Exploring North Carolina's Lookout Towers: A Guide to Hikes and Vistas

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 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).

Peter J. Barr is the author of 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.

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.

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.