Fire Lookouts

Gobblers Knob Fire Lookout, one of four historic fire lookouts in the park, sits on a rocky outcrop above Lake George near the Westside Road.

Shriner Peak Fire Lookout, one of four historic fire lookouts in the park, offers commanding views of Mount Rainier and the surrounding valley.

This historic fire lookout is the highest in the park and sits along a rocky ridgeline with views of Mount Rainier.

In the 1930s, panoramic photographs were taken from lookout points. Comparing these images to present-day photographs allows us to understand change over time. Viewing photographs of different eras in the national parks can give many insights on ecosystem processes, as well as simply change over time. The panoramic lookout photographs provide a window on the past and an opportunity to compare to the present with changes to landforms and land cover.

In August, 2013, thirty people gathered at Park Ridge Lookout in Kings Canyon National Park to honor the recent addition of the lookout to the National Historic Lookout Register. The lookout was established in 1916 as an open-air platform with lean-to. In 1934 a two-story wooden lookout was built, but it was replaced in 1964 by a steel tower, which remains in place. This lookout is a valuable fire detection, educational, and historic resource for the park.

In the 1930s the National Park Service (NPS) fire suppression policy received a boost from Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) funding. CCC enrollees built roads, fire breaks, fire trails, lookouts, and other infrastructure in national parks across the country. At the same time, another significant effort was underway to improve how quickly forest fires could be detected and suppressed. The tool used to accomplish this was a camera—a very special camera.

"Would You Rather Be A Fire Lookout Or A Lighthouse Keeper?" Acadia National Park is participating in the National Writing Project's "Daily Sparks: Writing Prompts With Rangers." Watch, write, and respond online or by postcard.

Explore Isle Royale's three historic fire lookout towers.

A former Isle Royale Park Ranger reflects on the wilderness experience Ishpeming Tower offered during his three years as a Fire Lookout. THE GREENSTONE (2014) Article by Russell Tabbert.

Former Isle Royale Park Ranger Russell Tabbert shares what it was like to live and work in the Ishpeming Fire Tower as a Fire Lookout in 1965, 1966, and 1971.

The Watchman is a component cultural landscape of Rim Drive Historic District at Crater Lake National Park. The Watchman Observation Station and the Watchman Trail demonstrate Rustic architecture and Naturalistic landscape architectural styles commonly employed in park planning and development. The features were designed to support its use as a fire lookout, for visitor enjoyment and interpretation, and to emphasize the natural views and landscape characteristics.

The Big Spring Historic District is the site of the former Big Spring State Park, which was established in 1924 and developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps from 1933 to 1937. It is an outstanding example of Rustic style architecture and Naturalistic style landscape architecture, It contains trails and roads, a quarry, ruins of a CCC camp, and fire tower. and the landscape features reflect the circumstances of an operational CCC Camp and functioning state park.