mt cammerer fire tower

I had no idea what we were doing other than hiking. My boyfriend said they're was something I needed to see. So we hiked for what seemed like forever until we got to the top of Mt Cammerer. It was so beautiful. The hike up and back to Cosby park was about 11 miles. Make sure to bring water and snacks.

My husband and I hiked to Mt. Cammerer Fire Tower in early August while staying at the Cosby camp ground. First off, if you are planning on camping in the Smoky Mountains, Cosby Campground is fantastic- the lots are huge and the bathrooms are super clean! I had heard that the view from Mt. Cammerer can be cloudy in the morning so we left around 11:30 and took Low Gap Trail to the Appalachian. The whole trip took about 6.5 hours and was totally worth it. The views from Mt. Cammerer are stunning and the path is beautiful as well. If you plan to take Low Gap Trail, just know it is a steep hike. For more info, you can check out the post I did on it here :)http://penandkeyboard.com/blog/2014/8/18/the-appalachian-trail

I hiked to the fire tower via the Lower Gap Trail at the back of Cosby Campground on July 4th with two friends. We probably saw about a dozen other people on the trail. It was a beautiful, cool day for summertime with temperatures probably not over 80 degrees. At the fire tower it was even cooler. I was glad for a light jacket when I sat down to eat lunch. The rhododendron and several other types of flowers were blooming everywhere. This hike is rated difficult, and it is 12 miles round trip, but the ascent is less steep and strenuous because of the switchbacks. I would rank it on the higher end of moderate. The views are truly amazing from the tower. Binoculars come in handy. There are restrooms near the trailhead.