Pinnacle Mountain Fire Tower

Trail Name Pinnacle Mountain Fire Tower Nearest City Erwin State Tennessee Trail Marking {{{Marking}}} Trail Use/Features Difficulty Rating Medium Hiking Time 44 Hours <br />0.25 Days <br />240 Min <br /> Distance, round-trip 88 mi <br />12.875 km <br /> Climb/Descent Elevation ~1400"~" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property. / {{{Elevation Loss}}}"{{{Elevation Loss}}}" is not a number. High Point 35203,520 Feet <br />1,173.333 Yards <br />1,072.896 Meters <br /> Nearest Medical Erwin, TN Trip Reports Click Here Loading map... {"type":"ROADMAP","minzoom":false,"maxzoom":false,"types":["ROADMAP","SATELLITE","HYBRID","TERRAIN"],"mappingservice":"googlemaps3","width":"270px","height":"180px","centre":false,"title":"","label":"","icon":"","lines":[],"polygons":[],"circles":[],"rectangles":[],"copycoords":false,"static":false,"visitedicon":"","wmsoverlay":false,"zoom":8,"layers":[],"controls":["zoom"],"zoomstyle":"DEFAULT","typestyle":"DEFAULT","autoinfowindows":false,"resizable":false,"kmlrezoom":false,"poi":true,"cluster":false,"clustergridsize":60,"clustermaxzoom":20,"clusterzoomonclick":true,"clusteraveragecenter":true,"clusterminsize":2,"imageoverlays":[],"kml":[],"gkml":[],"searchmarkers":"","fullscreen":false,"scrollwheelzoom":false,"locations":[{"text":"","title":"","link":"","lat":36.20925042807252935972428531385958194732666015625,"lon":-82.3551524496530049646025872789323329925537109375,"icon":""}]} Show Large Map

Trail Overview

Great views in all directions from observation platform constructed on the old fire tower steel.

How to get there

From Kingsport or Johnson City:

1. Head south on I-26
2. Take Exit 32.
3. At bottom of ramp, take a right.
4. At the roadway tee, there is a new gravel parking lot for 3-4 vehicles with a nearby sign announcing future location for the arts center.
5. Hike through gate along new gravel road into the picnic area.
6. Trailhead is at the back - look for brown FS marker. Does not have the trail name on it. Parking here for only 1-2 vehicles.

Route Description

The trailhead is located at the future site of the Tanasi Arts & Heritage Center next to Interstate 26 at Exit 32. The lime green-blazed trail winds up to the top with a reasonable slope using many switchbacks - except for a ~50 yard section (steep coming down). (Unfortunately, bikers have already started to make "shortcut" damage to the trail path.) The trail crosses a gravel road near the top which also leads to the tower, but is steeper than the trail.

Reported 2.5 hours to hike up to the tower with plenty of breaks to look around, and then 1.5 hours back down.

Typical Conditions

The new trail is wide and well graded all the way to the ridge line. The trail needs this fall's leaf litter to start protecting the tread, which could be somewhat slick after rain due to being so new.

Fees, Permits, etc.

No fees or permits. Horse or motor bike riding not allowed per forest service sign. Uncertain if and when the gate at the picnic area is locked.

The trail is located in the Watauga Ranger District of the Cherokee National Forest. Telephone: (423) 735-1500

Misc. Information

The summit is the highpoint of... Washington County (not Unicoi), Tennessee as it is just inside the county line. Pinnacle Mountain Tower was built by the Civil Conservation Corps and was in service until 1989. The trail was created and the 40 ft observation platform restored for $100,000 as a joint partnership. See [news article] and [FS press release].

The fire tower can also be accessed via a forest service road or the ATV trail (FTR #29) off of Dry Creek Road.

Maps

<googlemap version="0.9" lat="36.2131" lon="-82.361" type="terrain" zoom="15" width="725" scale="yes" icons="http://tehcc.org/clubwiki/kml/marker{label}.png"> http://tehcc.org/clubwiki/kml/Pinnacle_Mountain_Tower_Trail.kml

(G) 36.209268,-82.355133 Trailhead in picnic area for future arts center (G) 36.217133,-82.370338,Pinnacle Mountain Fire Tower </googlemap>

Photos

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  View east towards trailhead

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  Looking down at radio tower shack

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  Trailhead in new picnic area

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  Tanasi Art Center sign near trailhead