Fire Lookouts Sites

The CCC constructed firetowers on steel frameworks to help protect the new plantings and existing forests. The firetower at McCormick's Creek was completed in 1934 by CCC laborers. The firetower stands around 100' tall.

Extensive work by the CCC is seen in this park close to the city of St. Louis.  It includes shelters, a stone pump house, stone observation tower,  entrance stone work, and assorted bridges, steps, and walls.  Adjacent to the park are the remains of the CCC company 2728 camp.  The camp and work lasted from 1933-1935. An on-site sign describes CCC work in the park as follows: "In 1933, Meramec State Park was among the first parks in Missouri to benefit from President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, a government program created in response to the Great Depression. As part of that...

Meshomasic State Forest, the first such entity in all of New England, was improved and developed by the efforts of two C.C.C. camps: Camp Jenkins (C.C.C. Company #181), in operation from June 14, 1933 to Jan. 1, 1936; and Camp Buck (C.C.C. Company #1197), in operation from Sept. 13, 1935 to Jul. 22, 1941. Among the work accomplished was "pouring a cement foundation for a sawmill," "building a lumber shed, a creosoting plant, a brick charcoal kiln ...," "miles of trails," and construction of "Milford Road." Other accomplishments are linked to from this page.

Wright's Tower is an observation tower constructed in 1937 under the direction of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). It is located at the summit of Pine Hill within the Middlesex Fells Reservation. The Reservation is spread across several towns just north of Boston, MA with Wright's Tower being located in Medford, MA. Note that there was a major refurbishment of the tower in 2008.

The historic Mingue Mountain fire lookout tower was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) working under the supervision of the US Forest Service. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. The NRHP Nomination Form gives details: "Located on the Uerde Ranger District, this 59 ft steel x-brace tower with a 7 ft by 7 ft steel cab was erected in 1935, The lookout tower was designed by the Pacific Coast Steel Company. The wood frame cabin, a simple gable roofed structure with an overhanging front porch was also built in 1935. Study of historic photographs...

Franciscan Monks established the Spanish Mission San Francisco de los Tejas in what is now East Texas in 1690. The monks were forced by the local Indians to abandon the mission in 1693. The monks burned the mission when they left. The discovery of a Spanish cannon barrel led to the park's development near the village of Weches, where the CCC set up a reforestation camp in 1933. The Texas Forest Service developed San Francisco Mission State Forest as a tourist attraction and commemoration of early Texas history, just in time for the Texas Centennial celebration in 1936. Those individuals involved in...

Monjeau Lookout is located in the Lincoln National Forest near Alto, New Mexico. The lookout "is a famous landmark on the Smokey Bear Ranger District built originally in 1936 and then reconstructed in 1940 as part of a Civilian Conservation Corps project.  This site is a wonderful and adventurous place to visit.  Roads leading up to the site are dirt and can be steep in places.  Visit during the summer months as the road leading to it closes during the winter with the advent of snow.  Monjeau Lookout is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP)."   (nps.gov)

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) enrollees stationed in the Bridger-Teton National Forest of Wyoming constructed the Monument Ridge Fire Lookout in 1941. The structure is the only remaining fire lookout in Wyoming assembled with precut logs. The wooden cabin looks over the Hoback Ranger District and has a sweeping view of the surrounding mountain ranges. The lookout was used to identify and fight forest fires until the 1970s, when it was decommissioned by the U.S. Forest Service. Today, the Monument Ridge Fire Lookout is a common destination for hikers, bikers and ATV-riders who traverse the Hoback Mountain Range. It remains in relatively good...

Mother Neff State Park is located on the Leon River west of Moody, Texas in Coryell County and is administered by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The park consists of 259 acres of donated land. The park was constructed by Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Company 817 between 1934 and 1938 and opened to the public as a state park in 1937. The park's initial 6 acres were donated by Mrs. Isabella Eleanor Neff, mother of Governor Pat Morris Neff in 1916. Upon her death in 1921, Governor Neff deeded 250 acres and Mr. Frank P. Smith deeded 3 acres. The CCC...

