Gov. Ivey to reopen Flagg Mountain Fire Tower June 15

PROTECTED CONTENT

If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.

Lost your password?

Username and Password Help

Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.

← Back

Special to the News

Written by Jodi McDade

On Wednesday, June 15, Gov. Kay Ivey will reopen the historic Flagg Mountain Fire Tower to the
public for the first time in more than 20 years.
She will be joined by State Forester Rick Oates and the Alabama Forestry Commission, the Alabama
Trails Foundation, The Conservation Fund, University of Alabama Center for Economic Development,
the University of Alabama Office of Archaeological Research, the Alabama Trails Commission,
Alabama Hiking Trail Society, Coosa County Commission, Friends of Flagg Mountain, and other
partners who have contributed time, energy and funding to make this possible.
The renovation portion of this project had its inception four to five years ago when The Alabama Trails
Foundation was tasked to develop a master plan for the development and future improvements of the
Pinhoti Trail’s 170 miles in Alabama.
The foundation also partnered with The Alabama Forestry Commission, which owns the Weogufka
State Forest where Flagg Mountain is located, to develop a recreation site plan for the historical tower
and cabin areas that had been built by the Civilian Conservation Corp in the late 1930s.
Flagg Mountain was studied as a site to introduce Alabama’s mountain culture and the Pinhoti’s future
as a hallmark of sustainability for hiking trails.
Flagg Mountain is the southern terminus of the Pinhoti National Recreational Trail that connects to the
Benton MacKaye Trail near Blue Ridge, Georgia, and is the last mountain more than 1,000 feet in the
Appalachian Mountain Range that runs from Coosa County to Newfoundland, Canada.
The Pinhoti Trail is part of a series of hiking trails that connect Key West, Florida, into Labrador
spanning more than 4,800 miles and include the Appalachian Trail.
The mountain was determined to offer scenic, economic, cultural, and historic value, with assets that
could support increased visitor use and become a stimulus for local economic growth. The recent
partnership investments of more than $1 million for the site plan, approach trail, tower renovation, and
ongoing forest management allow greater access to these resources and conserves the historic context
of the observation tower.
In addition to the tower renovation, a parking area at the base of the tower has been constructed and
connects to the tower area via a half-mile gradual concrete walking path that winds through the natural
vegetation of the area.
The path is Americans with Disabilities compliant and offers access to the area for wheelchairs and
walkers. Benches are being installed along the path to provide resting areas with views of the
surrounding countryside.
The reopening celebration will begin at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 15, at the tower, and shuttles will
be provided by the Alabama Forestry Commission from a parking area along Lay Dam Road/Coosa
County Road 55.
The road to the tower will be closed to traffic because of its narrow nature, but the shuttles will start
running at about 11:15 a.m. until 1 p.m. There will be activities at the tower, including the release of
some native birds by the Alabama Wildlife Center, information on the history of the area, water,
snacks, and tents for shade leading up to the 1:30 p.m. program. The public is invited and encouraged
to attend and to arrive early.
The tower will be opened to the public after the program, and the shuttles will return attendees to the
parking area.