The Catskill Fire Tower Circuit — Five Peaks, Old Steel, Long Views

## The Challenge The Catskill Fire Tower Challenge is a DEC-sponsored hiking project: climb all five Catskill fire towers, sign the summit registers, submit your records, and receive a patch. The towers are spaced across the park from the eastern escarpment to the western hills and together cover the full geographic range of the Catskills. The five towers: **Hunter Mountain** (4,040 ft, the highest tower in the Catskills and the third-highest peak in New York), **Overlook** (3,140 ft, the easiest and most historically atmospheric), **Red Hill** (2,980 ft, the most remote), **Tremper** (2,740 ft, the most restored), and **Balsam Lake** (3,723 ft, the westernmost). All five towers were built between 1915 and 1930 as part of the state's fire-detection network, decommissioned over the middle of the 20th century as aircraft replaced ground observation, and restored as historical structures and hiking destinations starting in the 1990s. No consumption on any of the towers, summits, trails, or trailheads. All are state forest preserve. **New York state law prohibits cannabis consumption on state-owned land and in public spaces.** ## The Towers, Ordered by Difficulty ### Overlook Mountain (5 miles round trip, 1,400 ft gain) The easiest and most visited. A 2.5-mile gravel carriage road climbs steadily from the Meads Mountain trailhead outside Woodstock to the restored tower at the summit. The 1870s Overlook Hotel ruins on the way up are worth the slow approach. The tower itself is restored and climbable; the cab at the top is locked but accessible. The view west is into the Catskill heart; east is the Hudson Valley and beyond. Best trailhead: top of Meads Mountain Road, Woodstock. Two and a half hours round trip. ### Tremper Mountain (5.6 miles round trip, 2,000 ft gain) The most thoroughly restored tower. Tremper's cab is still accessible with original equipment intact; the trail is well-graded and a steady climb through mixed forest. The summit view takes in the entire central and eastern Catskills. Phoenicia-side trailhead; a popular and manageable day hike. Best trailhead: Old Route 28, Phoenicia. ### Balsam Lake Mountain (5.2 miles round trip, 1,350 ft gain) The westernmost tower. Balsam Lake's climb is sustained but never severe, and the tower was restored to full functionality in 2000. Quiet compared to the eastern towers; you will often have the summit to yourself even on a Saturday. Western Catskills base. Best trailhead: Mill Brook Road, off Rt 30 between Margaretville and Downsville. ### Red Hill (5.2 miles round trip, 1,290 ft gain) The most remote of the five. Red Hill sits in the southern Catskills and requires the longest approach drive from NYC. The climb itself is moderate; the trailhead often has no other cars. The tower was restored in the late 1990s and is one of the quietest summits in the park. Best trailhead: Dinch Road, Claryville. ### Hunter Mountain (8 miles round trip, 2,000 ft gain) The hardest tower. Hunter's 4,040-foot summit is the third-highest peak in New York, and the tower sits at the apex. The approach is longer and the grade is moderate-to-steep on the final mile. Expect snow at the summit well into April and at the start of November. The views are the most expansive of the five; on clear days, the High Peaks of the Adirondacks are visible 75 miles north. Best trailhead: Spruceton Valley, Route 42. The Becker Hollow trail is the most direct. ## The Project Most hikers work through the five over a season or two, pairing them with weekends in different parts of the Catskills: - **Hunter** — weekend based in Tannersville, Spruceton Inn, or Woodstock. - **Overlook** — afternoon hike from a Woodstock weekend. - **Tremper** — Phoenicia-based weekend. - **Balsam Lake** — western-Catskills / Margaretville weekend. - **Red Hill** — Sullivan County / Livingston Manor or Hancock base. Each tower has its own character. Sequencing them deliberately (the most restored, the most remote, the highest) makes the project more than a checklist. ## Registering the Challenge DEC publishes the current log-book requirements and submission form. Sign the register at each tower's summit, keep the date and weather in your own log, and submit at the end. There is no time limit on completing the Challenge; some hikers do it in a summer, others over a decade. ## Compliance, Quickly - **21+ only**, licensed shops only. Verify via OCM QR code at [cannabis.ny.gov](https://cannabis.ny.gov). - **No consumption at any tower, summit, trail, or trailhead.** All five are state forest preserve. - **No consumption in cars**, driver or passenger. - **Start low, go slow** on edibles — in the evening, after the hike, at the cabin. ## Where to Go Next - [Catskill Park trail guide for first-timers](/blog/catskill-park-trail-guide-first-timers) - [The Devil's Path — what to know before you try it](/blog/devils-path-catskills-what-to-know-before-you-try-it) - [Cannabis and hiking the Catskills responsible-use guide](/blog/cannabis-hiking-catskills-responsible-use-guide) - [Winter hiking the Catskills safely](/blog/winter-hiking-catskills-safe-cannabis-guide) **This is editorial, not legal advice.**