Exploring 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 firefighting system. Many of these lookouts survive in North Carolina today— 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).

Hardcover: ISBN 9781949467598 $39.95

Paperback: ISBN 9781949467550 $29.95

Peter Barr and Kevin Adams discuss Exploring North Carolina’s Lookout Towers.

Jester chats with Peter Barr to discuss his most recent book, Exploring North Carolina’s Lookout Towers! Peter’s knowledge of NC Fire Tower History is infectious!

Peter J. Barr first visited the Shuckstack lookout tower in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 2004, and it was there he became fascinated with fire towers, obsessed with hiking, and infatuated with the southern Appalachian Mountains, sparking two decades of backcountry exploration, mountain climbing, lookout tower research and restorations, and a career in conservation. After earning a degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Peter was inspired to learn more about the abandoned and forgotten fire lookout towers scattered across western North Carolina’s summits. In 2008, he authored Hiking North Carolina’s Lookout Towers and subsequently initiated the North Carolina chapter of the Forest Fire Lookout Association, an organization working to restore and preserve historic fire lookout towers in western NC. His efforts, in partnership with numerous agencies and funders, have since facilitated the restoration of 10 lookout towers across the region and developed an increased public awareness for the heritage of these historic structures.

An accomplished hiker and peakbagger, he has traversed all 900 miles of trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, reached the highest points in 45 U.S. states and all 100 North Carolina counties, and climbed the Adirondack 46ers, New England Highest Hundred, all summits (790) above 4,000 feet in elevation in the eastern United States, and more than 2,000 ranked peaks nationwide. He completed a thru-hike of the 2,181-mile Appalachian Trail in 2010.

Peter served a decade as Conserving Carolina’s Trails Director, where he pursued implementation of a recreation trail network on conserved lands in the dramatic Hickory Nut Gorge, designing and constructing more than 20 miles of new sustainable trails. He also authored the “Stories of the Land” column for Conserving Carolina in the Hendersonville Times-News for six years, chronicling the human connection to protected lands. He is a two-time nationally award-winning trail designer and has led trail development of multiple North Carolina trails.

Peter and his wife, Allison, make their home in Asheville, NC, though they’re currently—and indefinitely—adventuring full-time across the United States in their RV with their two cats, Oscar (the Grouch) and Sweetie.

Kevin Adams is a naturalist, writer, teacher, and photographer who has had a lifelong love affair with nature and the outdoors. A photographer for nearly 35 years, he is the author of nine books, including the bestselling North Carolina Waterfalls. An accomplished photography instructor, Kevin leads photo tours in the Southeast and abroad and teaches numerous workshops and seminars throughout the year. Often called the “MacGyver of Photography,” he designs and produces several unique products for photographers. Besides lookout towers, his favorite photo subjects are waterfalls and anything under the night sky. When he can get out of the office, Kevin enjoys hiking, traveling, and exploring the outdoor world. Kevin is founder and executive director of Waterfall Keepers of North Carolina, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the betterment of waterfalls and waterfall lovers. He lives in Waynesville, NC, with his wife, Patricia; their two cats, Lucy and Titan; nine chickens; and a troublesome groundhog that lives under the house and eats Patricia’s plants. For more about Kevin, visit his website at kadamsphoto.com.