🔥🥾Hike To a Fire Lookout (Or Two)
Did you know there are dozens of tiny homes across Alberta that boast stunning panoramic mountain views? These fire lookouts are a key piece of Alberta’s forest fire detection system, plus they’re also a fun hiking destination, especially for beginners or people hiking with kids.
Staffed during fire season by a lookout observer, fire lookouts are Alberta’s first line of defence for spotting and reporting wildfires. Alberta is currently home to approximately 100 active fire lookouts, each covering an observation area of approximately 5,000 square kilometres.
Annalise hiked to Mockingbird Hill Fire Lookout (pictured above) last week. This is a fairly simple 5.8-kilometre roundtrip route located in the Ghost Public Land Use Zone, that follows a gated road (pictured below). The road makes for pretty easy route finding. That’s a big benefit of fire lookout hikes — the route finding is often easier because you’re following a well-worn trail.
You know you’re almost at Mockingbird Lookout when you reach this sign (pictured below), which reminds hikers that lookouts are places of work and private residences. Only 355 metres of elevation gain makes this a great option for those hiking with kids or those looking for an adventure that’s not too strenuous.
When we visited, no one was staffing the lookout (so sadly no asking the observer loads of questions), but we were rewarded with pleasant 360 degree mountain views, as well as a picnic table to enjoy lunch (a rarity on a typical summit.) We also had the entire place to ourselves until we were joined by a family with two teenagers.
As mentioned, Alberta is home to dozens of active fire lookouts. If you’re looking for something longer and more challenging, we’ve also previously enjoyed the 13-kilometre roundtrip hike to The Prairie View Trail, often called the Barrier Fire Lookout trail. This route follows an old forestry road and culminates in stunning views, pictured below.
When Cailynn visited, in September 2021, she met and chatted with the lookout observer, Shane Turner. His job manning fire lookouts throughout Alberta has inspired his music, Mountain Mansion, Songs from a Fire Tower.
Another option is Raspberry Ridge Fire Lookout, near Longview, Alberta. This 9.5-kilometre roundtrip route is a popular one, especially in the spring (when Cailynn hiked it a few years ago) or fall. That’s because it’s often snow-free when other mountain destinations are not.
If you’ve hiked all of these fire lookouts and are looking for more, there’s an entire book (circa 1998) about these mountain abodes. Fire Lookout Hikes in the Canadian Rockies offers readers dozens of potential hikes and plenty of maps and photos.
P.S. If you’re reading this before temperatures in the mountains drop this weekend, and happen to have a weekday or afternoon off, do check out Moraine Lake Road.
P.P.S Congrats to Annalise, who just won an Alberta Magazine Award for her 2021 Alberta Views feature, Kenney VS. Campgrounds, about the ongoing saga of Alberta's parks and recreation areas.
P.P.P.S. Pop some popcorn and watch Cailynn and Tom Babin with a deep dive into bike helmets.
