Big Walker Lookout – Wytheville, Virginia - Atlas Obscura
Places near me Random place

AO Edited

Big Walker Lookout

Wytheville, Virginia

A 100-foot metal tower and swinging bridge that provides stunning views of mountains in five states. 

View all photos
Big Walker Mountain Fire Tower Shanleigh30 / CC BY-SA 3.0
Big Walker Mountain Fire Tower Shanleigh30 / CC BY-SA 3.0
Big Walker Mountain Fire Tower Idawriter / CC BY-SA 3.0
View from the tower Idawriter / CC BY-SA 3.0
BW Country Store Sean Jackson / CC BY-ND 2.0
Observation Tower emilyhay (Atlas Obscura User)
37
145
Top Places in Virginia
American Shakespeare Center's Blackfriars Playhouse
Staunton, Virginia
The George Washington Masonic National Memorial
Alexandria, Virginia
Crozet Tunnel
Afton, Virginia
 See All

This family-owned rustic gem is located on the summit of Big Walker Mountain in the Jefferson National Forest. The tower has been run by the Kime family since it was first built in 1947.

After you climb up the steps of the 100-foot tower you are rewarded with spectacular views of mountaintops in Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. As you walk down the tower, you can walk across a wooden swinging bridge.

The BW Country Store is located at the base of the tower where you purchase tickets to the tower and adjoining swinging bridge. Adult tickets are $8 and children’s tickets are $5. The store sells ice cream, handicrafts, postcards, and a sizeable collection of souvenirs.

The whole complex feels like a roadside attraction from a bygone era.

Know Before You Go

Tickets to the tower and adjoining swinging bridge must be purchased inside the BW Country Store. The store has seasonal hours and is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily during the winter. The swinging bridge feels a bit rickety but the views are stunning.

Atlas Obscura Experiences

The Spies of Arlington National Cemetery

Fort Myer, Virginia
$60 per person
fires forests towers mountains
Community Contributors
e
Added by
emilyhay
T
Edited by
Traveler Tim
Published
March 30, 2023
Edit this listing
Make an Edit Add Photos
Nearby
Edith Bolling Wilson Birthplace Museum
10.39 miles
Gary Bowling's House of Art
15.32 miles
Shot Tower Historic State Park
23.19 miles
Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.
Near This Place
Outside of the Museum.
Wytheville, Virginia

Edith Bolling Wilson Birthplace Museum

The birthplace of Appalachia's only first lady, who some have dubbed the United States' "first female president."
Bluefield, West Virginia

Gary Bowling's House of Art

A once-abandoned school building converted into a fantastical multi-level art installation and haven for Appalachian artists.
.Entrance
Austinville, Virginia

Shot Tower Historic State Park

This tower was once used to create ammunition for early settlers.
The swing ride
Rock, West Virginia

Lake Shawnee Amusement Park

This abandoned amusement park was built on a site with a dark history.
Related Places
Mountain, Wisconsin

Mountain Fire Lookout Tower

Once part of an extensive network of fire towers, this is one of the few remaining in this Wisconsin forest.
Sedalia, Colorado

Devil’s Head Lookout Tower

This Colorado fire station has been in continuous operation for more than a century.
Mount Tarrengower Lookout Tower
Maldon, Australia

Mount Tarrengower Lookout Tower

A timber transport car and a team of horses were needed to carry this lookout to the top of Mount Tarrengower in the 1920s.
Dunmore, West Virginia

Thorny Mountain Fire Tower

This lookout tower built in the 1930s is now an in-demand cabin with what might be the best view of the Seneca State Forest.
Appears in 1 List
A Japanese nonna makes gyoza at Enoteca Maria.
List

Get Thee To Totality: New York

See the site of a doomsday cult, an homage to Dolly Parton, and a retro ice cream dream along the way to Atlas Obscura's Ecliptic Festival in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Atlas Obscura February 9, 2024
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

From Around the Web