Agate Fire Tower is an abandoned B.C. Forestry Station overlooking the Silmilkameen valley from Agate mountain, not far from Princeton, BC. It was commissioned in 1955 and active every year during the 6 months of the forest fire season. It was eventually abandoned in the 1980s when new technology made having a staffed lookout unfeasible.
Access:
There are a number of ways to access Agate Fire Lookout and one route is so well maintained that even 2WD vehicles can make it almost all the way (if not the whole way) to the top. Turn onto Wolf Creek FSR from HWY 3 near Bromley Rock. This is all unpaved road from now on. Follow this until there is an obvious Y intersection and a sign for Agate Road. Follow Agate road until there is a 4 way intersection. Turn right. From here on the road is in rough shape but it is less than a kilometre to the end so it is possible to finish the journey with a short walk if necessary.
There is an alternate route by taking the other road (not Agate Road) at the Y turn. This takes you past a mysterious monitoring station and arrives a different junction on the same 4 way intersection (go straight through intersection for this route). There is another road off of Copper Mountain Road / Willis FSR but this is reported to be in real rough shape (perhaps ATV only).
At the top:
Agate Fire Lookout is perched on dramatic cliffs and has some other historical buildings on site including a wood shed and outhouse. All buildings including the lookout tower itself are in the final stages of life. The fire lookout has never been adopted/loved by the local community and has degraded further every year. At the moment there are no windows or door and it might not be long before the tower falls over completely.
