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List of fire lookout towers

Fire lookout towers and stations, including complexes of associated buildings and structures, watch for fire. Lookout cabins without towers are perched high and do not require further elevation to serve similar purposes, as are lookout trees. Some lookouts are used to record weather conditions and observe animals in addition to their main use.

Australia

Fire stations with lookout towers

and a number of other fire stations in Australia

Towers alone

Fire lookout trees

Canada

Romania

United Kingdom

United States

The National Historic Lookout Register lists most historic, surviving fire towers in the United States. Many of these are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Forest Fire Lookout Association.

Formerly, more than 10,000 fire lookout persons staffed more than 5,000 of fire lookout towers or fire lookout stations in the United States alone. There have since been far fewer of both. A number of fire lookout trees also exist. The state of Wisconsin decided to close its last 72 operating fire lookout towers in 2016. Despite newer methods like aerial surveillance and cell phones, the state of Pennsylvania returned its use of fire lookout towers in 2017.

Arizona

Lookout trees

Arkansas

California

Some are related to the Angeles National Forest Fire Lookout Association. California had a total of 625 fire lookout sites, of those there are 198 remaining lookout towers, and of those there are around 50 staffed. There are 11 lookouts that may be rented in California. Fire Lookouts not only watch for fire, they also record weather conditions and observe animals in some cases.

Lookout rentals

Colorado

Georgia

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Louisiana

Massachusetts

Michigan

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

New Hampshire

The number of towers has varied over time, and aerial monitoring is also used. The following locations have fire towers as of 2020:

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

A number of fire lookout tower stations, including many in New York State near the Adirondack Forest Preserve and Catskill Park, have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. They include:

Adirondack Park

Catskill Park

Other

North Carolina

Oregon

Pennsylvania

South Dakota

  • Harney Peak, now known as Black Elk Peak, rock tower built in 1938 by CCC, last staffed in 1967
  • Fort Lookout IV, Oacoma, SD, NRHP-listed
  • Elk Mountain Fire Tower, Hells Canyon District, Black Hills South Dakota-measured as the tallest fire tower in the country-80+feet tall
  • Bear Mountain Fire Lookout Tower, Pennington Co SD still in service 7166' original tower was built in 1910 of logs, replaced with 30' metal tower in 1939
  • Custer Peak Fire Lookout, Lawrence Co SD, 6713' original wooden tower built in 1911, replaced in 1935 and replaced with the current rock lookout tower in 1941
  • Summit Ridge Fire Lookout, 6,082', 67.5' tower, last staffed in 1972
  • Rankin Ridge Fire Lookout, Wind Cave National Park, replaced the Crow's Nest Peak tower, 5,013'
  • Mt Coolidge Fire Lookout Custer State Park still in service
  • Battle Mountain Fire Lookout, Hot Springs, SD, Fall River Co, 4,363', 22' tower
  • Seth Bullock/Scruton Mt Fire Lookout, Pennington Co, SD, 5,817', wood tower built in 1939, replaced 1975 with metal tower

SD Lookout Towers that no longer exist

  • Crook's Tower
  • Crow's Nest Peak
  • Signal Hill
  • Parker Peak

Tennessee

Utah

Vermont

Washington

As of 2022 93 lookouts in Washington State are still in existence, down from a 1950s high of between 660 and 685.

Blue Mountains of Washington

  • Oregon Butte
  • Table Rock
  • Clearwater Lookout
  • Big Butte

North Cascades center - Hozameen Range of Washington

North Cascades east - Okanogan Range

  • Aeneas Mountain
  • Buck Mountain
  • First Butte
  • Funk Mountain
  • Goat Peak
  • Knowlton Knob
  • Mebee Pass Lookout
  • Mount Leecher
  • Leecher Crow's Nest Lookout Site
  • Okanogan Post Office Lookout Site
  • North Twentymile Peak
  • Slate Peak lookout

North Cascades east - Methow Mountains

North Cascades west - Skagit Range

North Cascades south - Glacier Peak area

North Cascades south - Mountain Loop Area

Central Cascades west -Alpine lakes area

Central Cascades east - Chelan, Entiat, Wenatchee Mountains

Southern Cascades north - Goat Rocks

Southern Cascades north - Mount Rainier Area

Southern Cascades - Crest

Southern Cascades central - Mount Adams area

Southern Cascades south - Columbia Gorge

Kitsap Peninsula

Okanogan Highlands and Kettle River Range

Olympic Mountains

San Juan Islands

  • Mount Constitution

Selkirks in Washington

  • Diamond Peak - Patrol Lookout Site
  • Lookout Mountain
  • Indian Mountain
  • Mount Spokane
  • Quartz Mountain
  • Salmo Mountain Lookout
  • South Baldy Lookout
  • Sullivan Mountain
  • Timber Mountain
  • Tower Mountain
  • Wellpinit Mountain

Others

Lookout trees

  • Cook Creek Spar Tree, cut down in 1955 due to rot,
  • Lookout tree constructed in 1918 near Darrington, Washington; abandoned as a lookout in the 1930s, it can be reached by the Lookout Tree Trail.

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Norway

  • Linnekleppen (staffed 1908–present day)
  • Skjellingshovde
  • Haukenesfjellet
  • Rafjellet
  • Mistberget
  • Elgheia
  • Kjerringhøgda
  • Furukollen
  • Hornkjølberget
  • BlÃ¥enga
  • TrollerudÃ¥sen
  • ÅrkjøltÃ¥rnet
  • Garsjøberg-tÃ¥rnet

See also

Notes

References