Red hill fire tower hike is a very easy and popular hike in the Catskill Mountains. The trail head is somewhat hidden and far from other trail heads. So I was surprised to find a lot of cars parked at the parking lot area. The top of the fire tower is only open during the weekends so if you want to fully enjoy the views then I recommend doing this hike on a Saturday or Sunday.
Red Hill Fire Tower Hike Important Information
Trail Map: Trail Map 1, Trail Map 2
Suggested Phone GPS Apps: Alltrails.com, Avenza Maps, Google Maps
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 2.6 Miles
Elevation Gained: 700 ft
Portable Toilet At Parking: None
Trail Breakdown
1.3 miles going up
1.3 miles going down
https://www.mapmyhike.com/workout/3629328196
Note: The information is just an approximation.
Parking
Start Of The Hike
It was a very small parking lot filled with lots of cars which surprised me. I didn’t think it would be popular as the path to this place was rather confusing and the road wasn’t very well maintained. Not to mention that this seemed to be in the middle of nowhere and not near any other popular hiking trails at all. I was rather cheerful and hopeful as there were a lot more people here than expected. I went out of my car, prepared my hiking gear and was very excited to what this hiking trail would bring.
Trail
It started out with a flat trail filled with dead leaves which was not a good sign. Dead leaves often mean that not enough hikers passed by which led to dead leaves accumulating on the trail. However, I knew that this was an easy hike as such I wasn’t concerned at all if the trails were not maintained or if the trail wasn’t that popular. I cheerfully kept going, crushing the leaves on the ground with my boots, creating a crunchy noise as if bones were breaking with each step that I made.
Yellow Trail Going Up
The footpath turned into a gentle incline, not too hard, and rather easy for most people. I struck a hole in the ground with my hiking sticks, and proceeded to move on. The start of the ascent was at this point and while this hike was rather easy, I could not underestimate it. My backpack was heavy with camera equipment and I still have other hiking trails to do tomorrow, it was best to prepare and take everything seriously. Still, the place was very well maintained with markers that were easy to see with footpaths that were easy to follow.
Trail Marker With A Number 2
Easy and effortless, the gentle footpath went on and on, deep into the forest with a few feet of elevation gain every few minutes or so. Eroded soil with fat worm like roots protruding on the ground were scattered through out the footpath. I walked slowly, just appreciating my surroundings- the birds that were chirping, the leaves that were rustling and the cool atmosphere of the forest that felt good on the skin. I love nature and all of its glory, just basking in the light of the sun and diving in deep into the unknown forest, felt good to the soul.
Yellow Trail Number 3
The trail markers had numbers next to them, perhaps they signify some sort of distance that I travelled or just a way for beginners to understand how much more they need to hike. I can see these numbers providing some sort of psychological boost on morale for beginners. It can help them see how much distance they have accumulated and how many more they needed to do.
Yellow Trail
A part of the hike that had a lot of muddy soil and skinny tall trees. Nothing interesting but the scenery stood out for me.
Yellow Trail
The smooth and gentle incline with various rocks and roots on the ground, felt good on the legs, a good change from the high elevation and steep trails that were everywhere on the Catskill Mountains. The gentle footpath felt good to the body as well, just walking and enjoying nature to its fullest was something I haven’t done lately as I would often just try to get to the top as fast as possible and as soon as possible to make sure I have plenty of time to enjoy the view.
Yellow Trail Number 8
The last ascent of the hike was rather easy as my body was still full of energy and vigor. I always wanted that all of my hiking trails to be like this, just a gentle incline all the way to the viewpoint. The trail was well maintained, even the rocks looked aligned by people to make the trail very easy for hikers. Smiles were everywhere as I met a few hikers as they were going back to the parking lot. There was something about hiking that made people smile, enjoy themselves and forget about their worries. It felt like magic to me whenever I see those big beautiful smiles on people I meet on the hiking trails.
Top Of The Trail
I got to the top and knew it instantly with the big cabin that stood in front of me. It just made sense that they would build a cabin at the top rather than in the middle or on the trail. The cabin looked old but also looked strong as if it would lasts for a long time or for many more years to come. The windows and doors were closed and no one seemed to be at home.
Red Hill Fire Tower – Number 10
The number 10 was the last and highest number that I saw. Perhaps these numbers signify something but I didn’t do enough research to know what they were. All I knew was that I was at the top and the hike was easy and rewarding at the same time. There were a few people gathered near the fire tower and a few also that climbed to the top. Everyone looked relaxed, chill and enjoying themselves.
Red Hill Fire Tower
In front of me was a giant, a fire tower standing proud and tall, it stood out among all other structures and taller than all the trees surrounding it. Its presence was undeniable, forcing everyone to look at it every once in a while. It was a structure that couldn’t be ignored nor set aside, it demanded attention from everyone and its demand was right and justified as this was the main attraction of this hiking trail.
Fire Tower Stairs
I pulled, shook, pushed and wiggled the fire tower but it wouldn’t budge. It was strong, sturdy, and well made as if it would lasts thousands of years from now. An orange soft rubber like item was wrapped around the metallic bars near the entrance, perhaps it was a safety mechanism. An item used to prevent injuries in case people bump their heads on the metallic bar that was very low.
Metal Stairs
I slowly climbed up to the top of the tower while holding onto the rails. I often get paranoid in these towers, thinking that a lightning bolt would hit it while I was going up. It was made of metal after all and we were very very high up the mountain.
Closed On The Weekdays
The top of the tower was closed. I heard someone said before that they only open during the weekends. Since it was only Friday, I was a day too early.
Red Hill Fire Tower Views
A gentle gust of wind blew from the heavens and hit my face. It was cool and refreshing, relaxing my body and renewing all of my energies. My eyes became heavy and I could feel my body wanting to sleep. The cool wind was too relaxing, lulling me to sleep. Then it hit me that maybe I was hogging the tower all to myself. Some other people may want to go up and they maybe waiting for me to go down, as such I tried my best to stay awake.
Red Hill Fire Tower Views
I looked around and all I saw was an ocean of green leaves and blue mountains stretching all the way to the horizon. The snail like clouds seemed to be so low that people could catch them if they were on top of one of those mountains that were very far away. I sat still at the stairs, just appreciating the views and the cool wind hitting my body. I didn’t want to leave, didn’t want to move, I just wanted to stay there for all of eternity.
But I knew I had to go as I saw new people enter the place. I’ve been enjoying the tower for some time and I should be more considerate and let others enjoy the views as well. So I took one last look of the views and went down the fire tower.
Going Back Down
The downward descent was even easier as I breezed through the trail, passing by one tree after another, one rock to the next. There was a sense of freedom and gladness with the way I stepped and hiked through the footpath. I was happy with the way the hike turned out, and every part and fiber of my body felt good as if I could hike more on this day and enjoy more adventures. My body felt light and gleeful as I take myself back to the parking lot.
End Of The Hike
It was the end of the adventure. It was short and sweet. It was amazing and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Next time I will go here during the weekends so that the top of the tower will be open. I opened my car door, got into my car, then said goodbye to the hiking trail. I met some nice people here and talked a lot of hikers at the top. Hopefully, we all continue hiking and going to adventures for the rest of our lives.
For more hikes similar to this one, you can go to my Best Hikes In Catskill, New York page.