Mount Sterling Tower
US 689, NC 10
Lookout Details
| Registry Numbers | US 689, NC 10 (view other lookouts in United States, North Carolina) |
| Date Registered | March 19, 2007 |
| Nominated by | Peter Barr |
| Location |
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Haywood County, North Carolina |
| Coordinates |
N 35° 42.139' W 083° 07.335' (view using Google Maps) N 35° 42' 08" W 083° 07' 20" N 35.702310° W 083.122250° |
| Elevation | 5,842 ft (1,781 m) |
| Built | 1933 |
| Administered by | Haywood County, North Carolina |
| Cooperators | Smoky Mountain Hiking Club, Friends of the Great Smoky Mountains & Benton MacKaye Trail Association |
Description
Located on one of the highest points in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Mount Sterling Fire Tower offers a commanding view. The 60’ steel Aermotor tower with 7’x7’ metal cab was constructed by the CCC in 1933.
The site is a popular backcountry hikers camp. Each year from February 15 to May 15, and then again from October 15 to December 15, the tower was manned by lookouts who lived on the premises on two-week tours. When he wasn't at his station, the watchman stayed in a cabin that once stood just north of the tower.
Today the National Park Service uses the tower as a radio repeater. The trap door is still open, and if you don't mind a shaky old structure, the views are breathtaking.
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