Mount Rainier was the nation's fifth National Park, established 1899. During the Great Depression the New Deal's Civilian Conservation Corps greatly aided the park's development. The CCC constructed numerous fire lookout towers, including that atop Mount Fremont in 1934. Elevation: 7,181 feet. Wikipedia: "One of four fire lookouts remaining in the park, the lookout is used for visitor services during summer weekends. The building is about 14 by 14 feet, and was designed by the National Park Service Branch of Plans and designs under the supervision of Acting Chief Architect Edwin A. Nickel."

The Civilian Conservation Corps constructed a fire lookout tower at the top of Mount Pisgah in eastern Wyoming, ten miles NNE of Newcastle. The tower is no longer extant. Cassity: O. B. Kongslie in Weston County described a CCC-constructed “observation tower” built atop Mount Pisgah, the highest point in Weston County. The tower itself was seventy feet tall and it was situated on a point over 6,000 feet in altitude. The tower and the cabin it supported were made of solid steel and plate glass providing an unobstructed view that stretched all the way to the Bighorn Mountains to the west...

Mount Rainier was the nation's fifth National Park, established 1899. During the Great Depression the New Deal's Civilian Conservation Corps greatly aided the park's development. NPS.gov: "The Civilian Conservation Corps was busily building and repairing park lands and structures from 1933 to 1941. In addition to landscape work, they helped plant over 10,000,000 trout in the lakes and streams." "Five Emergency Conservation Work Camps are authorized for the park. They are manned by newly recruited Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) men from various parts of the United States. Training is provided by park service personnel. The CCC use inexpensive skills to build and repair...

"The Mountain Fire Lookout Tower is one of the last remaining structures associated with the CCC in the Nicolet National Forest. During the Depression years, the CCC was a major presence in the state and national forests of Wisconsin, and its men (and a few women) provided much of the physical labor that was associated with fire protection in these forests during this period. A local CCC camp is believed to have dismantled the Mountain Fire Lookout Tower and move it to its present site in 1935. Camp enrollees also manned the tower, and were assigned fire-fighting duties in the...

Mt. Bradley Ridge is near Castle Lake in Shasta National Forest. It now appears to be reached mainly by a trail leading from Castle Lake, to Heart Lake, to Little Castle Lake to the Mt. Bradley Ridge. The highest point of the hike is 6050 feet. From the fire lookout's position on the ridge, there are stunning views of Castle Crags and Mt. Shasta. This timber tower replaced the smaller lookout house on the right in the photo below.

Mule Peak is in the Tule River Ranger District and overlooks the Tule River Indian Reservation to the west: "Established in 1936 as a primary fire detection facility, Mule Peak Lookout was constructed for $2,800 on a rocky peak at elevation 8,142 feet. The C-3 live-in cab was built by the CCCs who packed all the materials in by horseback. To this day, all materials and supplies must be packed in the 1.25 miles from the parking area or delivered by helicopter. There is a small gable roofed shed built near the base of the lookout. The lookout is in good condition...

This Tennessee state park was developed by several New Deal  "on land bought from residents who could no longer farm the land due to erosion." (wikipedia.org) "Three New Deal agencies, the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), and the Resettlement Administration, assumed responsibility for the park's initial planning and development. Like other early state parks, the Resettlement Administration relocated property owners from unproductive and overused farm land; the CCC and WPA began land replenishment and park construction. The CCC concentrated its efforts on reforestation work and instigated land stabilization programs that included the introduction of the Japanese vine...

Giant Sequoia National Monument is a designated area encompassing 328,315 acres in the Sierra National Forest, Kings Canyon National Park and Sequoia National Park. "Built in 1937 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), this lookout is a 14x14 foot wooden C-3 style cab. The lookout, which sits at elevation 8,245 feet, is in very good condition with only slight modifications. The windows, siding, roof and tower remain as original. The cab has over-head shutter supports which became standard on C-3 and L-4 cabs in 1936. This type of construction lends to its historical importance. The lookout sits on a granite pinnacle....

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed fire towers on steel frameworks to help protect the new plantings and existing forests. The fire tower at O'Bannon State Park was completed in 1937 by CCC laborers. The steel tower replaced a temporary, 55' wooden tower. The fire tower stands around 100' tall with 9 flights of stairs within the tower.

