Tremper Mountain
Location: Phoenicia, New York
Mileage: 6.4 Miles
Elevation Gain: 1952 Feet
Trails Used: Phoenicia Trail
Views: 360 from Inside the Fire Tower Cab
Difficulty: Moderate
Hiking Lists: Catskill Fire Tower Challenge/Fire Tower Challenge (Adirondack/Catskills)
We made a last-minute decision Friday night to head into New York and finish the last Catskill Fire Tower that we had left to do. Saturday, we made the long drive to the trailhead parking area, so we didn't start hiking until almost 11 am. I was surprised that there weren't more cars when we arrived, so I squeezed into a spot, and we geared up. It was pleasant temperature wise, but the humidity was high but not too bad with a slight breeze.
Of note, this mountain is on a short list of peaks in the Catskills that has a few dens of timber rattlesnakes in various locations. These snakes are venomous, so keep your kids close and dogs on a leash.
The Catskill Fire Tower Challenge requires you to climb all eight Catskill fire towers between January 1st, 2026, and December 31st, 2026. Tremper Mountain is #7 on the Catskill Fire Tower Challenge and #17 on the Fire Tower Challenge (Adirondacks and Catskills).
The start of the Phoenicia Trail, which is off of Ulster County Route 40. There was parking for about 7-8 cars depending on how you parked.
The start of the Phoenicia Trail beings rather steeply after you cross this bridge and in about a half mile you come to the old jeep road which is the trail to the summit of Tremper Mountain
The Phoenicia Trail has several switchbacks and several steep ,rocky sections, but it never felt tough to hike nor was the trail hard to follow.
Along the Phoenicia Trail, you can see this pile of large rock that looked like a slide but was an old bluestone quarry.
Another section of the Phoenicia Trail, which was a nice easy walk.
The Baldwin Memorial Lean-To, at about 2100 feet. There is a privy nearby as well as a spring about an 1/8 of a mile up the trail. Not much water from the spring today though
View of the Tremper Mountain Fire Tower, through the trees. The fire tower is 47 feet high and was built in 1917 and used until 1971. It was restored for the public in 2001.
Foundation remains right behind the fire tower on Tremper Mountain, elevation 2730 feet
The views from every direction from the fire tower cab on Tremper Mountain.
We did not see any timber rattlesnakes for the entirety of the hike, sadly. Overall, this was a nice hike that was never too steep or too gentle. We reversed course and made our way back down to the car, passing a few hikers heading up to the summit.
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