Stillwater

Final one!

This recently restored fire tower would be the last of the 30 to complete the Catskill/Adirondack Fire Tower Challenge.  Of course, this happens to be one of the most remote.  It's located just under 16 miles west of Eagle Bay.  The last 7.6 is on dirt road.

Since there is very little information on the internets, I was not sure how easy I would find the trail head.  This turned out to not be a problem at all.  The parking is quite new and can hold about 3-4 cars.  In reality it only holds one, since one slot is designated for handicap and the other is for DEC.  The trail head is in the middle of nowhere, so I assume they don't mind if people park and the road.  I counted about ten.

Once on my way, I really enjoyed this walk.  It's only a mile with about 700 feet elevation gained.  The trail is almost all a soft dirt, which makes it quite, quite pleasant.  One of the best trails I've been on.  In about 20 minutes I reached the summit.

The tower looks and smells (fresh timber) quite new.  It's so remote, I could not make out much of the views.  It included the foothills of the Adirondacks.  I could make out the wind farms on Tug Hill to the west.  The Stillwater Resevoir was in view close by.

I really have to hand it to the numerous volunteers to make this happen.  They clearly put in quite a lot of time and effort to create a beautiful spot to venture to.