List of fire lookout towers
This is a list of notable
There once were more than 10,000
Australia
See Category:Fire lookout towers in Australia
Fire stations with lookout towers:
and a number of
Towers alone:
- Stringers Knob Fire Spotting Tower
- Jimna Fire Tower
- Mount Dale
- Mount Gunjin, Western Australia
- Mount Lofty Fire Tower
- Waaje Fire Tower No.4
Fire lookout trees:
Canada
Romania
United Kingdom
- National Emergency Services Museum, Sheffield, England
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.
Arizona
- Tubac, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Portal, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Mogollon Rim, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Big Springs, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Buck Mountain Lookout Tower, Buck Mountain, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Mogollon Rim, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Tonto Village, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Big Springs, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Grandview Lookout Tower and Cabin, Twin Lakes, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Hyde Mountain Lookout House, Camp Wood, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Jacob Lake, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Kendrick Lookout Cabin, Pumpkin Center, AZ, NRHP-listed
- McNary, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Happy Jack, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Tucson, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Mingus Lookout Complex, Mingus, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Elfrida, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Blue Ridge, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Mormon Lake, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Promontory Butte Lookout Complex, Beaver Park, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Maverick, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Portal, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Bellemont, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Bonita, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Flagstaff, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Lookout trees
- Lookout trees in Kaibab National Forest
- Fredonia, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Fredonia, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Fredonia, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Grand Canyon, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Grand Canyon, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Fredonia, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Williams, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Fredonia, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Fredonia, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Fredonia, AZ, NRHP-listed
- Tusayan, AZ, NRHP-listed
Arkansas
- Look See Tree
- Hamburg, AR, NRHP-listed
- Calico Rock, AR, NRHP-listed
- Athens, AR, NRHP-listed
- Camden, AR, NRHP-listed
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.
- Alder Ridge Lookout (Eldorado National Forest)
- Allen Lookout
- American Camp Lookout (Stanislaus National Forest)
- Angora Ridge Lookout
- Annette Lookout
- Antelope Mountain Lookout (Lassen National Forest)
- Anthony Peak Lookout (Mendocino National Forest)
- Argentine Rock Lookout (Plumas National Forest)
- Armstrong Hill Lookout (Eldorado National Forest)
- Babbit Peak Lookout (Tahoe National Forest)
- Baker Point Lookout (Sequoia National Forest)
- Black Butte (Siskiyou County, California)
- Bald Mountain
- Bald Mountain (Eldorado National Forest)
- Bald Mountain (Inyo National Forest)
- Bald Mountain (Sequoia National Forest)
- Bald Mountain (Sierra National Forest)
- Baldy Mountain (Klamath National Forest)
- Ball Mountain Lookout (Klamath National Forest)
- Baltic Peak Lookout (Eldorado National Forest)
