Hunter Mountain is the second-highest peak in the Catskill Mountains and the high point of Greene County. Its 4,040-foot summit is crowned by the highest fire tower in New York State, listed on the National Register of Historic Places and reopened to the public in 2000. The surrounding boreal forest of paper birch and red spruce reflects a history of recovery: tanning and heavy logging from 1903 to 1917 stripped the slopes before New York's Forest Preserve restored protection. The peak was formerly called Greenland Mountain, renamed for a 19th-century local landowner.
Four marked routes lead to the top. The blue-blazed Spruceton Trail from Spruceton Road is the most popular: 3.4 miles one-way with roughly 1,960 feet of gain on a moderate, horse-friendly old road. The red-blazed Devil's Path from Stony Clove Notch climbs 2,060 feet over 3.7 miles, starting steeply past shale cliffs called the Devil's Portal before leveling through birch forest. The Becker Hollow Trail is the most direct at about 2 miles, but packs in 2,270 feet of nearly continuous climbing. A loop combining Spruceton and Becker Hollow is a popular option, with a standout overlook of Spruceton Valley near the summit.
The fire tower provides a 360-degree view uncommon in the Catskills. Peakbaggers frequently extend the trip to Southwest Hunter (3,740 ft), required for the Catskill 3500 Club. Snow and ice linger on the upper approaches well into spring, and summer afternoons can bring fast-moving thunderstorms.
