This summer, we are on a quest to explore all six Catskill Fire Towers, as part of the DEC Catskills Fire Tower Challenge. We are going to be doing the challenge over 4 days (August 13, August 20, August 28, and September 4). You can join us for any individual day, or multiple days. If you complete all four days (six fire towers total) and submit your log to the DEC, you will receive the challenge patch!

“For nearly a century, observers watched the forests of New York State–including the Catskill and Adirondack forest preserves– from more than 100 fire towers perched atop the highest peaks, searching for the dangerous, telltale signs of forest fires. The Catskills Fire Tower Challenge encourages experienced hikers to visit the region’s remaining five historic fire towers, as well as a new sixth fire tower that was opened at the Catskills Visitor Center in the fall of 2019.” (NY DEC)

For this trip, we’ll be going to Tremper Mountain and Upper Esopus fire towers.

Our friends at Arc’teryx New York (@arcteryxnewyork) are sponsoring this adventure! By keeping the cost down with their contribution, they are helping more adventurers enjoy the outdoors. Beginners welcome!

Join us on an adventure to a place with amazing views and intriguing history. On this adventure, we are visiting two mountains – High Tor and Little Tor. High Tor has cool, panoramic views of the Hudson River and the town of Haverstraw. It also boasts a storied history. High Tor was used as a signal point during the Revolutionary War to warn the Colonists of a British invasion. It was also used as an air raid watch during World War II.

After our hike, we’ll stop by for treats on our way to NYC.

This is an ACTIVE+ hike and has more elevation gain than an average ACTIVE hike.

What’s included:

This summer, we are on a quest to explore all six Catskill Fire Towers, as part of the DEC Catskills Fire Tower Challenge. We are going to be doing the challenge over 4 days (August 13, August 20, August 28, and September 4). You can join us for any individual day, or multiple days. If you complete all four days (six fire towers total) and submit your log to the DEC, you will receive the challenge patch!

“For nearly a century, observers watched the forests of New York State–including the Catskill and Adirondack forest preserves– from more than 100 fire towers perched atop the highest peaks, searching for the dangerous, telltale signs of forest fires. The Catskills Fire Tower Challenge encourages experienced hikers to visit the region’s remaining five historic fire towers, as well as a new sixth fire tower that was opened at the Catskills Visitor Center in the fall of 2019.” (NY DEC)

For this trip, we’ll be going to Red Hill and Overlook Mountain Fire Towers.

Today, we’ll be hiking in the Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge. This beautiful (and flat :)) hike goes through a unique terrain. You’ll hike through grasslands at the base of the Shawangunk ridge. Off in the distance, you will see the rock cliffs in all their glory. This spot is also a great place for birding, and guide Gary will be helping you spot the local species.

After the hike, we’ll stop for a sit-down lunch or some treats.

We are doing the full Devil’s Path… with a twist. This hike is most-commonly done east to west. Today, we are mixing it up and hiking from the opposite direction.

Looking for the ultimate challenge? Hike the entire Devil’s Path in just one day. Known as one of the most challenging hiking trails in the Northeast, the Devil’s Path has steep, rugged ascents and equally difficult descents, slowing down the pace of even the most experienced hikers. Doing the entire hike in two days is considered challenging. Doing it in just 13.5 hours will put your skills and endurance to the ultimate test. But don’t worry, your Adventure Untamed Team will be there with resupply, and there will be bail-out points. AU guides will be on trail to help you succeed!

Want to do the full Devil’s Path east to west? Check out our July 23rd adventure!

On this trip we will summit Indian Head, Twin, Sugarloaf, Plateau, and West Kill mountains. These are required peaks for Catskill 3500 Club Membership

Note: Must have prior tall-peak hiking experience in the Catskill Mountains or Adirondack Mountains before joining this hike. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to info@adventureuntamed.com.

What’s Included:

• NY State Licensed and Wilderness First Responder Certified guides
• Roundtrip transportation from NYC
• Water and snack resupply, and bailout options

Our friends at Arc’teryx New York (@arcteryxnewyork) are sponsoring this adventure! By keeping the cost down with their contribution, they are helping more adventurers enjoy the outdoors.

Our adventure begins before we even leave the van, as we make our way to the trailhead via a single-lane old mining road. Appropriately named “Old Mine Road,” the road was a trail used by fur traders and Dutch settlers in the 1600’s. Once at the trailhead, we’ll pass another relic of Dutch explorations – an entrance to an old copper mine.

We’ll then climb along a magnificent gorge with a series of waterfalls before making our way up to the Raccoon Ridge and onto the historic Appalachian Trail. From there, we’ll enjoy panoramic views of the Delaware Water Gap, formed where the Delaware river cut through the Appalachian Mountains.

Join us for a day of exploration and epic views!

This summer, we are on a quest to explore all six Catskill Fire Towers, as part of the DEC Catskills Fire Tower Challenge. We are going to be doing the challenge over 4 days (August 13, August 20, August 28, and September 4). You can join us for any individual day, or multiple days. If you complete all four days (six fire towers total) and submit your log to the DEC, you will receive the challenge patch!

