A hiking guide and photography book on North Carolina’s lookout towers.

In the 1920s and 1930s, forestry organizations built dozens of lookout structures in Western North Carolina as the backbone of a fire fighting system. Many of these lookouts survive in North Carolina today—and though decommissioned, they represent some of the best destinations for hikers who want to see the incredible vistas of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Part hiking guide and part photography collection, this book contains wonderful stories about the history and folklore of the lookouts and their fire lookout inhabitants, a detailed guide of hikes to each, and details about the views at the top—all provided by a local, long-term land preservationist and lookout fanatic Peter J. Barr. Barr’s text is augmented by the amazing full color photographs of well-known nature photographer Kevin Adams (North Carolina Waterfalls).

Peter Barr