Schuyler County High Point Trip Report
Sugar Hill Fire Tower (2,080 ft)
Date: July 14, 2000
Author: Dan Case
From Watkins Glen take NY 409 west out of town to Schuyler County 28. A mile or so along, it forks.
Bear left onto Schuyler 23.
Follow this for a while and you will see the hill in the distance. You will eventually come upon Schuyler
21 to the left and a DEC sign for the Sugar Hill Recreation Area. Follow this south to Tower Hill Road
(dirt again, but well-kept). Turn right. At height of land, there is a parking area and a road with a yellow
gate to the left. If it's open (it was this time) take it, otherwise park.
It climbs and winds around a little bit more to the parking, picnic, camping, and horse facilities around
the fire tower, itself surrounded by a circle of Norway spruce. A sign at its base states its elevation but not
its CHP status. It has great views but I didn't climb it because of the mild drizzle still falling. About
twenty feet away from the tower I found a 1965 benchmark, Sproul 2, that is not noted on the map.
However, it's not on the highest ground, which appears to be a bit to the northwest. Walk around the
tower to touch all bases.