HistoryMany of the alpine recreation trails that we enjoy today were originally constructed by the Conservation Construction Corps to lead to sites where they built fire lookouts. At the height of their time in the 1930's there were over 8000 lookouts completed across the United States, between 700-800 of which were located in Washington.
The vast majority of these structures have since been removed or destroyed. Many of them were burned by lightning strikes. It was often decided that the cost of preserving these structures would far exceed their historic value. A few have been protected and in many cases these last remaining lookouts have been adopted by an outside party or individual who takes the responsibility for repairs and structural safety. A fraction of the remaining lookouts are still used for fire observation during the summer.
The alidade tool which was used to identify the exact location of fires as they were spotted was called the Osborne Fire Finder, invented by a Forest Service employee named William Osborne. The Fire Finder represents the historic apogee of fire-suppression scientific method. These devices were in production in the 1920's and early 1930's. Very few of these original instruments are still located inside remaining structures. If you ever get to see one, consider yourself lucky.
This list will include the last remaining fire lookouts in Washington State still at locations of official firewatching use. Those who have visited the peaks which have these structures on or near their summits understand the extra reward. If you know of any change to the status of an existing fire lookout location, please send me a private message.
Special thanks to Northwest lookout experts Rex Kamstra (www.firelookout.com), Redwic, Eric Noel, and Steph Abegg, each of whom provided research which was very helpful for the creation and updates of this page.
Another notable character in the ongoing saga of WA fire lookout historic research is Eric Willhite. His current project includes personally visiting every WA location including those where no structure remains. His site is very informative and worth the visit. Also see his photos of the original black and white Osborne Survey panoramas from the Seattle National Archive.
For another list of the remaining WA lookouts, please see Greg Slayden's list on Peakbagger.com.
Recently Removed LookoutsTo help illustrate the rate at which these structures are going away, this section will keep track of the lookouts that have been destroyed or removed from the list of standing lookouts since this page was created in 2009.
DESTROYED, DISMANTLED, AND/OR COLLAPSED:
Lone Mountain Lookout was torn down by the Quinault Indian Reservation (Q.I.R.) early in 2012 to try to make money from selling the tower for scrap metal. With the costs incurred during the process, the Q.I.R. barely broke-even with that venture.
Pine Mountain Lookout was mysteriously removed some time between 2010 and 2012.
Lakeview Mountain Lookout has been reported as collapsed and confirmed via photo verification.
Kloshe Nanitch Lookout was removed by the Forest Service in 2012 after being defaced by vandals. Read more about it.
Sopelia Lookout burned down during the Satus Pass wildfire of Summer 2013.
The tower of Flagstaff Mountain Lookout was dismantled and removed by contractors in July 2013, to make room for a Homeland Security communications site to be constructed on the summit. The cab was moved to the nearby town of Northport, and has a tribute to long-time DNR Flagstaff Mountain lookout Gayle Kaste, as well as her daughter who had died in a Heartflite medical helicopter crash. An old newspaper article examined Gayle Kaste's 25+ years as the Flagstaff Mountain lookout as well as the status of lookouts in general at the time the article was written (2002).
OTHER REMOVALS FROM LIST:
The Kalispell Rock Lookout was removed from this list of standing fire lookouts on June 9, 2014. The reason is because the actual lookout building has not been standing for many years. The summit of Kalispell Rock is a massive boulder outcrop atop which a small 5'x5' lookout shack was used from 1927-1934. The bouldertop lookout shack has long since been removed and the only remnants are a few nails, snags, and wire nearby, as well as a cement circle embedded in the summit which held the original firefinder in place. The only standing lookout-related structure at the Kalispell Rock summit area is a small log cabin below the summit boulder outcrop. The log cabin still stands but is missing its roof and door. The log cabin was constructed between two large boulder outcrops and would have ever had very limited views at best, so its status as a lookout structure was questioned. If the log cabin had been used as an actual lookout/fire-watching structure, then it would perhaps still be worthy of appearing on this list. However, it has been verified that the log cabin was only ever used by the US Forest Service as living quarters and not as a fire-watching location.
