This Abandoned Fire Tower In North Carolina Offers The Perfect Way To Spend An Afternoon
By Robin Jarvis|Published March 09, 2022
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Robin Jarvis
Author
Robin Jarvis began writing for OnlyInYourState.com in 2015 and quickly advanced to a Senior Editor role. She's currently the Brand Manager and has a Bachelor's degree from West Virginia University in Journalism with a minor in Marketing. Her career history includes long running appearances on radio and television. She also has served as publisher of Shades of Green Magazine and Design Lead on several print publications. Her love for travel has taken her to many parts of the world. She's lived in the Carolinas for more than three decades and currently resides in Charleston, SC. When she's not working, she loves playing guitar, painting, traveling, and spending time with family.
Contact: rjarvis@onlyinyourstate.com
It’s not often that exploring an abandoned fire tower in North Carolina doesn’t mean hiking over the hills and through valleys in order to arrive at your destination. And while you CAN hike a 5.3-mile trail to the Rich Mountain Fire Tower you don’t have to. If you have a high-clearance vehicle, then you can drive right up to the base of the tower and start exploring!
The Rich Mountain Fire Tower has been around since 1932 and remained in service until well into the 1990s.
Back in the day, the 14-foot-by-14-foot cab atop the fire tower provided shelter for the staff charged with keeping a keen eye on the wilderness for forest fires.
Rising 31 feet, or approximately three stories above the terrain and sitting literally on the North Carolina/Tennessee border, Rich Mountain's fire tower has been restored recently and is open to the public.
Prefer to hike a couple of miles to get to the tower just to get your exercise for the day? You'll find the Rich Mountain Fire Trail on Hot Spring's Mill Ridge Road.
The Rich Mountain Fire Tower is accessible 24 hours a day and open to the public. You can learn more about the hike from our friends over at All Trails. Or, simply take your high-clearance vehicle right up to the base of this abandoned fire tower in North Carolina and start checking it out!
And if you love hiking to abandoned fire towers, then consider taking one of the toughest hikes in the state to the Yellow Mountain Fire Tower!
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