“For nearly a century, observers watched the forests of New York State–including the Catskill and Adirondack forest preserves– from more than 100 fire towers perched atop the highest peaks, searching for the dangerous, telltale signs of forest fires. The Catskills Fire Tower Challenge encourages experienced hikers to visit the region’s remaining five historic fire towers, as well as a new sixth fire tower that was opened at the Catskills Visitor Center in the fall of 2019.” (NY DEC)

For this trip, we’ll be going to Balsam Lake Mountain Fire Tower (via Dry Brook Ridge – New Route!)

Want to explore the beautiful Catskill Mountains without having to start with a challenging hike? This trip is for you!

Today’s adventure begins with a hike on the Catskills’ beautifully-constructed new trail leading to the Red Hill Fire Tower. This trail was built in the fall of 2020, so many hikers don’t know about it yet! After reaching the fire tower, you can continue climbing all the way to its top to see incredible views of the Catskill high peaks and the Rondout Reservoir. After the hike, we’ll visit a local brewery where you can purchase lunch and enjoy some ice-cold local brews.

This summer, we are on a quest to explore all six Catskill Fire Towers, as part of the DEC Catskills Fire Tower Challenge. We are going to be doing the challenge over 4 days (August 13, August 20, August 28, and September 4). You can join us for any individual day, or multiple days. If you complete all four days (six fire towers total) and submit your log to the DEC, you will receive the challenge patch!

“For nearly a century, observers watched the forests of New York State–including the Catskill and Adirondack forest preserves– from more than 100 fire towers perched atop the highest peaks, searching for the dangerous, telltale signs of forest fires. The Catskills Fire Tower Challenge encourages experienced hikers to visit the region’s remaining five historic fire towers, as well as a new sixth fire tower that was opened at the Catskills Visitor Center in the fall of 2019.” (NY DEC)

For this trip, we’ll be going to Hunter Mountain (via Spruceton Horse Trail – New Route!)

September 4 – September 10

Join us on an adventure deep in the John Muir Wilderness. We are going into the wild on this backcountry trip. We’ll hike in the Sierra Mountains by day, then make camp and sleep under the stars every night. And every morning we’ll wake up with snow-covered peaks rising up all around us. This backcountry adventure is for those that would like to really get away from it all and spend a week in a real, wild place.

Because this trip is at altitude, even with lower mileage this is an INTERMEDIATE+ trip.

Day 1 (September 4)

We’ll pick you up in the morning after you fly into the Las Vegas McCarran International Airport. We’ll then make the 5-hour drive to Mammoth Lakes, California and settle into our motel to rest from the travel day.

Day 2 (September 5)

This backpacking trip is high in the Sierra Mountains, at altitude. Today, we’ll be doing an easy acclimation hike at altitude (10,000 feet) to start adjusting to our new environment. The trail is gorgeous, skirting a series of Alpine Lakes.

We’ll also make a stop at the Devils Postpile to check out this amazing natural wonder.

At the end of the day, we’ll return to our motel to do gear checks, pack, and prep for the start of our adventure!

Day 3 (September 6)

We will take the Mono Pass trail to 12,000 feet (elevation gain ~1,700 feet) then descend to Pioneer Basin where we will make camp for the night.

Day 4 (September 7)

We’ll keep our camp at Pioneer basin and get out our day packs. It’s time for explore! We’ll go on a beautiful hike to explore the area around Pioneer Basin.

Day 5 (September 8)

Today, we’ll pick up camp and move to the Third Recess. Once we set up camp, we’ll put on our day packs and hike to the Pacific Crest Trail, the 2,650-mile scenic hiking trail that runs along the West Coast. 

Day 6 (September 9)

We’ll backpack to the Trail Lakes site and set up camp. With enough daylight, we’ll hike to Golden Lake and do scrambling up the rock slopes.

Day 7 (September 10)

We’ll hike out from Trail Lakes back to the trailhead. Then, we’ll make the drive back to Las Vegas and spend the night there.

Day 8 (September 11)

We’ll drop you off at the airport for your flights out.

Accommodations: 2-person rooms on September 4, 5, and 10; tents for the duration of the backpacking trip. If you would like a single room for an additional fee, please contact us at info@adventureuntamed.com, and we’ll arrange it for you.

Meals: Adventure Untamed will provide all on-trail meals. For off-trail meals, everyone is responsible for their own meals, and we’ll stop at local restaurants for food.

Flights are not included in the cost of the trip.

Spend Labor Day section-hiking the AT! That’s right, we are taking on the longest hiking-only footpath in the world – one section at a time. For this adventure, we are tackling a New York section from Arden Valley Road to Seven Lakes Drive. We’ll go through the Lemon Squeezer gap, over Island Pond Mountain, and get views of a forest pond. And because this is a point-to-point hike, there is no need to double-back or take other trails. The entire day is just the Appalachian Trail. Come explore the AT with us!

What’s included: