The Balsam Lake Mountain Wild Forest (13,500 acres) is home to many special features and landscapes in the Catskill Mountains. Aside from fishing in Alder Lake or the Beaverkill, cross-country skiing at Kelly Hollow, or hiking on any of the 22 miles of trials within the forest, Balsam Lake Mountain is unique. The first forest fire tower in New York State was erected on Balsam Lake Mountain in 1887. Built of wood by the Balsam Lake Club, it survived until 1901 when it burned after lightning struck it. In 1905, it was replaced with another wooden tower. Telephone lines, a small observers cabin and a road to the summit were added in 1909 when the State took it over. The first steel tower was erected in 1919, and the present steel tower, 47' tall, was built in 1930. The tower eventaully closed in 1988. Since it's reopening earlier this year, it once again provides the public with unsurpassed views of the Catskill forests.

Three hundred yards northwest of the fire tower, a rare 15-acre sphagnum bog is a hidden treasure. The bog is inundated with sphagnum moss, balsam fir, wild raisin, and cinnamon fern. Bogs, which form from very poor drainage, are rarely this size, and very uncharacteristic at this elevation (3,700'). The summit of Balsam Lake Mountain is covered with balsam fir trees -- the fragrant evergreens found on many of the highest mountains in the Catskills. The tower found at the summit is listed on the National Historic Lookout Register, and has been nominated for the National Register of Historic Places.

The views from the Balsam Lake fire tower are un-paralleled. No mountain stands taller than it to the west, you literally can see as far as the eye can. At least three other towers are visible from here. To the southeast, the Red Hill Fire Tower, the fire tower on Mount Utsayantha (to the north), and looking south, the Skytop Tower at the Mohonk Mountain House near New Paltz is visible.

In early 1998, a local group of volunteers expressed interest in restoring the Balsam Lake Fire Tower, under the leadership of Karen Harris, a local resident and businesswoman. An initial meeting to discuss the restoration project was held, and the Friends of Balsam Lake committee was formed.

The group began the difficult task of raising funds to pay for the restoration through a variety of methods. The first was a benefit concert, featuring nationally-renowned acoustic folk musicians Tingstad & Rumbel held at the Belleayre Mountain Ski Center in August of 1998. The concert, made possible through donations from local benefactors, was a resounding success, and raised nearly $1,000 for the tower. Soon after, the group started a letter-writing campaign to raise additional funds, and devised a plan to "sell" the tower's steps and landings honoring donors with a small plaque on the restored tower. In October of that same year, another benefit concert was organized, featuring popular local performing artist Wendy Nief. The evening netted over $2,000 for the tower and brought the total funds raised to over $16,000. Earlier in the year, $10,000 in donations were raised by landowners to the south of Balsam Lake Mountain in memory of David Aemes, a resident of the Beaverkill Valley who had a passion for the fire tower and had recently passed away from cancer.

Actual construction on the tower began in the Summer of 1999. New new stairs, landings and fences were installed on the tower. DEC Operations staff and forest rangers repeatedly transported materials up the mountain, and made it possible for the roofer to install a stainless steel roof. New windows for the tower cab were also rebuilt using the originals as a template by a local craftsman.

DEC Operations staff had also transported eight cross braces, bolts, as well as the new windows up to the summit. AmeriCorps volunteers and DEC staff carried the large, bulky, and very heavy angle irons the last half-mile up the mountain in gale force winds.

By the end of 1999, restoration of the tower was nearly complete, pending the installation of the cross braces, a railing in the observation cab and new bolts. The ironwork installation was completed in the Spring of 2000.