Hike of the Week 6/23/2005

Hunter Mountain Fire Tower - Steep, but worth it: Hunter summit provides great views

Location:  Northern Catskills, near Hunter

Length:  6.7 miles round-trip

Rating:  Hunter is a 4,000-footer; there is no easy way to get to the tower at the top!

Dogs:  Dog-doable, but long and steep in places

Map:  New York New Jersey Trail Conference Catskill Trails; NYNJTC New York Walk Book, map 13; Peter W. Kick's Catskill Mountain Guide

Features: Reaching the top of the second highest mountain in the Catskills. The highest fire tower in the Catskills and, therefore, the most outstanding panoramic fire tower view. A strenuous but rewarding hike to the tower. The Devil's Acre leanto part-way up. Another Catskill 3,500-foot peak.

Watch out for: If you have a strong fear of heights, the walk up the fire tower stairs could really be unsettling. Try focusing just on the stairs ahead of you and plug away — it will be worth the climb.

Background:

In August 1917, Conservation Commission workers replaced the original, 40-foot Hunter Mountain wooden tower with a 60-foot Aermotor Company steel tower. During the 1980s, up to 2,500 hikers registered each year at the tower. The Department of Environmental Conservation closed the tower in 1989. In 1997 and 1998, Bo Ripnick chaired a committee of Hunter residents that held fund-raising events, including a booth at the Hunter Ski Bowl. A total of $3,000 was raised locally. Combined with state funding, repairs were begun. The tower reopened in the fall of 2000.

Hike Description:

There are four trails to the summit of Hunter: Two from the "front" and two from the less-accessible "back." The Devil's Path is the more humane "front" trail. Pick up the red discs at the back of the parking lot and ascend steeply for most of the next three-quarters of a mile. At about 3,500 feet, a mile from Stony Clove, the trail levels off for three-quarters of a mile. Turn right on the yellow Hunter Mountain Trail. The Devil's Path continues straight and passes the Devil's Acre Leanto and spring in a few hundred feet. Ascend moderately on the yellow trail 1.6 miles to the 4,040-foot summit and the fire tower. Climb the tower and be astonished by the 360-degree panoramic views.

How to get there: 

New York State Thruway to exit 19 (Kingston). Go west on Route 28 to Phoenicia, then into town and right (north) on Route 214. Trailhead parking on the left about a half-mile past the Devil's Tombstone Campground and just below Stony Clove Notch

About the New York - New Jersey Trail Conference : The NY-NJ Trail Conference is a federation of hiking clubs, environmental organizations and individual members who volunteer their time and resources to build and maintain hiking trails and protect related open space in the bi-state region.

Information : For a more detailed description of this hike including a map, visit www.nynjtc.org and click on Hike of the Week. For information on NYNJTC activities, call 201-512-9348 or email info@nynjtc.org.

Hike of the Week is a regular feature in the Poughkeepsie Journal Players section, call 845-437-4848. This hike is contributed by Ralph Ferrusi of Stormville.

V3 Last updated: July 16, 2005   Copyright © 1996-2004  New York-New Jersey Trail Conference Privacy Statement.