuckaway fire tower stands on the 908-foot summit of South Mountain in Pawtuckaway State Park, and the shortest way up is about 0.4 mile from trailhead #6 off Reservation Road in Nottingham, New Hampshire. NH State Parks' own video calls it a short 15-minute hike. A longer route, the Mountain Trail, climbs 2.4 miles to the summit from near Mountain Pond. From the tower you look out over the surrounding hills and down to Pawtuckaway Lake.

The Short Way: Trailhead #6

NH Forests and Lands, which runs the state's fire towers, gives these directions: take Route 107 from Deerfield or Raymond to Reservation Road, and follow the signs on Reservation Road to a small parking lot at the base of South Mountain. From the lot, follow the signs for trailhead #6. The hike is about 0.4 mile to the tower. NH State Parks' video tour climbs South Mountain from a trailhead near the boulder field on a trail it calls the Tower Trail, and times that walk at about 15 minutes.

The lot is small, and on the back side of the park, away from the beach and campground. NH State Parks' video notes it is just down the road from the boulder field, so the two pair well in one visit.

The Long Way: Mountain Trail

NH State Parks' hiking sheet describes a 2.4-mile walk to the 908-foot summit, with a panoramic view from the fire tower at the end. The Mountain Trail begins at a sign on the left just past Mountain Pond. Use the park's trail map to plan your return; the sheet gives the distance to the summit only.

What You See From the Top

NH State Parks' video from the tower shows views of the surrounding mountains and all the way to Pawtuckaway Lake. A 1950 state geology report went further: the view from the tower, it said, looks east to the sea and north and west over the rolling uplands of the interior.

The same 1950 report describes the Devil's Staircase, just north of the fire tower: a dike of trap rock about a foot thick, eroded along its joints into a series of steps. The upper mountain is open rocky ridge with oak and pine, and on its south side, ledges, slabs and small cliffs, according to the state's ecological inventory.

A State Fire Tower

The NH Division of Forests and Lands lists the Pawtuckaway tower as a state tower on its Fire Tower Quest, and says it maintains a statewide system of 15 fire lookout towers as an early-warning network against wildfires. The division says New Hampshire's towers and lookouts have protected its forests for more than 100 years.

Count It Toward the Fire Tower Quest

Pawtuckaway is on the state's Fire Tower Quest list. Record the dates of your visits to at least five of the listed towers, in any time period, and send your log to NH Division of Forests and Lands, 172 Pembroke Road, Concord, NH 03301, for a free Tower Quest patch and water bottle decal.

Before You Go

• Day-use fees apply, and a hiking pass can be reserved for busy days.
• Carry in, carry out. There are no trash cans on the mountains.
• Leashed dogs are allowed on the hiking trails.
• Leave your plans with someone. If you get lost, the park's hiking sheet says S.T.O.P.: stop, think, observe, plan, and stay put if you can't find the trail.
• Emergency: 911. Park office (603) 895-3031. NH Fish and Game conservation officer, weekdays 8 to 4, (603) 271-3361.

Good For

• Families and first-time hikers: about 0.4 mile to a summit with a view.
• Fire Tower Quest collectors.
• Anyone who wants a summit view for a short walk.

Maybe Skip If

• You want a long day. Add the Mountain Trail or see the other hikes.