Rum Hill rises in Central New York northwest of Pierstown, among surrounding hills and lakes including Red House Hill, Metcalf Hill, Allen Lake, Mohegan Hill, and Otsego Lake. Its name comes from a local tradition dating to the early settlement period, when a meeting between settlers and Native Americans ended in disagreement and a barrel of rum was sent tumbling down the slope until it broke below. During Prohibition, the mountain was called Mount Otsego, and it was once thought to be the highest point in Otsego County.