This fire lookout tower was constructed as a New Deal project in 1941, potentially by the CCC. It is in reasonably good condition though it is no longer in use and the initial stair has been removed for safety reasons.

This metal tower was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) between 1935 and 1936 under the supervision of Denzel Doggett.

The Owl's Head summit is one of the areas in Groton State Park developed by the CCC: "In 1933, CCC Company 146 from Rhode Island was stationed along the road to Osmore Pond. Approximately ¾ mile from the campground on the left, you will see the remains of a stone fence at the entrance to the camp, the Recreation Hall chimney, and cellar holes. Company 146 was responsible for building structures at New Discovery, Osmore Pond, Owl’s Head, and Kettle Pond... A stone fire tower built in 1935 is the highlight at the summit . As you are hiking to the summit,...

"A Civilian Conservation Corps Camp of 208 men completes projects like rebuilding Eagle Tower, constructing stone fences, clearing hiking trails and roads, planting trees and refurbishing the ski jump and toboggan run near today's Nature Center."  (https://dnr.wi.gov)

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed fire towers on steel frameworks to help protect the new plantings and existing forests. The steel fire tower at Pike State Forest was completed in in 1935. The tower stands about 110' tall and has 9 flights of wooden steps.

The first tower at the top was made of wood in 1918 and was fifty-six feet high. In 1934 the wooden tower was replaced by a sixty-three foot steel tower by the Indian Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp at Passamaquoddy reservation. The tower was dismantled in the 1980's.

"Captain Lemuel Moody (1768-1846) ordered construction of this octagonal, 86-foot high tower to serve as a communication station for Portland’s bustling harbor. In 1807, ships entering the harbor could not be seen from the docks of Portland until they rounded the point at Spring Point Ledge. With his powerful telescope, Moody, sea captain turned entrepreneur, identified incoming vessels as far away as 30 miles. For a fee, he alerted subscribing merchants by hoisting signal flags identifying their vessels. He coined the phrase “signalizing” to describe the system. The Observatory was built on Munjoy Hill at the eastern end of the Portland...

The historic PS Knoll fire lookout tower was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). NRHP nomination form: "Located on the Alpine Ranger District, this 45 ft 9 in high steel tower has a steel cab, This tower is an Aermotor Company MC-40 and was probably constructed by the CCC in 1933. The PS Knoll complex also includes a wood Frame dwelling (Plan B-E6) and a wood-frame storage shed (Plan B-6001) both constructed in 1939 and a wood-frame privy (Plan U-10) constructed in 1940. Comparison with historic photographs taken in the early 1940s indicates that no remodeling has occurred on...

The historic Ruidoso fire lookout tower in Lincoln National Forest was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1933. NRHP Nomination Form: "This lookout, a 30 ft high steel tower' with a 14 ft by 14 ft wood cab, represents an Aermotor MI-25 type and was erected in 1940. It is located on the Smokey Bear Ranger District. The Aermotor NI-E5 type is an unusual and rare type of lookout in the Southwestern Region. Only one other MI-25 is known, that being located on the Gila National Forest. The Ruidoso lookout does not appear to have experienced any major modifications...

This fire lookout is located at the summit of Schonchin Butte within the Lava Beds National Monument. Schonchin Butte is a cinder cone volcano that makes up part of the Medicine Lake Volcano. The fire lookout was built in 1939-41 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and is also registered as a National Historic Place by the National Parks Service (NPS) as a contributing structure as part of the Lava Beds National Monument Archeological District. This lookout went through a major renovation in 1994 and it looks to be in excellent condition today and maintained very well. There are four informative...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), working for the US Forest Service, constructed four fire lookout towers around Rocky Mountain National Park.  The one on the summit of Shadow Mountain, overlooking Grand Lake CO in the southwest corner of the park, is the last survivor of the four. Completed in 1933, the three-story lookout was built in the classic Rustic style favored by the US Forest Service and National Park Service at the time.  It consists of a concrete foundation, two stories of stone masonry, and a wooden upper story. It remained in use until 1968 and is today a scenic destination for...

