Fire lookout structures of WA

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2014 Update

2014 Update: Possible corrections to the fire lookout list on this page: On August 3, 2014, fire lookout enthusiast Craig Willis became the first (documented) person to visit every standing fire lookout in Washington. He claims some minor differences between his list and mine, to bring the total standing lookout structures to 93. In the interest of being as up-to-date and correct as possible with the information I put on my website, I have included below Craig's detailed notes of the differences between his list and mine.

Email Craig sent me in September 2014:

Steph,

I wanted to contact you because your list of Washington fire lookouts is not correct. I know there are some people who use the list on your website, so I think it is important for the list to be as accurate as possible.  

I have written confirmation from within the FFLA that the list I compiled is correct and not missing anything.

I became the first person to complete the list, at Three Fingers on August 3, 2014.

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SOME DIFFERENCES AND OBSERVATIONS BETWEEN YOUR LIST AND MINE:

-> Whitmore Mountain and Mount Leecher each have two lookout sites appearing on the list I compiled. This is important to inform people. 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. I know on your poster and list you have slashes (/) with different years to represent multiple lookouts on the same peak (which is a good, clean way to do it)... but I think it is important for people to know about the ones which have totally different areas that need to be visited. People need to keep in mind that a fire lookout list is not the same as a peakbagging list; visiting one of two sites on a peak is not enough.

-> The Okanogan Post Office and Darrington Ranger Station lookout sites are included on the list I compiled because despite the rooftop firewatching platforms no longer being present the lookout buildings are still standing & intact. These two lookout sites are generally accepted on the list by prominent Forest Fire Lookout Association (FFLA) members, including Ray Kresek and Rex Kamstra (he shows both on his statewide standing lookouts map), and are considered the simplest visits of lookout sites on the entire list.

-> You have a notation regarding Diamond Peak. In northeastern Washington, the lookout tower at Diamond Peak's summit has long since been gone. However, the Diamond Peak Patrol Tower is still standing, located east of the peak a short distance beyond Point 4413. It is like a much taller Ned Hill Lookout... but much taller and much cooler to see.

-> You have a notation about Jennies Butte and Sheep Butte. Jennies Butte has been confirmed from a firsthand visit as no longer having a standing lookout tower, and should not be on any list. Sheep Butte is an odd one; it does not appear in Ray Kresek's book or within any of the three online website you list as references. Eric Noel had put it on the original Peakbagger.com list but later wondered if that was an error. Someone went there and found no standing lookout, wondered why it was even on the list, and then later it was removed from the Peakbagger and SummitPost lists. Sheep Butte should not be on any list.

-> You also have a notation regarding Kalispell Rock. Kalispell Rock is a cool peak but should not be on the list. The lookout building that was atop the massive summit boulder has long-since been gone. There is a cabin next to the boulder outcrop which has a collapsed roof. However, that cabin was never used as a lookout. It is quite obvious when you stand at the cabin that it has an extremely limited outward view. As confirmed by Ray Kresek, the cabin was only used as living quarters and never as a lookout. Most cabins at lookout sites were only used as living quarters and not as lookouts, so it is important not to confuse the two types.

-> Lynx Mountain is included on the list I compiled. The first lookout structure built on the peak was a log cabin during 1926. The cabin was abandoned as a lookout after a frame cab was built on the west peak during 1932, and later a tower atop the true summit during 1938. But now only the cabin still remains as an original lookout on the peak. Nearby trees have grown up to prevent unobstructed outward views but when the cabin was originally built it would have had a great view down the valley to the southeast towards the community of Inchelium, which would have been important.

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Your current list has 87 lookouts.

-> If you add Diamond Peak Patrol Tower, it goes up to 88.

-> If you add Lynx Mountain, it goes up to 89.

-> If you add Okanogan Post Office and Darrington Ranger Station, it goes up to 91.

-> If you split up the multiple distinct lookout areas on Whitmore & Leecher, it goes up to 93.

Then both lists would match.

Best Regards,

Craig E. Willis

Everett, WA

SP Member: "Redwic"

Some more minor edits

Some edits from Doug McKeever, 2020:

On your standing lookouts page, here are some notes pertaining to availability for sleeping in the cabin:

In addition,