Threatened LookoutsFire lookout structures can disappear at any time, for a variety of reasons. The following fire lookouts are currently still standing but are known to be threatened for either demolition or removal in the near future.
North Mountain Lookout was scheduled to be removed by the Darrington Ranger District in 2009. Fortunately, local efforts saved the lookout by making repairs and getting it incorporated into the new Mountain Bike Trail system.
The tower of Big Butte Lookout was severely damaged during Winter 2010/2011 when a tree fell across a guy wire, breaking several beams and planks. The tower was dismantled during late 2013 but the USFS put the cab on ground level and the building is still standing at the site. The USFS has plans to repair the tower damage but this was yet to be done as of Summer 2014.
The Tonasket Ranger District began proposing to remove the Cornell Butte Lookout during 2012, due to heavy vandalism and lack of official usage. The removal efforts have temporarily been put on hold ever since, while the Forest Fire Lookout Association (FFLA) is in negotiations to move the tower to another location.
A Montana-based group called "Wilderness Watch" attempted to have the Green Mountain Lookout removed, using the judicial system and lengthy legal battle to try to do so. Ultimately, the lookout was saved when the Green Mountain Lookout Heritage Protection Act was created, passing unanimously in both chambers of Congress, and signed into law by President Barack Obama on April 16, 2014.
The Knowlton Knob Lookout was damaged during the "Carlton Complex" wildfire of 2014. It was feared that the fire damage might cause government agencies to consider completely removing the tower, but recent updates indicate that it has been completely repaired.
During the historically dry and hot year 2015, multiple fire lookout towers in Washington were greatly threatened. Some of the wildfires came dangerously close to destroying some towers such as Buck Mountain Lookout, Moses Mountain Lookout, Armstrong Mountain Lookout, and South Baldy Lookout. It has been rumored that Spokane Mountain Lookout burned down during a wildfire on the Spokane Indian Reservation but those reports have yet to be verified.
The ListThere are currently 93 Washington fire lookouts still standing at their officially used locations.
|Mount Adams||12276 feet||Yakima County||Completed 1920|
|Slate Peak||7440 feet||Okanogan/Whatcom County||Replacement Built 1956|
|North Twentymile Peak||7437 feet||Okanogan County||Replacement Built 1947|
|Mount Bonaparte||7257 feet||Okanogan County||Built 1914, 1964|
|Mount Fremont||7181 feet||Pierce County||Built 1934|
|Goat Peak||7001 feet||Okanogan County||Replacement Built 1950|
|Mebee Pass||6960 feet||Okanogan/Skagit County||Built 1933|
|Hidden Lake Peaks||6890 feet||Skagit County||Built 1931|
|Three Fingers||6870 feet||Snohomish County||Built 1931|
|Salmo Mountain||6828 feet||Pend Oreille County||Replacement Built 1964|
|Columbia Mountain||6782 feet||Ferry County||Built 1914|
|Moses Mountain||6774 feet||Okanogan County||Replacement Built 1938|
|Tyee Mountain||6654 feet||Chelan County||Built 1950's|
|Winchester Mountain||6521 feet||Whatcom County||Built 1935|
|Monument 83 Lookout||6520 feet||Okanogan County||Replacement Built 1953|
|Green Mountain||6500 feet||Snohomish County||Replacement Built 2009|
|Sullivan Mountain||6483 feet||Pend Oreille County||Replacement Built 1960|
|Oregon Butte||6387 feet||Columbia County||Built 1931|
|Grizzly Mountain||6381 feet||Ferry County||Built 1941|
|Copper Mountain||6260 feet||Whatcom County||Built 1932|
|Table Rock||6250 feet||Columbia County||Replacement Built 1949|
|Alpine Lookout (Nason Ridge)||6235 feet||Chelan County||Replacement Built 1975|
|Miners Ridge||6208 feet||Snohomish County||Replacement Built 1953|
|Buck Mountain||6135 feet||Okanogan County||Replacement Built 1961|
|Sourdough Mountain||6120 feet||Whatcom County||Built 1933|
