Mount Tremper Fire Tower via Willow Trail
Mount Tremper (2,730’) rises high above the Esopus Creek near the hamlets of Phoenicia and Mount Tremper in the east-central Catskills. The mountain peak is home to the Mount Tremper Fire Tower, one of the six fire towers in the Catskill Park and part of the Catskill Fire Tower Challenge.
Mount Tremper and the Mount Tremper Fire Tower are accessible from two different trailheads. The most popular route is from the trailhead on County Route 40 near Phoenicia that requires a 2.5 mile, steep climb up a very eroded trail and descent the same way. The other alternative is to climb Mount Tremper via the Willow and Warner Creek Trails from the Willow Trailhead on Jessup Road. While longer at 3.8 miles, the climb is significantly less steep and the trail itself is in much better shape. For this hike, we chose the latter because we were looking for a more enjoyable and less crowded hike to the Fire Tower.
Before the hike we stopped for lunch in Phoenicia and enjoyed some pizza (along with a few other things) at Brio’s Restaurant and Pizzeria. Perhaps we enjoyed our lunches a little too much, since as soon as we started hiking, we both realized we had probably eaten too much and the hike became more work than either of us had expected. It just goes to show that even the best laid plans can go awry. We stuck to the hike, but within the first mile or so, it was clear we both had lost some oomph along the way! Some good advice is to always listen to your bodies and in this case, they were saying boys, you aren’t going to be running up this trail.
Mount Tremper and the Mount Tremper Fire Tower via the Willow and Warner Creek Trails
For our hike, the Willow Trail begins at the Willow Trailhead on Jessup Road, which is a relatively small and remote trailhead parking area. It is also located near the end of Jessup Road, after it becomes a dirt road and passes by several private homes. Be sure to have a map and you’ll see that the trailhead is up ahead, even though it may look at times that the road is more private driveway than roadway to the trailhead.
From the trailhead it’s 3.8 miles to the summit of Mount Tremper and the Mount Tremper Fire Tower. The first 1.6 miles follows the Willow Trail and then you join the Warner Creek Trail for the remaining 2.2 miles. The trail leaves the parking area and quickly crosses a small wet area before entering the forest. Shortly thereafter, there is a sharp lefthand turn in the trail and it begins to climb steeply to get onto the center of the ridge it will be climbing to the Warner Creek Trail. This is the steepest section of the trail and after the two to three tenths of a mile of steep climbing, the rest of the hike is significantly more moderate all the way to the Warner Creek Trail Junction.
The Willow Trail follows a series of old roads to the Warner Creek Trail and there is a fairly reliable spring just before reaching the trail junction at about 1.3 miles. The trail is well maintained, well marked with yellow trail markers, and easy to follow. The Willow Trail ends at its trail junction with the Warner Creek Trail.
From the trail junction between the Willow Trail and the Warner Creek Trail, turn left to follow the Warner Creek Trail to the summit of Mount Tremper. It is 2.2 miles from the trail junction to the summit of Mount Tremper. Along the way the trail avoids making significant ups and downs on the ridge, but eventually just before the reaching the summit of Mount Tremper, there’s a short section of more intense, though still moderate climbing.
At 2.2 miles on the Warner Creek Trail (and 3.8 miles in total) you’ll reach the summit of Mount Tremper. At the summit of the mountain sits the Mount Tremper Fire Tower. Towers like the Mount Tremper Fire Tower used to be staffed by Observers who would watch the surrounding forests for fires and if smoke was spotted, would call in the location of the fire, so that it could be quickly dealt with. Today airplane and satellite surveillance has replaced the need for fire watching - so the towers are now staffed by volunteers from the Catskill Center’s Catskill Fire Tower Project on weekends to help welcome visitors and interpret the Catskill Park and surrounding areas.
The Mount Tremper Fire Tower is not locked and the cab (the small building on top of the tower) is open to the public at all times. We took our time to enjoy the view from the top, have some snacks and then headed back down the way we came.
This is a roughly 7.6 mile moderate hike with around 1900 feet of elevation gain along the way. The Willow Trail follows generally old roads for its entire route that are a pleasant walk. The Warner Creek Trail does not follow an old roadway, but except for a few rocky sections, the footpath itself is pleasant to walk and well constructed. This is solidly a moderate hike, though the length may make this more on the strenuous side of moderate for some. The only water along this route is the spring you’ll pass about 1.4 miles up the Willow Trail.
Catskills Fire Tower Challenge
The Overlook Mountain Fire Tower is part of the Catskills Fire Tower Challenge, which is an outdoor adventure and hiking initiative that encourages people to get out and explore the Catskill Park while visiting and climbing the fire towers located on peaks within the Park. To complete the Catskills Fire Tower Challenge, you must to hike to the fire towers on five Catskill Mountains, and to the fire tower at the Catskills Visitor Center, each offering unique views and experiences. The following six fire towers are located in in the Catskill Park:
Red Hill Fire Tower
For more information
You can find this hike on:
Additional Catskill Park information available at the Catskills Visitor Center (5096 Route 28 in Mt. Tremper)
Hike On Guides: Need help on a hike like this? Moe is a NYS licensed hiking and backpacking guide. You can hire him for Hiking, Backpacking and Camping Guide Services at Hike On Guides for hikes in New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts.
Gear we used and/or carried on this hike:
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