- Banner Mountain Lookout
- Basalt Hill Lookout
- Bear Mountain Lookout
- Bear Mountain Lookout
- Bear Mountain Lookout
- Big Hill Lookout (Eldorado National Forest)
- Big Hill Lookout
- Black Fox Mountain Lookout (Shasta-Trinity National Forest)
- Black Mountain Lookout
- Black Mountain Lookout (Plumas National Forest)
- Black Mountain Lookout (San Bernardino National Forest)
- Black Rock Lookout (Shasta-Trinity National Forest)
- Black Ridge Lookout (Lassen National Forest)
- Bloomer Hill Lookout (Plumas National Forest)
- Blue Mountain Lookout (Modoc National Forest)
- Blue Ridge Lookout (Klamath National Forest)
- Bolivar Lookout (Klamath National Forest)
- Bonanza King Lookout (Shasta-Trinity National Forest)
- Boucher Hill Lookout (Palomar Mountain State Park)
- Branch Mountain Lookout (Los Padres National Forest)
- Breckenridge Lookout (Sequoia National Forest)
- Brush Mountain Lookout (Six Rivers National Forest)
- Buck Rock Lookout (Sequoia National Forest)
- Buckhorn Bally Lookout (Klamath National Forest)
- Bully Choop Lookout
- Bunker Hill Lookout (Eldorado National Forest)
- Burney Mountain Lookout (Lassen National Forest)
- Butler Peak Lookout (San Bernardino National Forest)
- Cahto Peak Lookout (Mendocino National Forest)
- Calandra Lookout
- Call Mountain Lookout
- Castro Peak Lookout
- Chalone Peak Lookout (Pinnacles National Forest)
- Chews Ridge Lookout in the Los Padres National Forest in Monterey County, California, NRHP-listed
- Colby Mountain Lookout
- Cold Spring Lookout
- Collins Creek Baldy Lookout
- Cone Peak Lookout, in the Los Padres National Forest in Monterey County, California
- Copernicus Peak Lookout
- Cotton Pass Fire Station and Lookout
- Aspen Valley, CA, NRHP-listed
- Cuyama Peak Lookout
- Deadwood Peak Lookout
- Delilah Lookout
- Digger Butte Lookout
- Dixie Mountain Lookout
- Don Landon Lookout
- Dow Butte Lookout
- Duckwall Mountain Lookout
- Duncan Peak Lookout
- Duzel Rock Lookout
- Dyer Mountain Lookout
- Eagle Peak Lookout
- Eddy Gulch Lookout
- English Peak Lookout
- Estelle Mountain Lookout
- Fence Meadow Lookout
- Figueroa Mountain Lookout
- Fowler Peak Lookout
- Frazier Mountain Lookout
- Fredonyer Peak Lookout
- Gardner Lookout
- Goat Mountain Lookout
- Grasshopper Peak Lookout
- Green Mountain Lookout
- Grouse Ridge Lookout
- Happy Camp Lookout
- Harvey Mountain Lookout
- Hayden Hill Lookout
- Hayfork Bally Lookout
- Henness Ridge Fire Lookout (Yosemite National Park)
- Herd Peak Lookout
- Hi Mountain Lookout
- High Glade Lookout
- High Point Lookout
- Hogback Mountain Lookout
- Horse Ridge Lookout
- Hot Springs Mountain Lookout
- Howell Hill Lookout
- Margarita Lookout (Clevland National Forest)
- Mount Harkness Fire Lookout, in Lassen Volcanic National Park near Mineral, California, NRHP-listed
- Prospect Peak Fire Lookout, in Lassen Volcanic National Park near Mineral, California, NRHP-listed
- Carmel, California
- Thompson Peak Lookout (Plumas County)
- Wolf Mountain Lookout
- Lookout Rentals
- Bear Basin Lookout (Six Rivers National Forest)
- Black Mountain Lookout (Plumas National Forest)
- Calpine Hill Lookout (Tahoe National Forest)
- Girard Ridge Fire Lookout (Shasta-Trinity National Forest)
- Hirz Mountain Lookout (Shasta-Trinity National Forest)
- Little Mount Hoffman (Shasta-Trinity National Forest)
- Mccarthy Point Lookout (Lassen National Forest)
- Oak Flat (Sequoia National Forest)
- Pine Mountain Lookout (Mendocino National Forest)
- Post Creek Lookout (Shasta-Trinity National Forest)
- Sardine Peak Lookout (Tahoe National Forest)
Colorado
- Sedalia, CO, NRHP-listed
- Fairview Peak Lookout (Colorado), Pitkin, CO
- Rangely, CO, NRHP-listed
- Golden, CO, NRHP-listed
- Grand Lake, CO, NRHP-listed
- Estes Park, CO, NRHP-listed
Georgia
- Cornelia, GA, NRHP-listed
- Lookout Mountain, GA, NRHP-listed
Idaho
- Butts Point Creek Fire Lookout
- Gardiner Peak Lookout
- Salmon Mountain Lookout
