Smith Mountain Fire Tower overlooking Lake Martin

One of our favorite places for my wife, Jamie and I to visit is Lake Martin.  Lake Martin was formed by the construction of the Martin Dam on the Tallapoosa River.  Construction was finished in 1926 creating, at the time, the largest man-made lake in the world.  We love Lake Martin because of the cleanliness and clarity of the water and miles of undeveloped shoreline.  It is a 39,000-acre reservoir with over 750 miles of shoreline.

If you’d like to experience breath taking views of the lake, then I’d suggest a trip to Smith Mountain Fire Tower.  A few months ago, we decided to visit and instead of driving and hiking in, we rented a pontoon boat and made the trip by water.

It’s a short but steep hike up the hill to the tower, which stands about 780 feet above the water…the views are breathtaking.

The tower was built in 1939 and a district ranger base station was constructed in 1941 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).  This facility was vital in the detection of wild fires in Tallapoosa County.  All that remains is the tower itself which was restored by the Cherokee Ridge Alpine Trail Association and opened to the public in 2012.  However, you can still see the foundation of the base station.

…And of course, a swim on the way home is always fun.

Hope you enjoyed my blog and find the opportunity to visit this incredible site in Alabama.