Either one is fine for this run ( rather large strike team for this Sunday so we aren't actually missing anything). We don't have a dedicated decker on the team for this run, BUT the client has a decker overwatch team in the Matrix already assisting ( still useful to have one on the strike team). Get out and find your favorite, but please respect private property laws and follow local rules.To Matt: Either one is fine. There are plenty of other fire towers worth exploring in Alabama. Cherokee Ridge Alpine Trail Association has built several trails in the area for hiking and lake access. Standing 780 feet above the lakeshore-80 feet above the ground-this tower offers sweeping views of Lake Martin and the rolling countryside it was built to protect. Restoration efforts were a cooperative agreement between Alabama Power Co., the Tallapoosa Forest Conservation Association, and the Alabama Division of Forestry. Smith Mountain overlooks Lake Martin outside of Auburn. Smith MountainĪ short ½ mile hike brings you to the foot of quite possibly our favorite fire tower. Built by the Forest Service in 1937, the cab of this tower may also be locked, so again, please just climb to the top of the stairs and be respectful. Similar to the Cahaba Lookout Tower, the Perry Mountain Lookout pokes out high above the Talladega National Forest and offers a slightly different (yet equally sweeping) view of the area. The park opens at sunrise and closes at sunset. The tower now has the claim of "tallest bird viewing tower in the United States." There are also walking trails in the surrounding area, a sandy “beach” on the Cahaba River, and pristine native Alabama cypress swamps. The tower was rebuilt, and relocated, without the 7x7 cab to facilitate bird watching. The original tower was built by the CCC in the late 1930’s, and originally called Rumley Lookout. Like the Smith Mountain Lookout near Auburn, the area is more developed with modern and thoughtful architecture-think pit toilets that look like modern Scandinavian homes. Restored in 2005 by Auburn University's Rual Studio, in combination with efforts from Judson College, this is a great example of the potential that Alabama fire towers have. If you only visit one fire tower, make sure it’s this one. The cab of this tower may be locked, so please just climb to the top of the stairs and be respectful. Follow the red clay road and you’ll see the sign on your left hand side.
Cahaba Lookout Towerīuilt by the US forest service in 1935, this 7x7 cab overlooks the Talladega National Forest and offers priceless views of the surrounding wilderness ares. When you’re ready just punch in the coordinates we’ve provided.
#Ares firewatch download
Be sure to download the app and the Alabama map data before you leave. We like, which is easy, free, and accurate. This allows you to download maps and navigate with GPS signal when you loose cell service.
#Ares firewatch Offline
Grab some binoculars (bird watching is a main attraction to these towers), a GPS, and go have some fun.ĭue to the remote location of some of these towers, we recommend using offline GPS on your smart phone. Here, we’ve chosen four of our favorite fire tower lookouts to visit in Alabama. For instance, there's something quite pleasing about watching loblolly pines swaying in the wind from above, or seeing clouds of yellow pollen in springtime drifting like the smoke these towers were originally designed to spot. They offer something new in an old-fashioned way, allowing visitors to observe ordinary surroundings in an unordinary and interesting way. Rust, decay, low budgets, more sophisticated technology, and a collective short-term memory have subsumed these stoic structures to a forgotten past.īut for weekend warriors and modern day adventurers, fire towers in Alabama still have a role to play, as they offer a unique perspective that many of us rarely get. These towers, which were constructed by the Civil Conservation Corps and the US Forest Service between 19, once played a pivotal role in the protection of Alabama's natural resources and wilderness areas. Now there's about half that number, and only about half of these are actually worth visiting. At one point during the 20th century, Alabama was home to about 190 fire towers sprinkled throughout the state.