The Catskills Fire Tower Challenge intends to inspire experienced hikers to visit the region’s six remaining fire towers. To participate, ramblers must hike to all six DEC-owned fire towers in the Catskills between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2024. Once completed, participants submit a log of their completed hikes along with a favorite photo to CatskillsChallenge@dec.ny.gov, or via mail. Entries must be postmarked by Jan. 6, 2025.
The six towers are:
• Balsam Lake Mountain in Hardenburgh;
• Hunter Mountain in Hunter;
• Overlook Mountain in Woodstock;
• Red Hill Mountain in Denning;
• Tremper Mountain in Shandaken; and
• Upper Esopus Fire Tower (newest fire tower opened in fall 2019), located at the Catskills Visitor Center in Mt. Tremper.
All who complete the challenge will receive a commemorative patch and be entered into a grand prize drawing. (DEC employees and their families may participate but will not be eligible for the grand prize drawing.) The first 1,000 finishers will also receive a one-year subscription to Conservationist magazine and a subscription for a second person of their choice. Any finishers who have completed the challenge in multiple years will receive an additional commemorative Catskills Fire Tower Challenge prize. In addition, participants who submit a photo of themselves practicing Leave No Trace™ principles (e.g., picking up and carrying out trash, planning and preparing, staying on trail) during the challenge will receive a bonus prize.
More information at https://dec.ny.gov/things-to-do/hiking/catskills-fire-tower-challenge
