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Balsam Lake Mountain

CatskillsOut and backVerified September 9, 2026
The observer's cabin below the Balsam Lake Mountain fire tower
The observer's cabin below the Balsam Lake Mountain fire tower, on this hike. Photo: Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Distance

3.5 mi

NYS DEC

Elevation gain

1,178 ft

USGS 3DEP

Time

1¾ h–2¼ h

computed, Naismith's rule

Difficulty

moderate

index 91, computed

Blazes

Blue (Dry Brook Ridge Trail)Red (Balsam Lake Mountain Trail)

NYS DEC

Getting there

By car

trailhead parking · NYS DEC

The route

Topographic map of Balsam Lake Mountain123PPSBalsam Lake Mountain Lean-ToWCMBalsam Lake Mountain Fire TowerBalsam Lake MountainTrailhead© OpenTopoMap (CC-BY-SA) · © OpenStreetMap contributors
Finger Lakes Trail (Catskill Region)white stripe blazesBalsam Lake Mountain Trailmile markers

Trail line from OpenStreetMap (286143201, 839342859, 286143200, 839342860), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Tiles © OpenTopoMap, CC-BY-SA.

Download GPXGeoJSONWalk there in Google MapsApple Maps

Weather at the trailhead

DayHighLowForecastRainWind
Fri, Oct 2354°F 12°C29°F -2°CSunny, night: mostly cloudy0%6 mph N
Sat, Oct 2457°F 14°C32°F 0°CMostly Sunny, night: clear0%3 mph NW
Sun, Oct 2561°F 16°C34°F 1°CSunny, night: mostly clear0%3 mph W
Mon, Oct 2662°F 17°C34°F 1°CSunny, night: mostly clear0%6 mph NW
Tue, Oct 2755°F 13°C28°F -2°CMostly Sunny, night: mostly clear2%5 to 8 mph N
Wed, Oct 2853°F 12°C36°F 2°CMostly Sunny, night: mostly cloudy5%5 mph S
Thu, Oct 2959°F 15°C41°F 5°CMostly Sunny, night: partly cloudy14%8 mph SW

Forecast for Balsam Lake Mountain Trail Parking Area from the National Weather Service (ALY office), issued Oct 23, 3:39 PM, fetched Oct 23, 3:39 PM; refreshed hourly. Public domain.

Today at the trailhead: sunrise 7:20 AM, sunset 6:06 PM (computed, NOAA solar algorithm). Check the last train against sunset.

Route by trail

MileTrailBlazesLength
0.0Finger Lakes Trail (Catskill Region)White stripe1.4 mi
1.4Balsam Lake Mountain Trail—0.5 mi
1.9Finger Lakes Trail (Catskill Region)White stripe1.4 mi

Trail names and blazes from the OpenStreetMap route relations, lengths measured along the drawn line, in walking order.

Along the way

MileWhatNameElevation
0.0Parkingunnamed—
0.0Parkingunnamed—
1.3Shelter: Balsam Lake Mountain Lean-ToBalsam Lake Mountain Lean-To—
1.3Springunnamed—
1.7Toiletsunnamed—
1.7Monument: Balsam Lake Mountain Fire TowerBalsam Lake Mountain Fire Tower—
1.7Toiletsunnamed—
1.7Summit: Balsam Lake MountainBalsam Lake Mountain3,729 ft

Features within 394 ft of the line from OpenStreetMap (ODbL), fetched 2026-09-09. Mile is the distance along the line to the nearest point on it.

Getting there by car

Balsam Lake Mountain Trail Parking Area

42.02396, -74.59966

Directions in Google MapsApple Maps

Trailhead from the managing agency · verified 2026-09-09. No station is within a verified walk of this trailhead.

Elevation profile

2,500 ft3,150 ft3,800 ft0.0 mi0.8 mi1.7 mi2.5 mi3.4 mi
Elevation sampled every 164 ft from USGS 3DEP Elevation Point Query Service (2026-09-09). Gain 1,178 ft, loss 1,168 ft. Hover the profile to see the spot on the map.

Every fact, with its source

Distance3.5 mi
Elevation gain1,178 ft
Route typeOut and back
Time1¾ h–2¼ h (computed, Naismith's rule)
Difficultymoderate (index 91, computed)
BlazesBlue (Dry Brook Ridge Trail), Red (Balsam Lake Mountain Trail)
Managed byNYS Department of Environmental Conservation
TrailheadBalsam Lake Mountain Trail Parking Area 42.02396, -74.59966
Parking, fee, lot timesNot yet verified

Permits & closures

No permit, reservation, or capacity rule is recorded for this hike. Check the official sources before you go.

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Wrong walk time? Closed trail?

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