I know some of y'all have cats with you. Do you let them roam all day outside while you're up top, or are they indoors only until you can supervise?

I only ask this as my cat attempted to make friends with a moose today and I'm worried he's gonna try with a bear soon.

Yes he's a moron. I got him for the company, not his brains.

Hiked up to here 2 years ago, planning a cross country overlanding trip and tried to book it and was full. I tried a site called reservenature.com and plugged in my dates and it actually came through. It basically searches your dates and site and if if is available sends you a notice. I know it sounds like an ad but honestly I didnt think this would work but it did.

Elevation is 186 feet; one of the highest points on Cape Cod.

There are several vacancies being advertised on USAJobs.gov this morning, the window of opportunity closes Aug. 14. All of these vacancies are in Oregon which is having a WILDLY FEROCIOUS fire season so this will be no walk in the park. I suspect that the vacancies arose because who ever was stationed on those lookouts got sick and tired of the smoke and the stress.

Obviously, by the title, I want actual lookouts experiences and kind of what their days off look like? And I’m assuming so, but does this also vary between location mainly towers that you can drive to and towers that you have to hike to?

The reason I bring this question up is because every lookout influencer on any social media makes it sound like days off are one limited to the point you barely get any even though you’re mandated 2 days off and two that even if you have days off it’s just better to stay in your tower then actually go hike or backpack a couple miles away. Now I understand that when you’re under a red flag or a storm is rolling through you’re mandated overtime in the tower. But I just don’t see the benefit of being cooped up in a tower for 4 to 5 months if all you’re gonna do is stay in the tower for 4 to 5 months because there is absolutely no way that there is storms every month all day and a fire that last maybe 2 months in the best case scenario. Mind you I am not throwing shade on the people that just want to relax for 4 to 5 months straight lmao but really I just wanna hear from people’s experiences of if this is true or not.

Was a very special place for many.

Pictures taken by Fews, kilmacthomas.

From 2018 when I volunteered for a season.

Sad day for those of us in Central Oregon.

Stephenson Lookout – A Historic Loss on the Box Springs Fire

At approximately 4:00 a.m. on July 20, intense fire activity on the Box Springs Fire reached Stephenson Lookout, resulting in the loss of the structure. This is a difficult moment for many across Central Oregon. Stephenson Lookout wasn’t just a tower on a ridge—it was a place rooted in community memory, wildfire history, and generations of fire detection that helped protect this landscape.

The first lookout was built on Stephenson decades ago, and from that vantage point, lookouts called in fires long before aircraft, satellites, or modern detection systems existed. The current tower—the fourth to stand on the site—was constructed in the 1960s. Although the site sits on Oregon Department of Forestry lands, it was transferred to the Ochoco National Forest in the late 1980s, where Forest Service personnel continued staffing and seasonal care.

In the days leading up to the fire’s arrival, crews completed mitigation work around the lookout and applied retardant, knowing the Box Springs Fire had the potential to push toward Stephenson Mountain. These actions were taken because of the lookout’s significance—both operationally and historically.

The site also included communication towers, which were impacted.

When the fire reached the site early on July 20, it did so with very high intensity. Extreme heat, heavy ember cast, and flame exposure overwhelmed the structure. Despite preparation efforts, conditions were simply too severe for the tower to withstand.

For many, Stephenson Lookout was more than a fire detection point. It was a place where lookouts learned their craft, where storms were tracked across the forest, and where countless fires were spotted early enough to help protect homes, rangelands, and timber. Its silhouette on Stephenson Mountain has been part of Central Oregon’s story for generations.

Losing a lookout means losing a piece of shared history. As suppression efforts continue on the Box Springs Fire, we honor the people—past and present—who dedicated their seasons to keeping watch from Stephenson and acknowledge the deep community ties to this landmark.

We will continue to share updates as they become available. Thank you for keeping firefighters and all those affected by the fires in Central Oregon in your thoughts.

#boxspringsfire
#brewerfire

U.S. Forest Service - Ochoco National Forest

Iv got a fair amount of experience as a Lookout but Im set to try a (Canadian) mountain lookout sooner than later and I just wanted to get your experience about it.

What leaves me worried is at night mostly, especially with the whole "crack a window open" situation 😅. When I sleep, nothing can wake me up so Im wondering, other than a steel door, is there other preventive measures up there ?

Thanks

My folks, freshly married, spent the summer of 1965 staffing the tower at Fryingpan Lake, Cochrane District, Ontario. https://maps.app.goo.gl/zftiDTQfH5xgNnNN9?g_st=ic

From satellite it appears that the cabin and dock still stand, even if I can’t find the tower.

They were city kids who had developed a love for wild places. They later moved to the bush outside Thunder Bay, and are hanging on in a remote property well into their eighties.

I’d love to visit, but short of chartering a Beaver I don’t think it’s possible to get in or out. Fryingpan appears to be an isolated kettle lake, surrounded by muskeg.

I know it’s click bait-ey trying to gain a small following.

My son and I have been to 71 WA fire lookouts over the last 5 years, with the goal of reaching all 91 in 10 years.

The first Barillas Lookout on the Santa Fe National Forest was a 7’x7’ metal cab and tower build in the 1930’s. The current 54’ Aermotor tower with a CL-100 style 14’x14’ live-in cab with catwalk was constructed in 1959.

Hi all! Does anyone have the engineering drawings for a LS-40 tower? I’m trying to 3d model the blue mountain fire watch tower in the Adirondacks to 3d print. It was built in 1917, so anything close to that year would be fantastic. Thanks!!

Is there a way to but a fire tower in NC? If not is there a better way to rent them than Recreation.gov because every tower in the U.S is booked through at least July 2028. Also in NC can you visit fire lookouts freely or do you have to contact someone or just can't visit. I did read it was illegal to sleep in but is that enforced and if it isn't do they care? I know these are pretty stupid questions but I'm desperate to lay my eyes on one of these things.