- Big Creek, ID, NRHP-listed
- Burgdorf, ID, NRHP-listed
- Avery, ID, NRHP-listed
- Island Park, ID, NRHP-listed
- Clayton, ID, NRHP-listed
Illinois
- Jonesboro, IL, NRHP-listed
- Simpson, IL
- Big River State Forest, Keithsburg, IL
Indiana
Iowa
- Yellow River Fire Tower
Louisiana
Massachusetts
- Warwick Fire Tower
- Massaemett Mountain
Michigan
- Wellston, MI, NRHP-listed
Mississippi
- Forest, MS, NRHP-listed
Missouri
- Climax Springs Fire Tower
- Knob Lick Fire Tower[5]
- Arrow Rock, MO, NRHP-listed
- Sullivan, MO, NRHP-listed
Montana
- West Glacier, MT, NRHP-listed
- Carey Dome Fire Lookout
- Dillon, MT, NRHP-listed
- West Glacier, MT, NRHP-listed
- Hornet Lookout, Flathead National Forest, MT, NRHP-listed
- Huckleberry Fire Lookout, Glacier National Park, NRHP-listed
- Jumbo Fire Lookout, Hungry Horse, MT
- West Glacier, MT, NRHP-listed
- Sula, MT, NRHP-listed
- West Glacier, MT, NRHP-listed
- West Glacier, MT, NRHP-listed
- West Glacier, MT, NRHP-listed
- Spotted Bear Fire Lookout, Hungry Horse, MT
- West Glacier, MT, NRHP-listed
New Hampshire
The number of towers has varied over time, and aerial monitoring is also used.[6] The following locations have fire towers as of 2020:[7]
- Belknap Mountain
- Blue Job Fire Tower, Farmington
- Cardigan Mountain
- Federal Hill, Milford
- Green Mountain, Effingham
- Kearsarge North, Pequawket Fire Tower
- Magalloway Mountain
- Milan Hill
- Pack Monadnock
- Oak Hill, Loudon
- Pawtuckaway State Park
- Pitcher Mountain
- Mount Prospect, Weeks State Park
- Red Hill
- Warner Hill
New Jersey
See List of New Jersey Forest Fire Service fire towers
New Mexico
- Bearwallow Mountain Lookout Cabins and Shed, Bearwallow Park, NM, NRHP-listed
- Black Mountain Lookout Cabin, Black Mountain, NM, NRHP-listed
- Weed, NM, NRHP-listed
- Carrisa Lookout Complex, Long Canyon, NM, NRHP-listed
- El Caso Lookout Complex, El Caso Lake, NM, NRHP-listed
- Glorieta Baldy Lookout Tower, La Cueva, NM, NRHP-listed
- Hillsboro, NM, NRHP-listed
- Mangas, NM, NRHP-listed
- Mogollon Baldy Peak, NM, NRHP-listed
- Monjeau Lookout, Villa Madonna, NM, NRHP-listed
- Reeds Peak Lookout Tower, Reeds Peak, NM, NRHP-listed
- Ruidoso, NM, NRHP-listed
- Sacramento, NM, NRHP-listed
- Cloudcroft, NM, NRHP-listed
New York
A number of fire lookout tower stations, including many in New York State near the
- Adirondack Park
- Piercefield, NY, NRHP-listed
- Azure Mountain Fire Observation Station, Waverly, NY, NRHP-listed
- Indian Lake, NY, NRHP-listed
- Hadley, NY, NRHP-listed
- Keene, NY, NRHP-listed
- Caroga, NY, NRHP-listed
- Loon Lake Mountain Fire Observation Station, Franklin, NY, NRHP-listed
- Lyon Mountain Fire Observation Station
- Newcomb, NY, NRHP-listed
- Owls Head Mountain Forest Fire Observation Station
- Arietta, NY, NRHP-listed
- Chesterfield, NY, NRHP-listed
- Santa Clara, NY, NRHP-listed
- Indian Lake, NY, NRHP-listed
- Lake Pleasant, NY, NRHP-listed
- Catskill Park
- Catskill Mountain fire towers
- Hardenburgh, NY, NRHP-listed
- Hunter, NY, NRHP-listed
- Shandaken, NY, NRHP-listed
- Denning, NY, NRHP-listed
- other
- Grafton, NY, NRHP-listed
- New York, NY, NRHP-listed
- Beacon, NY, NRHP-listed
- Greenwood Lake, NY, NRHP-listed
North Carolina
- Harkers Island, NC, NRHP-listed
- Liberia, NC, NRHP-listed
- Topsail Beach, NC
Oregon
- Carpenter Mountain Lookout
- Hager Mountain
- Prospect, OR, NRHP-listed
- Hoodoo Ridge Lookout
- Joseph, OR, NRHP-listed
- Prospect, OR, NRHP-listed
- Pelican Butte
- Sand Mountain Lookout
- Jacksonville, OR, NRHP-listed
- Yamsay Mountain
- Waldo Mountain Fire Lookout
- Watchman Lookout Station
- Fort Klamath, OR, NRHP-listed
Pennsylvania
South Dakota
- not in category
- Custer, SD, NRHP-listed
- 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
Tennessee
- Ripley, TN, NRHP-listed
Utah
- Manila, UT, NRHP-listed
Vermont
- not in category
- Stratton, VT, NRHP-listed
Washington
There are currently 93 lookouts in Washington State.