|Desolation Peak||6102 feet||Whatcom County||Built 1932|
|Tunk Mountain||6054 feet||Okanogan County||Replacement Built 1966|
|South Baldy||5961 feet||Pend Oreille County||Replacement Built 1960|
|Tolmie Peak||5939 feet||Pierce County||Built 1933|
|Mount Spokane||5883 feet||Spokane County||Built 1934|
|Strawberry Mountain||5863 feet||Okanogan County||Built 1936|
|Thorp Mountain||5854 feet||Kittitas County||Built 1930|
|Shriner Peak||5834 feet||Pierce County||Built 1932|
|Sugarloaf Mountain||5814 feet||Chelan County||Built 1949|
|Dodger Point||5760 feet||Jefferson County||Built 1933|
|Omak Mountain||5747 feet||Okanogan County||Replacement Built 1986|
|Lookout Mountain||5699 feet||Skagit County||Replacement Built 1962|
|High Rock||5685 feet||Lewis County||Built 1930|
|Jumpoff Lookout||5670 feet||Yakima County||Replacement Built 1958|
|Clearwater Lookout||5660 feet||Garfield County||Built 1938|
|Granite Mountain||5629 feet||King County||Built 1955|
|Evergreen Mountain||5587 feet||Snohomish County||Built 1935|
|Lynx Mountain||5520 feet||Ferry County||Built 1926 (Lookout Cabin)|
|Lookout Mountain||5515 feet||Okanogan County||Replacement Built 1937|
|First Butte||5491 feet||Okanogan County||Built 1938|
|Gobblers Knob Lookout||5485 feet||Pierce County||Built 1933|
|Timber Mountain||5474 feet||Pend Oreille County||Replacement Built 1959|
|Park Butte||5440 feet||Whatcom County||Built 1933|
|Kelly Butte||5409 feet||King County||Replacement Built 1950|
|Red Top Mountain||5361 feet||Kittitas County||Built 1928|
|Mount Pilchuck||5324 feet||Snohomish County||Built 1938|
|Burley Mountain||5304 feet||Lewis County||Built 1934|
|Sun Top Mountain||5271 feet||Pierce County||Built 1934|
|Aeneas Mountain||5167 feet||Okanogan County||Built 1980|
|Quartz Mountain||5162 feet||Spokane County||Built 1979|
|Funk Mountain||5121 feet||Okanogan County||Replacement Built 1943|
|Signal Peak||5100 feet||Yakima County||Replacement Built 1964|
|Cornell Butte||5096 feet||Okanogan County||Built 1958|
|Mount Leecher||5020 feet||Okanogan County||Replacement Built 1956|
|Indian Mountain||5014 feet||Pend Oreille County||Replacement Built 1953|
|Big Butte||5009 feet||Asotin County||Replacement Built 1950|
|Mount Leecher Crow's Nest||5000 feet||Okanogan County||Built 1918|
|Red Mountain||4965 feet||Skamania County||Replacement Built 2011|
|Puyallup Ridge||4877 feet||Pierce County||Built 1964|
|Keller Butte||4811 feet||Ferry County||Replacement Built 1964|
|Cody Butte||4764 feet||Ferry County||Built 1931|
|Whitestone Ridge||4762 feet||Ferry County||Replacment Built 1985|
|Gold Mountain||4686 feet||Ferry County||Replacement Built 1986|
|Watch Mountain||4664 feet||Lewis County||Replacement Built 1963|
|Armstrong Mountain||4587 feet||Okanogan County||Built 1939|
|Diamond Peak Patrol Tower||4320 feet||Pend Oreille County||Abandoned 1960s|
|Satus Peak||4182 feet||Yakima County||Replacement Built 1976|
|Johnny George Lookout||4090 feet||Ferry County||Built 1938|
|Tower Mountain||4000 feet||Stevens County||Built 1975|
|Whitmore Mountain||3949 feet||Okanogan County||Replacement Built 1953|
|Whitmore Mountain L-4 Cab||3880 feet||Okanogan County||Built 1938|
|Spokane Mountain||3869 feet||Stevens County||Built 1934|
|Knowlton Knob||3852 feet||Okanogan County||Replacement Built 1966|
|North Mountain||3824 feet||Skagit County||Built 1966|
|Franson Peak||3786 feet||Ferry County||Replacement Built 1986|
|Meadow Butte||3620 feet||Klickitat County||Built 1944|
|Wellpinit Mountain||3464 feet||Stevens County||Built 1964|
|Ned Hill||3464 feet||Clallam County||Built 1933|
|North Point||3320 feet||Clallam County||Built 1939|
|Lookout Point (Lookout Mountain)||3114 feet||Spokane County||Replacement Built 1976|
|Pyramid Mountain||3100 feet||Clallam County||Built 1942|
|Steliko Point||2586 feet||Chelan County||Built 1947|
|Mount Constitution||2407 feet||San Juan County||Built 1930s|
