Rock Rift Fire Observation Tower stands on Tower Mountain in Tompkins, New York, overlooking the Cannonsville Reservoir from a prominent Catskills summit. Built in 1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corps and first staffed in 1935, this International Derrick Company fire tower served as an active lookout until the 1988 season and closed in early 1989. Its distinctive design includes nine-pane cab windows and unusually diagonal stair flights. The site also reflects the displacement caused by creation of the reservoir, which flooded nearby communities including the hamlet of Rock Rift. Transferred to the Town of Tompkins in 2017, the tower has since been preserved and recognized on national historic registers.