Catskill Mountains › Balsam Lake
Balsam Lake
A short, easy hike to a fire tower with an epic view makes Balsam Lake one of the Catskill’s most popular and beloved peaks.
Balsam Lake Topography
Balsam Lake Details
Height: 3,729ft (1,137m)
Location: Central Catskills
Level: Easy
Scenic: Very
Trail Type: Fully Trailed
Canister: No
Balsam Lake Weather
Area Forecast
Summit Forecast
This page linked below shows the weather at Balsam Lake’s summit for the next six days.
https://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks/Balsam-Lake-Mountain/forecasts/1137
Opens in a new tab/window.
Click on the small °F or °C boxes to toggle between US and Metric.
Balsam Lake
Central Catskills Hiking Trails
Thru-Hike Doubletop, Graham & Balsam Lake
This hike really has it all: stream crossings, herd paths, bear prints, a canister, a memorably steep descent, a true bushwhack, a rugged ascent, an ice grotto, some old ruins and, to top it all off, a fire tower with amazing sunset views.
Hike Balsam Lake Mountain
This route combines the easiest ascent to any summit in the Catskill Park with a much more interesting (and far less trafficked) descent down the south side of the mountain. I also tried to find the scenic view, and visited a lean-to. It’s quite easy to drive past the parking area for Balsam Lake because it’s directly after a curve on Millbrook Rd.
Trail Maintenance, Balsam Lake, Fall 2019
Finished my 2019 maintenance by tidying up a few things between the two junctions on the south side of Balsam Lake. When I first took on this trail section in the spring, it hadn’t been tended to in many years and was very overgrown.
About Balsam Lake
Sunset view from Balsam Lake Fire Tower
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