- City:
- Sierraville, Tahoe National Forest, CA
- Site Type:
- Forestry and Agriculture, Fire Lookouts
- New Deal Agencies:
- Work Relief Programs, Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)
- Started:
- 1934
- Quality of Information:
- Good
- Marked:
- Yes
- Site Survival:
- Extant
Description
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 windmill style of lookout was very popular throughout California, used by the Forest Service, California Department of Forestry and some counties. Calpine lookout is one of 3 windmill style lookouts that remain in the state.
Calpine sits at an elevation of 5,980 feet, approximately 40 miles from Truckee, CA.”
Source notes
USDA Forest ServiceL (https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/tahoe/recarea/?recid=80158), accessed June 2019.
Site originally submitted by Hank Chapot on June 7, 2019.
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