Find Your Adventure: Autumn Hikes and a New Fire Tower!

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation sent this bulletin on 10/11/2019 09:10 AM EDT
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DEC Delivers - Information to keep you connected and informed from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Share or view as a web page || Update preferences or unsubscribe

Find Your Adventure: Autumn Hikes and a New Fire Tower!

New Upper Esopus Fire Tower Opens in the Catskills

A landscape view of inside the Upper Esopus Fire Tower looking out the windows to a mountainous view of Mt. Tremper

The new Upper Esopus Fire Tower at Maurice D. Hinchey Catskills Visitor Center is now complete and open to the public. The fire tower offers a view of the Upper Esopus Valley and allows visitors to see and experience a fire tower without undertaking a challenging hike.

The Upper Esopus Fire Tower represents a legacy of DEC forest rangers and fire towers throughout the Catskills and New York State. The Catskill Center’s Catskill Fire Tower Project and volunteers help to maintain, support, and advocate for the Catskill Fire Towers, and are invaluable in helping to keep the Catskill Fire Tower tradition alive.

While the Upper Esopus Fire Tower is not a part of the Catskills Fire Tower Five Challenge, it provides a great introductory experience to the Catskills.

Enjoy Autumn Sights Across the State

Adirondack Lake with a dock and orange and yellow trees

Looking for those peak fall colors? Be sure to check out I Love NY’s fall foliage report, and head outside to enjoy nature’s fireworks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Experience the Catskills this Fall

View from a hike up to North Point overlooking the escarpment trail with catskill waters in the background

Feeling the need to get in a crisp fall hike but not sure where to start? Sign up for a free guided hike as part of the Hike With Us – Catskills program. See the Catskills like never before, and enjoy the sights of North Point, Trout Pond and Overlook Mountain Fire Tower. A special thank you to our partners - Catskill Center, Catskill 3500 Club, Catskill Mountain Club, Catskill Country Walks and Hike on Guides - for leading hikes and collaborating to introduce more New Yorkers to the outdoors. Free registration is required, but space is limited.

Partner profile – Finger Lakes Trail Conference

A group of hikers from the Finger Lakes Trail Conference hiking together using hiking sticks

The Finger Lakes Trail is a nearly 1,000-mile footpath system covering upstate NY from Allegany State Park to Niagara Falls and east to the Catskills, with several north-south branches departing from east-west route. This trail is open to public use, but for those looking to venture out with a group, Finger Lakes Trail Conference organizes a series of hikes and fun weekends that provide something for everyone. Volunteers have built and cared for this extensive trail system for more than 50 years. Individuals and affiliate organizations maintain trail sections ranging from 1 mile to 100 miles in length. In addition, the Trail Conference provides over 400 miles of the route of the North Country National Scenic Trail on its way from North Dakota to Vermont.

Thank you to Finger Lakes Trail Conference for its help protecting New York's natural resources!

Road Trip to Adventure: Watertown to Black River Wild Forest

A photo taken from a canoe on the black river in the black river wild forest with fog coming off the water

Just 70 miles southeast of Watertown, and 40 miles north of Utica, is Black River Wild Forest which offers a broad array of recreational opportunities for every season. The area has over 90 miles of marked foot trails for hikers of all ages and abilities including Nicks Lake Trail and the Shoreline Trail. Both are close to Nicks Lake Campground, where you can spend the weekend camping, or renting canoes to paddle for the day.

For those looking for winter sports, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are available on all trails and easement tracts in Black River Wild Forest. There are plenty of accessible features including Little Long Lake primitive campsite with an accessible pull-off for unloading a canoe or car-top boat, an access route to the water, and a short paddle across the lake that brings you to a primitive campsite. Remsen Falls picnic site is an accessible picnic site on the banks of the South Branch Moose River.

Photo credit: Eric Adsit

Upcoming Events:

Save the date!
First Day Hikes – January 1, 2020 

Guided Walks:
Oct. 12: 10:00 AM – Five Rivers – Guided Walk: Trek among the trees
Oct 16: 10:00 AM – Reinstein Woods: Senior Stroll
Oct. 16: 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM – Rogers Environmental Education Center – Storytime & Hike
Oct 19: 10:00 AM – Reinstein Woods: Autumn Colors
Oct. 19 & Oct. 26, Nov. 2, 9, & 16: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Catskills Visitor Center: Catskill Mountain Kids
Nov. 2: 11:00 AM – Reinstein Woods: Woods Walk – Nature Guide’s Choice
Nov. 2: 2:00 PM – Five Rivers – Guided Walk: Service Road Loop
Nov. 16: 11:00 AM – Reinstein Woods: Woods Walk – Nature Guide’s Choice

Wildlife Watching:
Oct. 12: 2:30 PM – Reinstein Woods: Birding 101 – Class #9
Oct. 13: 8:00 AM – Five Rivers – HMBC: Guided Program: Fall Migration
Oct. 26: 2:30 PM – Reinstein Woods: Birding 101 – Class #10
Nov. 9: 2:00 PM – Five Rivers – Family Fun: Terrific Turkeys