Joanna Bald Fire Tower Hike
After reading some excerpts from Hiking North Carolina's Lookout Towers, Am and I decided to take the dogs for a walk up to Joanna Bald fire tower here in Graham County. It is on one of the highest peaks, surrounded by communications towers visible from many areas around Robbinsville.
To reach Joanna Bald, you follow Snowbird Road towards Junaluska's Grave out of Robbinsville. Take this road past the Stanley Furniture plant and turn left onto Long Creek road. Stay on this road until it turns to gravel and you reach Tatham Gap. This gap is marked with a sign noting that it was a part of the original Trail of Tears that moved the Cherokee from their homes in the Smokies to Oklahoma. Turn left at Tatham Gap and follow the road to the dead end at a gate.
It's an easy half-mile walk to the fire tower and all the other communications towers. The fire tower is locked to the public for most of the year and our trip was no exception. However, my dog and I braved the almost vertical steps to get a great view of Cheoah Bald and many of the other beautiful peaks in the area.
Carolina Mountain Club highlights many of the other fire towers in the area here. There is also a blog dedicated specifically to NC Lookout towers. They are the sponsors of a just-for-fun contest to see who can climb all of the lookout towers listed in the NC Lookout Tower book. We met a couple from Moresville, NC who were about halfway through the list. Any reason to get people out in WNC is alright with me!
Abby braved the steps too! She's not as brave going down them though...
Posing with a great little waterfall on the side of the road on the way up.
To reach Joanna Bald, you follow Snowbird Road towards Junaluska's Grave out of Robbinsville. Take this road past the Stanley Furniture plant and turn left onto Long Creek road. Stay on this road until it turns to gravel and you reach Tatham Gap. This gap is marked with a sign noting that it was a part of the original Trail of Tears that moved the Cherokee from their homes in the Smokies to Oklahoma. Turn left at Tatham Gap and follow the road to the dead end at a gate.
It's an easy half-mile walk to the fire tower and all the other communications towers. The fire tower is locked to the public for most of the year and our trip was no exception. However, my dog and I braved the almost vertical steps to get a great view of Cheoah Bald and many of the other beautiful peaks in the area.
Carolina Mountain Club highlights many of the other fire towers in the area here. There is also a blog dedicated specifically to NC Lookout towers. They are the sponsors of a just-for-fun contest to see who can climb all of the lookout towers listed in the NC Lookout Tower book. We met a couple from Moresville, NC who were about halfway through the list. Any reason to get people out in WNC is alright with me!
View towards the North with the approach road in the foreground and the Slickrock Creek wilderness area in the background.
Abby braved the steps too! She's not as brave going down them though...
Posing with a great little waterfall on the side of the road on the way up.
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