Challenge Yourself in 2023 With All 6 Catskill Fire Tower Hikes

Looking for a challenge? Thinking about doing something, anything that will get you outdoors this year? Here is a challenge that you can take the next 12 months to finish! In fact, you can complete it any time during 2023 and all it will take is your gumption and your legs.

There are five historic water towers in the Catskill New York area, and then one that is relatively new (2019) all that are there for you to hike up to. You will be able to take in the majestic beauty of the surrounding area, as well as the fresh air and manage to get yourself a little bit of exercise as well.

Where are the fire towers for the Catskills Challenge?

• Overlook Mountain - Woodstock, NY, 3,140 feet, built in 1927
• Hunter Mountain - Hunter, NY, 4,040 feet, built in 1909
• Red Hill Mountain - Denning, NY, 2,990 feet, built in 1921
• Balsam Lake Mountain - Hardenburgh, NY, 3,723 feet, originally built in 1887
• Tremper Mountain - Shandaken, NY, 2,740 feet, built in 1917
• Upper Esopus - Mt. Tremper, NY, 80 feet, built in 2019

How do you complete the Fire Tower challenge? Is there a deadline?

How do you go about completing this challenge? There is a log to fill out, to keep a record of your hikes. You will also need to send a photograph of yourself at each one of the hikes, for a record.

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READ MORE: The Appalachian Trail is Easy to Get to From the Catskills Is the Catskills Fire Tower Challenge easy?

Does this potentially sound just too simple? It really kind of is. How about you get those shoes out, tighten up the laces, maybe grab a bottle of water, some sunscreen and then start! Hey, wait! Did I mention that there would be prizes? Yep. Complete your log and your entries January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023 and submit them by January 7, 2024 to be eligible to win. Good luck and feel free to share your photos with us.