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Fryingpan Mountain Lookout Tower and a Sahara Dust Plume Sunset

    Fryingpan Lookout Tower is one of my favorite places to stop off on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I have climbed the tower in the morning, at sunset, and in the middle of clouds on a misty day and I can tell you that it is an awe-inspiring experience no matter what the weather. Ascending the 70 feet to the top of the tower always gives me a little burst of adrenaline that somehow makes the panoramic view from the top look even more beautiful. 

    The lookout tower was built by the forest service in 1941 to keep tabs on any wildfires in the area. Until the 1990's, rangers would live in the cabin on top of the tower and watch for impending blazes. After it was decommissioned it was added to the National Register of Historic Places and is now a popular site for catching mountain views. The name of the mountain it rests on, Fryingpan Mountain, is as classic Southern Appalachia as it gets. Most people think Fryingpan Mountain and its neighbor Fryingpan Gap were named for an old pioneer camp in the area where settlers found a frying pan inexplicably hanging from a tree. Whatever the case, the name embodies the quirky, idiosyncratic, wild Southern beauty of the tower perfectly. 

The Route

    This one is about as easy as it gets. You can park right beside the Blue Ridge Parkway at forest service road 450. If you are coming from Asheville you will catch a glimpse of the tower from the road when you are close. From there, the hike to the tower is 0.7 miles along a wide gravel road that slopes up from the Parkway. The access hatch to the very top of the tower is typically locked but the tower's 5 flights of stairs will still take you far above the trees. Expect the structure to sway slightly on windy days. I recommend taking a jacket because the wind can make it cold at the top even on summer days.

The Tower


    Fryingpan tower is also an excellent place to watch the sunset. The walk from the parking area is short and straightforward which is helpful if you're coming back down in the dark. You can watch the sun disappear just below Cold Mountain, one of the most dramatic peaks in the area. 


    These particular photos are of a sunset during this year's Sahara Dust Plume. The Blue Ridge Mountains are known for their haziness, but it has been even more lately because of a cloud of dust that has blown from from the Sahara, across the Atlantic, and over the Southeast. The dust also makes sunsets appear extra red. The Sahara Dust Plume arrives every year, but this one is more pronounced than it has been in decades, leading to some especially unique sunsets. While the dust isn't the best for air quality, there's something strangely poetic about watching a sunset in the Blue Ridge Mountains through a haze of sand from the Sahara Desert. 

The Takeaway

    Fryingpan lookout tower is a truly unique place to take in the mountains. It combines the perfect amount of adrenaline with history and beautiful views. Especially if you're traveling on the Blue Ridge Parkway, this is definitely a worthwhile stop.  

To see more cool places in Pisgah Forest, click here.
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