How do you stay in a Firewatch tower?

All Forest Service facility rentals require reservations to be made on-line with a credit card at Recreation.gov up to six months in advance. They are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. The daily rental rate for each facility and maximum lengths of stay vary.

How many fire lookouts are in Idaho?

Photo Credit: Rick Gerrard. Idaho has about 10-12 lookouts available for rent through recreation.gov.

How tall are Ranger towers?

While, generally, Lookout Towers from 60 to 120 feet in height are required for efficient fire detection, there are many locations where the site is such that relatively low structures are entirely adequate.

What states have fire towers?

Many of these are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Forest Fire Lookout Association.

• Arizona.
• Arkansas.
• California.
• Colorado.
• Georgia.
• Idaho.
• Illinois.
• Indiana.

Are there fire towers in Montana?

The U.S. Forest Service says it has more than 30 operational fire lookout towers across Montana and northern Idaho, though not all of them are generally staffed.

How does a fire finder work?

The device is used by moving the sights until the observer can peek through the nearer sighting hole and view the cross hairs in the further sight aligned with the fire. The fire lookout notes the degrees on the graduated ring beneath the sight.

Do fire watch towers have toilets?

Up four flights of stairs, the lookout is 388 square feet with a simple kitchen spanning the back wall and two narrow beds flanking the sides. Up a skinny wooden ladder, a “cupola” serves as a master suite — minus the bathroom. In fact, there’s no bathroom to be found.

Can you live in a watchtower?

At present, there are at least 85 lookout towers in the U.S. that you can rent overnight. Some are in National Forests; some are in state parks; and some are on USDA Forest Service land.

Where is the Deadwood Lookout Recreation cabin in Idaho?

Explore Deadwood Lookout Rec Cabin in Boise National Forest, Idaho with Recreation.gov. Deadwood Lookout Recreation Cabin is a historic Forest Service fire lookout on Deadwood Mountain. The structure provides sweeping panoramic views of the surroun Deadwood Lookout Rec Cabin Boise National Forest

How do you get to the Lookouts in Idaho?

In some cases, like with the Arid Peak Lookout, you’ll need to do some hiking to reach the lookout. In other cases, you can 4WD all the way up to the lookout you’ll be camping in. To learn more about Idaho’s fire lookout offerings, check out Idaho Public TV.

Where can I rent a fire lookout tower in Idaho?

Most of the lookout towers in Idaho are located in northern Idaho, where the trees are so dense that the lookouts need to be greatly elevated to see the surrounding area. The views are endless atop a fire lookout. Photo Credit: Rick Gerrard. Idaho has about 10-12 lookouts available for rent through recreation.gov.

Idaho at one time had more forest fire lookouts than any other state in the nation – more than 900 of them. As the name implies, the lookouts were built to give Forest Service employees a high vantage point to watch for fires and then report them to the local ranger station.