Take the Catskills Fire Tower Challenge!

For nearly a century, observers watched the forests of New York State--including the Catskill and Adirondack forest preserves-- from more than 100 fire towers perched atop the highest peaks, searching for the dangerous, telltale signs of forest fires. The Catskills Fire Tower Challenge encourages experienced hikers to visit the region's remaining five historic fire towers, as well as a new sixth fire tower that was opened at the Catskills Visitor Center in the fall of 2019.

How to Enter
  1. Hike to all six Catskill Fire Towers between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022.
  2. Overlook Mountain - Woodstock, NY
  3. Hunter Mountain - Hunter, NY
  4. Red Hill Mountain - Denning, NY
  5. Balsam Lake Mountain - Hardenburgh, NY
  6. Tremper Mountain - Shandaken, NY
  7. Upper Esopus - Mt. Tremper, NY
  8. Fill out the log of completed hikes along with one favorite photo. Download the Catskills Fire Tower Challenge log (PDF) and email it to catskillschallenge@dec.ny.gov. This can also be submitted via mail to New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Outdoor Recreation, 625 Broadway, Albany, New York 12233-1010. Entries must be postmarked by January 7, 2023.

Limit one entry per person.

You'll receive a commemorative patch and be entered to win great outdoor prizes including hiking accessories.

For complete rules, read here.

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Submitted by Yorktown, NY

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