Stissing Mountain is located about 2 miles west of Pine Plains, and soars above the Pine Planes Valley with quite remarkable views that one can see from the 90 foot high fire tower on top of the mountain (1/3 larger then the typical 60 foot fire tower).

The trail up Sissting Mountain is unmarked (bar two or three signs right at start of the trail), but follows a series of old woods roads that are quite followable. While there was no indication of other hikers or trail with the fresh leaf litter, the old wood road was quite distingushiable fromt he surrounding the forest.

The trail up Sissting Mountain climbs quickly up to the notch between Sissting Mountain and Little Sissting Mountain directly to the North of the main mountain.

A little ways after you reach the notch, and starting south, you get to choose between a fairly steep old woods road (1/2 mile) or a much less step (3/4 mile) old woods road at a carin. I took the steeper old woods road.

From there, you get some limited views of the valley below.

Another ten minutes of hiking, you finally start to see the tower, and then you are there. Except from climbing up to the tower, there aren’t much but limited views from a top the mountain.

The 90 foot Stissing Fire Tower. It’s really big.

Here is Pine Plains and Lake Stissing. In the background you can see the southern Berkshires, including Alander Mountain in Massachussets and Gridley Mountain in Connecticut.

Here is beautiful Thompson Pond and the marshes that are around it at the base of Mount Stissing.

Looking east from the tower, over south of Pine Plains, out towards Millerton (hidden by Shultes Hill), and Connecicut.

A beef cattle operation, with paddocks from Mashomack Polo Club in the background. I’m guessing from the long barn, this at one time was a dairy operation.

Here is looking due north over Stissing Mountain, over Little Stissing Mountain and Pine Plains.

The rich farm lands that make Pine Plains famous for it’s agricultural value.

Looking through the tower windows.

Looking south towards the Palisades, and beyond it, the State of New Jersey. The Shawangunks are to the right. It’s a sea of gray and blue, during this late fall day.

Looking west towards the Catskills. It was pretty hazy out there in the 60&degree;F weather, as you can see.

After leaving the fire tower, descending the less steep trail down the mountain.

Here is a map of the hike.