You Can Drive Right Up To Rich Mountain Fire Tower In North Carolina

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.

Google/Roger Mauger

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.

Google/Chris Rivard

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.

Google/Christopher Aman

Enjoy views of both states from the platform and inside the cab.

Google/Don’t Ask

Having a 360-degree view means you can take your pick between photographing the sunrise or the sunset — or don’t choose and snap both!

Google/Jake

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.

Google Maps

The hiking distance is a total (out and back combined) of 5.3 miles. And your total elevation gain/loss is just over 1,400 feet.

AllTrails/kim gibson

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!