360 degrees of Fall foliage splendor.

So, you say you want to see fall foliage before they’re gone. I say there’s no better way to do it than from inside a fire tower. A tall structure on top of a tall mountain, a fire tower offers grand vistas of the surrounding mountainous landscape for little to no hike at all. That’s 360 degrees of fall foliage splendor unobstructed for your eyes to feast on.

Built from the early 1900s to aid rangers in spotting the telltale signs of forest fires, fire towers are today defunct and are either dismantled for safety reasons or repurposed for propping up radio antennas, solar panels, and other equipment what with the rising popularity of drones that are simply better suited at the job. Unless volunteer initiatives form to save the fire towers, they will likely disappear.

And because they were originally built for forest rangers, fire towers can be easily reached simply by driving up to them. Think about it, getting to the top of most mountains requires a grueling, all-day hike. But if there is a fire tower, not only is the road paved for your driving pleasure all the way to the top but you are also offered additional elevation on a manmade structure when you get there on which to appreciate the beauty of Nature all around.

So, just as you are rushing to witness nature’s spectacular display of fall colors before they disappear, so, too, must you rush to find yourself a fire tower before they, too, disappear–this one for good.