Imagine waking to one of the most beautiful mountaintop views in all of the Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina. Covering a span of 531,148 acres of mountain peaks to low valley floors, the Nantahala is the largest of the four national forests in North Carolina. Exploring it on foot is like trekking through the wilderness in a story book. That being said, reaching the summit on which the Yellow Mountain Firetower sits is a totally enchanting experience.

Standing for more than a century on top of Yellow Mountain's peak, the old fire tower is perhaps the most remote fire tower in the state.

It doles out 360-degree views of the Cowee Mountains, as well as the Smokies.

Reaching it on foot requires a near 12-mile trek (six miles each way) from the trailhead to the summit of the highest peak in the Cowee Mountain chain.

What's more, the trail not only ascends the final peak at Yellow Mountain, it also crosses not one, not two, but THREE other peaks en route to Yellow Mountain.

They are (from the trailhead seen at bottom left): Cole Mountain at 4,649 feet, Shortoff Mountain at 4,990 feet, and Goat Knob at 4,652 feet.

The barely traveled trail has an elevation gain of 2,929 feet. Seriously, only the most experienced hikers should find themselves on this trail; or at the very least, if you're only moderately skilled, be sure you have an advanced hiker along in your group.

While it's true it may be one of the most punishing hikes in the state, it's also truly one of the most rewarding.

Many people load up a backpack and make camp right in the tower.

As Yellow Mountain is the highest peak in the Cowee Mountains, the weather patterns up here can quickly become treacherous. So plan accordingly.

Most hikers find comfort during a pop-up storm by way of hunkering down for the night in the tower itself.

And what a fantastic place to find yourself when the sun is coming up!

The Nantahala National Forest is named for the Cherokee word "Nantahala" that means "Land of the Noonday Sun."

In many parts of this national forest, the tree cover is so thick the only time the forest floor sees any direct sunlight is when the sun is directly overhead - at noon. Thus, the noonday sun.

Have you braved the difficult hike found along the Nantahala Yellow Mountain Firetower Trail before? Let us know all about your experience! Learn more about the hike and the fire tower from hikers that have already made the trek and posted comments and photos over at AllTrails.com, here.