Bays Mountain fire tower trail offers a steep hike, wide views

KINGSPORT — Having lived in the mountains most of my life, I've never hiked as much as I should. In my western North Carolina hometown, my excuse tends to be that I've already done the classic hikes of the area. But, now that I live in the Tri-Cities, I don't have that excuse — just a lot of exploring to do. Earlier this week, I crossed a local classic off my list. I hiked to the fire tower in Bays Mountain with fellow Six Rivers Media reporter Joy Mazur. Joy Mazur climbs down the Bays Mountain fire tower on May 10, 2026. Mazur, Six Rivers Media's health reporter, got about halfway up the tower before her fear of heights won out. SARAH MONOSON/SIX RIVERS MEDIA While there are a few ways to reach the fire tower, Mazur and I followed the lakeside and fire tower trails in Bays Mountain Park and Planetarium. If you're a more intense hiker than me — as I'm sure you are — or want to choose your own adventure, you can combine other trails for a longer journey. You can even start in a different county: Hawkins' Laurel Run Park. The Laurel Run trail feeds into the Kiner Hollow and Pretty Ridge trails, which feed into the Indian Pipes trail. River Mountain Road takes you the rest of the way to the fire tower. The path Mazur and I chose was the most direct. Bays Mountain's trail map calls the lakeside trail moderate, and the fire tower trail advanced. I humbly agree. The Bays Mountain fire tower, pictured May 10, 2026, stands at 100 feet tall. SARAH MONOSON/SIX RIVERS MEDIA According to AllTrails — an app that Mazur uses — we hiked nearly 5 miles in 2 hours, 45 minutes with a total elevation gain of 719 feet. We rested for about 20 minutes of that time, as the trail's steepness threatened to get the better of me; but also, as we appreciated the view we'd earned from the mountaintop. At nearly 2,400 feet up, it was so high, I could actually see my apartment from there — even before I climbed the 100-foot tower. Also known as the Garden Mountain lookout or fire tower, it was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1937, according to the Bays Mountain history website. The forestry service used it into the 1960s, the website says. Baysmountainhistory.org is managed by the Bays Mountain Park Association's history committee. To the north, there's the Holston River. You can see Kingsport, then where it meets Hawkins County. To the south, there's miles of trees and mountains, far off, fading into the blue sky. Whenever I see those mountains, I know I'm home. And, that I should hike more. The Bays Mountain fire tower offers views of Kingsport to its northeast, pictured May 10, 2026. SARAH MONOSON/SIX RIVERS MEDIA