Shuckstack - Hike to Shuckstack Fire Tower in the Smoky Mountains

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Second photograph on this page by Brian Stansberry .

Shuckstack Fire Tower
Trail Features:		Views / Wildflowers
Trail Location:		Fontana Village
Roundtrip Miles:		7.0 miles
Total Elevation Gain:		2120 feet
Avg. Elev Gain / Mile:		606 feet
Highest Elevation:		4020 feet
Trail Difficulty Rating:		11.24 (strenuous)
Parking Lot Latitude:
Parking Lot Longitude:

Directions to Trailhead:

The Shuckstack lookout tower is located on the North Carolina side of the Park. From Bryson City, take NC 28 to Fontana Dam. Drive across the dam and take a right at the fork of the paved road. The trail to Shuckstack begins about 0.6 mile from the dam. To reach the Shuckstack fire tower you'll be following the Appalachian Trail as it heads north into the Smoky Mountains.

Trail Description:

The Fontana Dam is the highest dam east of the Rocky Mountains. Towering 480 feet in height, the dam backs water for 30 miles and is a major source of energy for the Tennessee Valley. As you cross the dam, scan the mountains to the north and you should be able to make out the tower in the distance.

Once on the Appalachian Trail, you'll begin a fairly challenging ascent of Twentymile Ridge. You'll climb more than 2100 feet over the next 3.5 miles.

The trail begins to ascend nearly from the start. At around two and a half miles the trail will level considerably, making your hike much easier for the next half mile or so. Then, about a quarter of a mile from the tower, you'll encounter your steepest (but short) climb. Once on Twentymile Ridge, you'll encounter a three-way intersection. The AT is marked with simple white line blazed on the trees, while the path to the tower is marked with a white "T". Take a right here - the tower is just a tenth of a mile from this junction.

The Shuckstack fire tower is actually a small wood and metal building perched atop a winding eighty-foot staircase. The view from the rocks at the bottom of the fire tower is incredible, but the view from atop is much better. As you begin to climb the tower you'll notice that it moves ever so slightly, but don't be alarmed. Wind continuously blows across this ridge, and the tower is made to give a little. At the top you'll be rewarded with a spectacular 360-degree view. The Unicoi Mountains can be seen to the west, the Snowbird and Nantahala Mountains to the south, the Blue Ridge Mountains to the southeast, and the Smokies to the east and north. You'll also be able to make out Fontana Dam and all of the land you covered on your way to the tower.

The historic fire towers of the Great Smoky Mountains region were once used to gain a bird's eye view of the mountains in order to spot forest fires. Though many of the towers have been removed as more modern methods for fire detection were developed, Shuckstack and three other towers in the Smokies remain.

There's some uncertainty about the future of the Shuckstack Lookout Tower, however. The source of this uncertainty stems from this recent statement made by park officials:

"Since the use of Shuckstack as part of the radio system has been discontinued, park management will need to make a decision about the need for and future of this tower."

These days the Shuckstack tower has fallen into disrepair. Several loose steps and a missing railing make the 60-foot climb a little frightening, and those who reach its top find holes and a partially rotted floor. Obviously, the steel tower is in desperate need of restoration.

"Fire lookouts in North Carolina are a dying breed," says Peter Barr, author of Hiking North Carolina's Lookout Towers. "About a third of the lookouts that once stood in the state are gone. Others are so badly deteriorated that they face removal. Most people assume that the towers on public lands are still maintained; sadly, this is far from true."

If you're interested in learning more about the Shuckstack Fire Tower and the many other lookout towers in Western North Carolina, I highly recommend Mr. Barr's book.