Warner Hill Fire Lookout Tower

What to bring

Day-hike essentials for this trail. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

LOWA Renegade EVO GTX MidGORE-TEX, 3 widths, resolableCheck price on Amazon →Hydro Flask Wide Mouth 32ozinsulated, durableCheck price on Amazon →Osprey Talon 22ventilated back, pole carryCheck price on Amazon →Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight Watertight .7day-hike specific, waterproofCheck price on Amazon →Black Diamond Spot 400-Rrechargeable, comfortableCheck price on Amazon →

The Warner Hill Fire Lookout Tower might be the most pointless tower hike in New Hampshire — and that’s exactly why some people need to do it. If you’re working through every fire tower in the state, consider this your easiest checkbox. For everyone else, skip it.

What to Expect

This barely qualifies as a hike. You’ll drive up an unmarked dirt road (look for the leftmost road at an unsigned intersection), park at a gate after maybe half a mile, then walk another quarter mile up the same dirt road. The 60-foot steel tower appears on your left, standing awkwardly among the trees like it’s trying to hide.

The tower stairs are open, so you can climb the four flights to the top. The cab is locked, but that doesn’t matter — the trees have completely grown up around the tower over the decades. Even from the top platform, you’re staring into a wall of maple and oak leaves. In winter you might catch glimpses of the surrounding hills, but nothing that would qualify as a view. I’ve climbed plenty of overgrown towers, and this one takes the cake for complete visual obstruction.

The tower was built in 1919 and decommissioned decades ago when aircraft spotting made ground-based fire detection obsolete. Nature has been steadily reclaiming it ever since. It’s structurally sound but feels forgotten — no maintenance, no clearing, no reason for anyone to visit except tower baggers.

Difficulty

This is about as easy as hiking gets. The dirt road has a gentle grade, and you’re walking maybe 15 minutes total from your car to the tower base. The only “difficulty” is finding the unmarked entrance road, which branches left at an intersection where the middle fork leads to a private driveway. If you can climb stairs, you can do this hike.

Best Time to Go

Winter offers your only shot at any kind of view through the bare branches, though even then it’s marginal. Spring through fall, forget it — you’re completely walled in by foliage. Go on a weekday if you want to avoid the handful of other tower completists who might be checking this off their list. Early morning works fine since there’s no sunrise view to catch anyway.

Before You Go

The trailhead is unmarked and easy to miss. Look for a dirt road branching left at an intersection — the middle branch goes to a house, the right continues as the main road. You’ll hit a gate pretty quickly where you’ll park. No fees, no facilities, sketchy cell service. The nearest town is Warner, about 10 minutes away, where you can grab food or gas. Bring water if you want it, though you’ll barely work up a sweat on this one. If you’re driving from DC, this is probably a multi-tower day trip — hit Belknap Mountain or Mount Kearsarge North for actual views.

Gear for this hike

Our day-hike checklist — the picks that show up again and again from tested gear roundups. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

LOWA Renegade EVO GTX MidGORE-TEX, 3 widths, resolableCheck price on Amazon →Hydro Flask Wide Mouth 32ozinsulated, durableCheck price on Amazon →Osprey Talon 22ventilated back, pole carryCheck price on Amazon →Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight Watertight .7day-hike specific, waterproofCheck price on Amazon →Black Diamond Spot 400-Rrechargeable, comfortableCheck price on Amazon →Patagonia Torrentshell 3L Jacketdurable, trail + everydayCheck price on Amazon →Darn Tough Hiker Micro Crew Midweightlifetime warrantyCheck price on Amazon →Black Diamond Pursuit Trekking Polescork grip, lightweightCheck price on Amazon →Sawyer Squeeze Water Filterultralight, standard threadsCheck price on Amazon →Sawyer Premium Permethrin Insect Repellent Spraytreat clothing; kills ticksCheck price on Amazon →Mountain Hardwear Crater Lake Long Sleeve HoodyUPF 50, hood + thumb holesCheck price on Amazon →