|Lorena Butte Lookout||2160 feet||Klickitat County||Replacement Built 1974; Moved Downslope 2006 But Still Used|
|Heybrook Ridge||1701 feet||Snohomish County||Replacement Built 1964|
|Okanogan Post Office||800 feet||Okanogan County||Rooftop Lookout Station Created 1930s; Building Still There|
|Darrington Ranger Station||540 feet||Snohomish County||Rooftop Lookout Platform Built 1932; Building Still There|
|Goodman Hill||480 feet||Pierce County||Built 1955|
-> Whitmore Mountain and Mount Leecher each have two lookout sites appearing on this list. The reason is because both peaks have two lookout sites at distinctly different locations which cannot be seen from ground level between one lookout site to the other. Hence, in each such case both distinct lookout sites must be visited.
-> Individual locations which have more than one standing lookout structure near each other (such as Mount Bonaparte, North Twentymile Mountain, Funk Mountain, Monument 83, etc.) are each shown on this list as a single lookout site.
-> The Okanogan Post Office and Darrington Ranger Station lookout sites are included on this list because despite the rooftop firewatching platforms no longer being present the lookout buildings are still standing and intact. These two lookout sites appear in the "Fire Lookouts of the Northwest" book, and as such are generally accepted by many lookout enthusiasts, and are considered the simplest visits of lookout sites on the entire list.
-> The Lorena Butte Lookout, despite being located on private land and moved from its original location, is still officially used for emergency purposes. Such official usage has included the Satus Pass wildfire of 2013 among other incidents.
This list is complete and not missing any items, according to Ray Kresek of the Fire Lookout Museum (and author of the "Fire Lookouts of the Northwest" book) during the Summer of 2014. As stated in Vol. 25 No. 3 (Fall 2014) of the quarterly publication "Lookout Network" the list was verified by several lookout experts, including Kresek and Dave Bula.
Completers and Near-CompletersCOMPLETERS:
Craig Willis became the first person to finish the Washington Lookouts list, on August 3, 2014 at Three Fingers Lookout. At the time of his completion, there were 93 Washington fire lookouts still standing at their officially used locations.
Paul Michelson became the second person to finish the Washington Lookouts list, on June 13, 2015 at Miners Ridge Lookout. At the time of his completion, there were 93 Washington fire lookouts still standing at their officially used locations.
Post-List FindingsThe list shown above is the established list of Washington lookouts still standing at their officially used locations. The following sites have since been verified and are considered supplemental sites but do not require visitation to complete the established list:
House Rock Lookout: Built during 1935 by the U.S. Forest Service, this is an Adirondack three-sided fire lookout shelter at the summit plateau of House Rock, located southeast of Mount Saint Helens. This lookout was eventually abandoned. During April 2015, Ray Kresek of the FFLA speculated that an Osborne firefinder was positioned on a stump in front of the shelter and firewatching did not happen from within the structure. However, no written record or evidence has been provided to support those theories, and fire-watching was almost certainly done from the open-sided shelter at least on an occasional basis.
Kitsap Lookout: Built during the 1940s by the Washington State Division of Forestry (SDF) and abandoned during the 1950s, this tall lookout tower was thought by many people to no longer exist due to high trees obstructing its view and nearby watershed access restrictions limiting visits. The tower was confirmed to be still standing during the 2000s. Special access permission might be required but public access is generally not granted due to its location on a watershed.