- Alpine Lakes Wilderness
- Central North Cascades
- Hidden Lake Peaks
- Marblemount, WA, NRHP-listed
- Darrington, WA, NRHP-listed
- Darrington, WA, NRHP-listed
- Lookout Mountain
- Central Olympic Mountains
- Port Angeles, WA, NRHP-listed
- Chelan Mountains
- Columbia Gorge North
- Red Mountain
- Columbia-Yakima Hills
- Entiat Mountains
- Entiat, WA, NRHP-listed
- Leavenworth, WA, NRHP-listed
- Glacier Peak-North Stevens Pass Area
- Alpine Lookout
- Skykomish, WA, NRHP-listed
- Heybrook Ridge
- Goat Rocks
- Hozameen Range
- Monument 83 Peak
- Desolation Peak Lookout, Hozameen, WA, NRHP-listed
- Kettle River Range
- Columbia Mountain
- Grizzly Mountain Lookout
- Lynx Mountain-Cabin Lookout Site
- Cody Butte
- Whitestone Ridge
- Gold Mountain
- Johnny George Mountain
- Kitsap Peninsula
- Methow Mountains
- Mount Adams Area
- Mount Adams
- Burley Mountain
- Signal Peak
- Meadow Butte
- Mount Rainier Area
- Mount Fremont Fire Lookout
- Sunrise, WA, NRHP-listed
- Tolmie Peak Fire Lookout, Mowich Lake Entrance, WA, NRHP-listed
- High Rock
- Nisqually Entrance, WA, NRHP-listed
- Enumclaw, WA, NRHP-listed
- Puyallup Ridge Lookout
- Watch Mountain-West Peak
- Goodman Hill
- Mountain Loop Area
- Darrington, WA, NRHP-listed
- Mount Pilchuck Lookout
- North Mountain Lookout
- Darrington Ranger Station Lookout Site
- North-Central Olympic Mountains
- Ned Hill
- Northern Blue Mountains
- Oregon Butte
- Table Rock
- Clearwater Lookout
- Big Butte
- Northwest Olympics
- North Point
- Port Angeles, WA, NRHP-listed
- Okanogan Range
- Slate Peak
- North Twentymile Peak
- Goat Peak
- Mebee Pass Lookout
- Buck Mountain
- First Butte
- Aeneas Mountain
- Funk Mountain
- Mount Leecher
- Leecher Crow's Nest Lookout Site
- Knowlton Knob
- Okanogan Post Office Lookout Site
- Priest Lake Selkirks
- Salmo Mountain Lookout
- Sullivan Mountain
- South Baldy Lookout
- Indian Mountain
- Diamond Peak - Patrol Lookout Site
- San Juan Islands
- Mount Constitution
- Skagit Range
- Sedro Wooley, WA, NRHP-listed
- Newhalem, WA, NRHP-listed
- Diablo, WA, NRHP-listed
- Sedro Wooley, WA, NRHP-listed
- South Cascade Crest
- Shriner Peak Fire Lookout, Ohanapecosh, WA, NRHP-listed
- Kelly Butte
- South Okanogan Highlands
- Mount Bonaparte
- Moses Mountain
- Tunk Mountain
- Strawberry Mountain
- Omak Mountain
- Cornell Butte
- Keller Butte
- Armstrong Mountain
- Whitmore Mountain
- Whitmore L-4 Cab Lookout Site
- Franson Peak
- Southwest Selkirks
- Mount Spokane
- Timber Mountain
- Quartz Mountain
- Tower Mountain
- Wellpinit Mountain
- Lookout Mountain
- Wenatchee Mountains
- Red Top Mountain
- Not in Category
- Agnew, WA
- Kloshe Nanitch Lookout
- East Wenatchee, WA, NRHP-listed
- Chelan, WA, NRHP-listed
- lookout trees
- Cook Creek Spar Tree, cut down in 1955 due to rot,[10]
- Lookout tree constructed in 1918 near Darrington, Washington; abandoned as a lookout in the 1930s, it can be reached by the Lookout Tree Trail.[11]
West Virginia
Wisconsin
- Fifield, WI, NRHP-listed
- Riverview, WI, NRHP-listed
Wyoming
- Huckleberry Mountain Fire Lookout, Teton National Forest, WY, NRHP-listed
See also
- List of fire stations
- List of towers
- List of observation towers
References
- ^ Rory Carroll (August 30, 2016). "'Freaks on the peaks': the lonely lives of the last remaining forest fire lookouts". The Guardian.
- ^ Peter L. Steere (July 1987). "National Forest Fire Lookouts in the Southwestern Region. USDA Forest Service".
Zimmermann (1969:5-6) reported that the Forest Service and State Forestry Departments had constructed a total of 5,060 lookout towers by 1953. He noted a steady decrease since that time. His 1967 count indicated that of the towers recorded in 1953 thirty percent were gone. This was partially due to the increased reliance by the Forest Service on aerial patrols for detection.
Note the PDF file includes also December 5, 1990 document by Teri A. Cleeland. - ^ Lee Bergquist (December 17, 2015). "End of an era: State to end use of its 72 forest fire towers". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- ^ Youker, Youker (2016-12-23). "Pennsylvania Reintroduces Fire Towers". AMC Outdoors. Archived from the original on 2017-02-24.
- ^ "Knob Lick Towersite". Missouri Department of Conservation. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
- ^ NH Fire Lookout Towers - A Short History (1992)
- ^ Tower Quest Tri-fold Brochure, 2020
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ Fire Observation Stations of New York State Forest Preserve MPS
- ^ "Fire Towers of Northern Minnesota (brochure)" (PDF). Forest Fire Lookout Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 March 2011. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
- ^ "Lookout Tree" (PDF). Fire Lookouts of the Darrington Area. Darrington Area Business Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 March 2011. Retrieved 24 July 2012.