Fire Lookout Towers & Guard Stations

[shawjr]

Finally the snow is melting enough to reach some of the higher lookouts… Yesterday we spent some time exploring around the Ochoco NF. We visited three different lookout sites.

First up was Black Mountain Lookout, 37 miles ENE of Prineville. Crook County, Oregon. Elevation 5306’.
This 70' crow's nest tree platform, built in 1937, is still there. An accompanying frame cabin living quarters was relocated to the Ochoco Ranger Station.

Here is the lookout house at the ranger station.


After a quick stop at the lookout cabin, we headed off for the site where it once stood along with the tree lookout.


Next we stopped by Paulina Butte Lookout, 42 miles east of Prineville. Crook County, Oregon.
Elevation 5568'
A 100' tree platform and ground cabin living quarters were built in the 1920's, with this 75' steel tower and ground cabin replacing them in 1933. Abandoned in 1964, they were removed in 1968.

Here are the footings from the steel tower.


And the remains of the old tree lookout.


Next up was Wolf Mountain Lookout, 27 miles southeast of Mitchell. Wheeler County, Oregon
Elevation 6483'
Established in 1921 with a crow's nest tree platform (1/2 mile southwest of the present tower), a 50' wooden tower with 7x7' and cabin were constructed in 1926 (also 1/2 mile southwest of the present tower). A garage was added in 1934. A crow's nest tree platform was added 1/2 mile east of the present tower in 1931 (still there, also called the East Wolf Lookout Tree). Materials for the current 108' treated timber L-4 tower were purchased in 1942, then stored at Derr Guard Station until 1947 when enough manpower was available after World War II to build the tower. It is staffed every summer.




Looking down from the top of the stairs/ ladders.


In all it was a great day to be outside! We got in 6 miles of hiking-750 feet of EG, mostly off trail.

[BrianEdwards]

Nice! I've been to the Wolf Mtn one. Love that area.

[Splintercat]

Yikes! That Wolf Mountain tower is too tall my for taste..! I generally don't like super-steep wooden staircases where a slip might throw me over an 80-foot freefall...

I've always liked the Hager Mountain lookout down by Silver Lake. Not tall, but the butte is quite prominent, and you get an eastside perspective on everything from the Cascades to Fort Rock and Newberry Crater to the basin-and-range ridges to the east. Super cool - and there's also an old trail you can follow down the west side of the peak, not sure where it goes. We walked up the dirt road on our visit several years ago.

Tom

[shawjr]

Yikes! That Wolf Mountain tower is too tall my for taste..! I generally don't like super-steep wooden staircases where a slip might throw me over an 80-foot freefall.

Yeah Tom, I think it's the little kid in me when I get to these old towers. I must climb it... Of course I have no fear of heights, just a fear of falling...Once I'm at the top and the wind is blowing a little, is usually when I remember I'm on a 66 year old wooden structure Maybe this one belongs in the Acrophobic Confessional Booth???

That Hagar Mt lookout has been on my list to go see, just haven't made it yet. One of these days... Thanks for the article!

[derwoodynck]

Yikes! That Wolf Mountain tower is too tall my for taste..! I generally don't like super-steep wooden staircases where a slip might throw me over an 80-foot freefall...

I've always liked the Hager Mountain lookout down by Silver Lake. Not tall, but the butte is quite prominent, and you get an eastside perspective on everything from the Cascades to Fort Rock and Newberry Crater to the basin-and-range ridges to the east. Super cool - and there's also an old trail you can follow down the west side of the peak, not sure where it goes. We walked up the dirt road on our visit several years ago.

Tom

We hiked up from the west on the Hager Mountain Trail from FS road 28. It was an easy 4mi climb that passed through a number of meadows that were full of balsam root and paintbrush which appeared to have bloomed in late June. We didn't have any views up there due to a large number of lighting strike fires but the tower and area up top was really nice. We plan on going back next year to try and catch the flowers and the views.

[Chase]

Probably spending too much time reading about forest observation posts in Oregon lately. Every so often there's a post about the WWII observation posts in the Gorge (especially the one near Green Point Mountain & the one near Moffett Creek).

Questions:

Why would they have volunteers use these little ground level shacks instead of fire lookout towers? Perhaps the answer is that they wanted additional coverage in the Gorge because the towers were too far apart.* Even if that was the case, why didn't they build the [shacks] towers 40-50 feet above the ground? Or as a tree house of some sort if they didn't want to construct such a thing? I just don't envision a person in a shack on Green Point Mountain being able to spot something that someone in an elevated tower atop Nesmith or Defiance would miss.

The state archives has just about every document they could get their hands on concerning this matter. I don't see any good answers in there.

Love to hear ideas if you have 'em.





*This seems like malarkey.

[stevew]

joined to post this.....stayed at bolan lookout last september



also stayed at little mount hoffman lookout in california....i was supposed to stay at camp six lookout in california but it was shut down due to fires..

have stayed at sheep mountain lookout in wyoming.

up up lookout and mission lookout in montana.

[DannyH]

Two lookouts were checked off my list last year that haven't been mentioned in this thread yet.

Waldo Peak Lookout is in Sullivan's Central Cascades book and a relatively easy hike gets you there.



I visited the Sierra Butte's Lookout while staying with a friend in Truckee last summer. The whole place reminded me of a Bond villain's lair. Sadly this one was all locked and we couldn't go inside.

[miah66]

That staircase is incredible. Why didn't they just go ahead and install an elevator/escalator?