23 Firetowers in the catskills, name 'em

[Jay H]

Anybody know the 23 firetowers that used to be (or still is) in the catskills region? Obviously the 5 remaining are on

Overlook, Red Hill, Hunter, Tremper, and Balsam Lake.

What are the others that used to have one?

I know a bunch of them but wondering if anybody has an official list or so? I read an article associated with the Catskills 100 Org about the total...

Jay

 

[ken]

here is a website with all that were once there and still are there



http://www.telenet.net/~ranger/towers4.htm#top

 

[Mark Schaefer]

There are 23 listed in the book Fire Towers of the Catskills. It is a book I highly recommend. Of those 23, one not listed on the website Ken posted:

Page Pond (Deposit, Delaware County) - still standing and currently owned by the Girl Scouts.​

Several other Catskill mountains formerly had observation towers of sorts (not fire towers). Among them Ashokan High Point and Kaaterskill High Peak.

 

[Jay H]

Ken, Interesting, they contain a log of firetowers outside the high peak area and even outside the catskills. They mention towers I've been to like in Sterling Forest and Harriman State Park. My impression the Catskills 100 org was talking about 23 towers within the catskills which I thought was alot.

Jay

 

[Mark Schaefer]

Jay I think the 23 figure comes from the book I mentioned. The term "Catskills" is rather expansive, much more than the High Peaks or the Blue Line. The complete list is:

Still Standing (12):
Balsam Lake
Hunter
Overlook
Tremper
Red Hill
Skytop (Shawangunks, Mohonk Resort, Ulster County)
Utsayantha (Stamford, Delaware County)
Rock Rift (Thompkins, Delaware County)
Page Pond (Deposit, Delaware County)
Leonard Hill (actually on Hubbard Hill, Broome, Schoharie County)
Roosa Gap (Shawangunks, Mamakating, Sullivan County)
Graham (Middletown, Orange County), not the 3868' peak

Those that have been removed or moved elsewhere (11):
Belleayre
Slide
High Point (Sam's Point Preserve, Shawangunks)
Twadell Point (East Branch, Delaware County)
Chapin Hill (Monticello, Sullivan County)
Gallis Hill (Hurley, Ulster County)
Pocatello (Middletown, Orange County)
Gilbert Lake (state park of the same name, Otsego County)
Hooker Hill (Schenevus, Otsego County)
Petersburg (Patria, Schoharie County)
Bramley (Delhi, Delaware County)

 

[Peakbagr]

I can't name them without having a map out.

 

[Jay H]

Leonard Hill (actually on Hubbard Hill, Broome, Schoharie County)

OK, so there is a tower up there. Jim and I were on Utsayantha this past sunday and also in some of my 100 highest hike in the north, we were wondering if there was a tower on there. Jim remembers one and Leanard Hill is marked on my CCCD map (2nd edition) of the Catskills.

BTW, that map is a pretty good 100highest locator, has many of the sub-3500' peaks on it. Doesn't name them all (like Narrow Notch/East Gray) but many of them.

Jay

 

[RoySwkr]

One tower not on the list (Orange County but maybe not considered Catskills) is Bear Mtn, the concrete footings remain on a ledge N of Perkins Tower

Also note that due to some sort of land deal Roosa Gap tower is on public land again, short hike up gated road

 

[Jay H]

Bear Mtn and Perkins Tower is in Rockland County.. The southern end of Harriman SP is on Orange but a lot of the more northern parts and Bear Mtn SP is in Rockland.

I think that is quite far from the catskills than even most people think. The still standing Jackie Jones firetower isn't too far away from Bear Mtn...

Jay

 

[RoySwkr]

Bear Mtn and Perkins Tower is in Rockland County..

Whose map are you using?

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=41.31278&lon=-74.00667

 

[Jay H]

Oops, guess you're right, the mailing address and the Bear Mountain Inn is in Rockland County... Didn't realize the tower is just on the other side of the border..

Jay

 

[Tom Rankin]

Also note that due to some sort of land deal Roosa Gap tower is on public land again, short hike up gated road

Since this is the only mention I can find of Roosa Gap on VFTT, let me just say that we did a short hike up from the South on the Long Path and visited the fire tower today. It was a beautiful day, with views to NJ, CT, and the Catskills all spread out to the North.

Technically the fire tower is off limits, with a fence surrounding it, but someone has cut a huge hole in the back of the fence.

As Roy said, you can drive up an access road to almost the top, but we got a little more exercise out of the day by taking the LP.