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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

5.6 km · NYS DEC

Elevation gain

1,178 ft

359 m · 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
Wed, Sep 973°F 23°C61°F 16°CMostly Cloudy then Chance Rain Showers, night: slight chance showers and thunderstorms then showers and thunderstorms84%3 to 9 mph SW
Thu, Sep 1073°F 23°C46°F 8°CSlight Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Sunny, night: partly cloudy18%8 to 14 mph NW
Fri, Sep 1166°F 19°C45°F 7°CSunny, night: mostly clear0%7 mph NW
Sat, Sep 1269°F 21°C54°F 12°CMostly Sunny, night: chance rain showers31%1 to 7 mph S
Sun, Sep 1372°F 22°C54°F 12°CChance Rain Showers, night: chance rain showers then mostly cloudy36%6 mph SW
Mon, Sep 1472°F 22°C53°F 12°CPartly Sunny, night: partly cloudy9%6 mph NW
Tue, Sep 1573°F 23°C56°F 13°CMostly Sunny then Chance Rain Showers, night: chance showers and thunderstorms42%9 mph S

Forecast for Balsam Lake Mountain Trail Parking Area from the National Weather Service (ALY office), issued Sep 9, 6:05 AM, fetched Sep 9, 7:06 AM; refreshed hourly. Public domain.

Today at the trailhead: sunrise 6:32 AM, sunset 7:20 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 120 m 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

750 m950 m1150 m0.0 km1.4 km2.7 km4.1 km5.4 km
Elevation sampled every 50 m from USGS 3DEP Elevation Point Query Service (2026-09-09). Gain 359 m, loss 356 m. Hover the profile to see the spot on the map.

Every fact, with its source

Distance5.6 km (3.5 mi)
Elevation gain359 m (1178 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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