The trail is primarily used for hiking and walking. Balsam Lake Mountain Trail (1.48 miles, 430′ from the north and 845′ from the south, red markers) Junctions with the Dry Brook Ridge Trail and Mill Brook Ridge Trail. Doubletop seen from the Balsam Lake Fire Tower. The last mile to Balsam Lake you’ll climb about 525′ to reach the Balsam Lake Mountain Trail just south of the summit. Graham mountain from Balsam Lake. Located in the Town of Hardenburgh, this is the most remote tower in the Catskills, being a good 15 minutes from a remotely major road and the closest settlement of any size being Margaretville. The summit is covered in Balsam firs - the fragrant evergreens - found on many of the highest mountains in the Catskills. (3600 ft.). Then up a steep section (0.5 mile), passing a spur trail leading to a lean-to (on the left), continue another 0.35 miles to the Balsam Lake Mountain summit (3723 feet) and fire tower. They're Tubbs Flex Alps, like my old ones, but shorter. Saturday: Balsam Lake Mountain There were twelve of us. Continue straight ahead for 2.15 miles to the summit of Eagle Mt. I think all of us were on snowshoes. Follow the blue-marked Dry Brook Ridge Trail north 0.9 miles to its junction with the red-marked Balsam Lake Mountain Trail, turn left and follow it northwest 0.8 miles, passing a lean-to before reaching the summit. Turn left to return to the parking area. Balsam Mountain(ID: 942953) USGS Official Elevation: 3,602' USGS Balsam Summit: 42.090924, -74.488208 (DEC-WGS84) USGS Balsam Summit: N 42 05.455, W 74 29.292 (GPS) USGS Balsam Summit: 18N 542325 4659998 (UTM) USGS Balsam Summit: N42 05 27, W74 29 17 (Degree, Min, Sec) USGS Official Map: Shandaken Topographical Map (free) USGS Official Map: Doubletop Mountain, Graham Mountain, Balsam Lake Mountain [PRIVATE PROPERTY] is a 9.7 mile lightly trafficked point-to-point trail located near Arkville, New York that features a great forest setting and is rated as difficult. Balsam Lake Mountain, one of the 35 peaks in the Catskills over 3,500 feet in elevation, is the most westerly of these peaks. Balsam Lake Mountain - The most direct route is from the Balsam Lake Mountain Trailhead on Beaverkill Road. During the winter, it makes an ideal snowshoe hike under appropriate conditions. The large mountain visible to the east is Graham. Balsam Lake Mountain is the westernmost of the Catskill High Peaks, ranking 16th out of 35 with a summit elevation of 3,720 feet. (3600 ft.). Distance: 3.5 miles. Balsam Lake Mountain via Dry Brook Ridge Trail is a 4.3 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Livingston Manor, New York that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. The fire tower on the summit offers a panoramic 360-degree view, and the nearby lean-to provides an opportunity for an overnight stay. Just don’t forget your TP. Ascent: 1250 feet. With binoculars, or a long lens, you can see the ruins on the summit. They were fine. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, and nature trips and is accessible year-round. Balsam Lake Mountain via Beaver Kill Road Loop Hike. To its left you can see Slide Mountain. Trail conditions in the Catskills constantly change - especially in the winter - so make sure to check the weather report and the condition of the trails before you embark on the hike. This was my first hike on my new snowshoes. On Saturday three of us climbed Slide and the rest of us (including me) climbed Balsam Lake Mountain. To the right is Lone. Zoom in to see the ruins on the summit. Turn right on the blue-blazed trail Stay on this trail for .75 miles to reach the summit of Balsam Mt. Turn around and backtrack along the blue-blazed trail to the junction with the red-blazed Oliveria-Mapledale trail. Balsam Mountain is one of the 35 peaks in the Catskill Mountains that is over 3,500 feet in elevation. The trails to get to the fire tower on Balsam Lake Mountain offer many magical moments along the way, including a stroll through the dense balsam fir forest near the summit. Balsam Lake Mountain observer’s cabin Scott L. | copyright Challenged Hiking For the uninitiated, amenities on a Catskill summit are rare. Both are about 12 miles away. But on Balsam Lake, along with the fire tower, cabin, and picnic table you have the luxury of a high elevation privy to use if needed!