Smith Mountain Fire Tower, Lake Martin, AL
On the East Side of Lake Martin is a new hiking area focused around the Smith Mountain Fire Tower. The trails are nicely marked, albeit not precisely marked with the same color paint stripes as the published trailhead. Do not be discouraged! If you think ahead, try downloading the KMZ file from the CRATA website. Either way, the network of trails surrounding the lake all trails eventually lead to the parking area.
Do not miss out on the 111 steps of the fire tower. What could be more Alabama than a fire tower? Not much, except maybe taking part in a fishing contest, if one is available.
Links
Hiking Maps of the Area: https://crata.org/
This Hike
From the parking lot, this trailhead starts you on the Tower Loop Trail.
Alternatively you can walk straight up this access road to the tower (this road is not shown on the trailmap)
View looking down at the access road from the tower. There are nice informational boards and places to sit.
Hitching-post style benches are strategically scattered around the park in spots overlooking the lake.
Occasional wooden trail markers can be found.
Rectangular blazes mark trails, however be warned that the colors do not match the map.
Shoreline is accessible from several places along the trail.