The following is an excerpt from an interview with Abe Boehm, a CCC enrollee (Company 3740) stationed at Camp Clear Lake in northeastern California between February and June of 1937: “The CCC boys from Clear Lake fenced off the Petroglyphs. The reason they needed a fence was that the tourists would chip the rocks off for souvenirs . When we first went there, 90% of the Petroglyphs were still intact, but every day you’d see a few fresh chips missing. So out crew’s job was to build the fence and a tower that the game wardens and sheriffs could use for...

"Between May 11, 1933 and March 31, 1942, ten CCC camps were established within, or on leased land adjacent to, Shenandoah. At any one time, more than 1,000 boys and young men lived in camps supervised by the Army and worked on projects directed by the Service and the Bureau of Public Roads. Until the park was established officially on December 26, 1935, the bulk of CCC activity took place on the narrow 100 foot right-of-way of the Skyline Drive, in the few areas of purchased or donated land transferred to the federal government by the Commonwealth of Virginia, or on...

The historic (former) Silver Peak fire lookout tower in Coronado National Forest was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1938. It has since burned down. NRHP Nomination Form: "This lookout house, an L-4 type located on the Douglas Ranger District, was erected in 1938 by a CCC crew. It is situated on top of a rocky knob. This wood frame construction measures 14 ft by 14 ft. There are associated buildings including an outhouse and storage shed, both are wood frame construction with tongue and groove exterior. There also is a water cistern with a catchment drain extending from...

The fire lookout tower and associated outbuildings at Sinking Creek were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1934, probably under the supervision of the US Forest Service (USFS). The complex includes various buildings including a house, garage, and outhouse. Also on site are a water well and presumably a pump beneath concrete tops.   Access to the fire lookout tower is by a metal ladder rather than the stairs that were subsequently used by towers.  Currently, it is not in active use, but is near the sinking Creek Trailhead and part of the extensive Ozark trail system. The complex is located...

"The Sleeping Giant Tower was built at the top in 1936 by the Works Progress Administration. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 as part of the Connecticut State Park and Forest Depression-Era Federal Work Relief Programs Structures."   (wikipedia.org) A tour of Sleeping Giant State Park described by The New York Times recommends: "Swing left on the blue path at Hezekiah’s Knob. Among the many highlights of this return route are the stone tower, built by the Works Progress Administration; the sheer drop from the jutting basaltic shelf of the chin; and a vertiginous scramble down the...

"Development of land in what is now South Mountains State Park began in the 1930s when Camp Dryer, a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp, was established at Enola. Those employed at the camp constructed forest service roads, cleaned stream beds and built a forest observation tower. The Lower and Upper CCC roads are still in use as trails at the park today."

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed a fire lookout tower at Steamboat Point, which is located about 6.75 miles southwest of Dayton, Wyoming. Living New Deal believes the structure is no longer extant.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built the Calpine lookout tower in 1934. The forest fire lookout tower was in service until 1975. The three-story structure has exterior stairs, a ground floor storage room, a second floor sleeping room, and the observation cab on the top floor. The structure is one of the many CCC-built lookout towers that have been used for decades to spot wildfires fires in California's forests. According to the Forest Service: "Calpine lookout is an “L-7” or windmill style enclosed tower with a “BC-3” cab and has been determined to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. The...

The Tall Peak Fire Tower is located southeast of Mena on Forest Service Road No. 38A in Polk County in Ouachita National Forest. The tower is a two story, field stone and wood structure built on a continuous stone foundation. The first level is made of field stone and each comer has the distinctive inward-sloping corners peculiar to Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) construction. The fist level consists of a single room that has two small, stationary windows on the west and south sides and a single door on the east side. The north side of the structure has an external...

The WPA constructed firetowers on steel frameworks to help protect the new plantings and existing forests. The firetower at Tippecanoe River State Park was completed in 1940 by WPA laborers. The firetower stands around 90' tall.

The Tobias Peak Lookout is in the Hot Springs District of the Sequoia National Forest: "Probably first used as a lookout observation point sometime around 1912, Tobias Peak Lookout shows up on the 1913 Sequoia Forest work map. A mortar building was constructed on Tobias Peak around this time and was used as a Ranger Outpost and Lookout site. When Sunday Peak Lookout was built circa 1921, Tobias Peak became inactive as a lookout until 1935, when the Forest Service decided Tobias Peak was the better location due to its blocking the view from Sunday Peak. Sunday Peak...