Guidebook author to speak on WNC lookout tower hikes Peter Barr. Donated photo
Hiking guide author Peter Barr will present his new book about North Carolina’s lookout towers at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 6, in the picnic pavilion outside the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.
In the 1920s and 1930s, forestry organizations built dozens of lookout towers in Western North Carolina to serve as the backbone of the local firefighting system. Many still survive, and they represent some of the best destinations for hikers who want to see the incredible vistas of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Exploring North Carolina’s Lookout Towers: A Guide to Hikes and Vistas is part hiking guide and part photography collection, also including stories about the history and folklore of the towers and their inhabitants.
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