There’s still time to complete the 2026 Catskills Fire Tower Challenge. This annual hiking challenge tasks participants with hiking to and climbing all eight of the remaining historic fire towers in the Catskill region.
The fire towers are located on Balsam Lake Mountain (Hardenburgh); Hunter Mountain (Hunter); Overlook Mountain (Woodstock); Red Hill Mountain (Denning); Tremper Mountain (Shandaken); Upper Esopus (Catskill Visitor Center, Mt. Tremper); Mount Utsayantha (Stamford); and Bramley Mountain (Delhi).
To participate:
Visit all eight Catskill Fire Towers by Dec. 31, 2026.
Fill out the log of completed hikes via SurveyMonkey or download 2026 Catskills Fire Tower Challenge and email the log with a photo to: catskillschallenge@dec.ny.gov
The log and photo can also be submitted via mail to New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Outdoor Recreation, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-1020; entries must be postmarked by January 5, 2027.
All finishers will receive a commemorative patch and be entered into the grand prize drawing*. The first 1,000 finishers will also receive a one-year subscription to DEC’s Conservationist magazine and a gift subscription for a second person of their choice.
