Balsam Lake is the westernmost of the Catskill High Peaks, and its summit carries a fire tower. The tower began as a crude wooden lookout built by the Balsam Lake Club in 1887, reportedly the first in New York, and was replaced by a steel tower around 1919. It stopped serving fire detection in 1988 but still stands, restored, and the view from the cab takes in the Pepacton Reservoir.
The usual approach is the Dry Brook Ridge Trail from Mill Brook Road, blue-marked and double-track. It meets the red-marked Balsam Lake Mountain Trail, which leads to the tower. The round trip is 5.7 miles, and the first two miles cross private land, so keep to the trail. Trip reports rate it easy, which makes it a good winter objective.
Ecology is a big part of the appeal. Northern hardwoods of beech, birch, and maple on the lower slopes give way to balsam fir and red spruce near the top, where a sphagnum bog is said to be the deepest in the Catskills. Beyond the tower, a picnic table, two lean-tos, and a water source about a third of a mile south of the summit make it easy to linger.
