Rich Mountain Fire Tower

Right out of the popular trail town of Hot Springs, the AT takes you almost up to a standing lookout on Rich Mountain. From the tower catwalk you get excellent views of the Bald, Black, Great Craggy, and Newfound mountain ranges. The Appalachian Trail once crossed the summit, passing right under the fire tower, but was rerouted to a couple hundred yards to the east in the 1980s. The tower can still be accessed from the AT by a short side trail.

Status: Standing Lookout
Elevation: 3,670 feet
Prominence: 720 feet
State: North Carolina/Tennessee
County: Madison, NC/Greene TN
AT Access: 0.1 mile detour

In 1932, the Forest Service built this L4 hip roof cab on a 30-foot metal tower.

In the 1970s, the tower was no longer used for sleeping although it did continue to be used by managers into the 1990s.

In 1995, the tower was renovated with replacement of the handrails and decking on the catwalk but the windows were removed and boarded up. After this time, the tower started falling into disrepair from weather and vandalism. There was rotting of the roof, floor and 41 wooden stairs, saturation with graffiti and even a hole in the floor of the cab where someone had built a fire. The lookout was deemed unsafe and closed to the public in the fall of 2017.

In 2018, the Forest Service, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Forest Fire Lookout Association, and Carolina Mountain Club worked on a complete restoration. Work included a full structural overhaul including new roofing, wooden cab walls and deck railings, lightning rods and grounding wiring, fresh paint, and installation of durable, vandal-proof metal-grate flooring and stairs. In November, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held to recognize the years of hard work and dedication to bring the tower back from many years of vandalism and decay.

Rich Mountain tower in 1935

Rich Mountain Lookout on 1935 map

AT route as it passes near the summit of Rich Mountain. AT is blue, access road is black.

Arriving at the lookout from the spur trail off the Appalachian Trail.

Rich Mountain Fire Tower

Panorama looking East with Mt. Mitchell out there somewhere.

Lookout name on the ground

Detour sign on the AT