アルスター郡の絶景の山頂・トップ20

At least it's number 17 on the Catskill Mountaineer list of mountains above 3500 (35 peaks). While not inherently difficult, it can be quite a challenge in winter with gale-force winds of up to 60-70 km/h. The ascent to the oldest fire tower in the Catskills (a wooden tower built in 1887, replaced by a steel structure in 1919 – now showing its age) is steep from the Balsam Lake lighthouse and can be icy in winter; in that case, it's better to take the "blue route" straight ahead. In any case, the effort is worthwhile; the view is beautiful, provided there are no clouds obstructing the visibility.

First hurdle: crossing (sometimes wading) the Neversink River on the Phoenicia-East Branch Trail... and this can be quite challenging in winter or spring... the trail can be a fast-flowing stream in places, and in winter: sheer ice, perhaps long stretches of snow on ice, quite steep (mostly boulder terrain) but manageable. The summit itself was... well: not impressive, but before the summit there are several viewing platforms with excellent views of the northern Catskills... Slide Mt. is apparently known (though we didn't know that either) because of the naturalist John Burroughs, who discovered Bicknell's thrush here; in any case, there were some spectacular views at certain points.

From the fire tower, the 360° view is impressive. The Ashokan Reservoir, the Hudson Valley and the small Echo Lake are visible from the top of the tower. Access is closed during the winter months. Luckily during our visit the ranger had come to open the tower since the weather was nice and it was the holidays. From the Overlook point, however, the view is limited by the trees.

Millbrook Mountain is a summit littered with long ridges and cliffs in the Catskill Mountains. That being said, the trails traveling to the top are tough but safe. The panoramic views from the top look out at a bunch of other peaks in the Catskills.

Joppenbergh Mountain measures in at just under 500 feet and offers sweeping views down onto the Rosendale Trestle Bridge and the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail. Rocky hills and cliffs litter the horizon from up here, and a number of trails within the trail system allow you to make your run as long or as short as you want.

Joppenbergh Mountain measures in at just under 500 feet and offers sweeping views down onto the Rosendale Trestle Bridge and the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail. Rocky hills and cliffs litter the horizon from up here, and a number of trails within the trail system allow you to make your hike as long or as short as you want.

The tower was built in 1950. It offers epic panoramic views of the Hudson River Valley, the Ashokan Reservoir and the Devil's Path Range.

Table Mountain gets its name from being a fairly flat-topped mountain. The summit itself doesn't really offer any views since it's locked in a dense forest. There are a few spur trails off the side of the main path that lead to some overlooks that you can check out on your way to the summit.