Atop a big bump on Williams Peak near Mariposa, CA, an aging fire lookout tower offers hikers exercise and fresh air to banish cabin fever. The views are terrific and far flung, and the forlorn tower provides fine Kodak moments. Neither long nor strenuous, the route traces a good dirt road 3.5 miles to the modest summit of the peak, elevation 3.205 feet. Or, if you prefer a shorter trek, drive to the gate blocking auto travel 1.4 miles below the summit.
In addition to a moderate jaunt to an unfrequented location on a crisp winter day, visitors are presented with a superb Sierra vista to the east and views of the Coast Range to the west on a clear day. If it is not hazy or cloudy, note massive Half Dome, El Capitan, Clouds Rest and Mt. Clark. …show more content…
Aging, but not decrepit, it reminds visitors of an all but vanished method of fire detection. At one time in the 1940s, there were more than 4,000 fire towers in National Forests across the United States. Now there are less than 900.
Most lookouts were built in the 1930s and 40s. Many of them were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Computerized lightning detection systems and air patrols have in large part replaced lookout structures. Furthermore, there are more forest visitors now than back in the day, and most of them have cell phones to report a fire when they see smoke or flames. In severe fire seasons, as we have recently experienced in California, some lookouts are staffed because they offer views not covered by other systems.
For the most part, however, they are “dinosaurs,” a dying breed of fire detection. Many were removed from their mountaintop perches during the 1970s and 80s. Some were dismantled and reconstructed in historical parks as romantic reminders of the past. Many were simply burned down or dismantled and discarded. Furthermore, the Forest Service has viewed the deterioration of abandoned lookouts as a public safety issue and encouraged their
In addition to a moderate jaunt to an unfrequented location on a crisp winter day, visitors are presented with a superb Sierra vista to the east and views of the Coast Range to the west on a clear day. If it is not hazy or cloudy, note massive Half Dome, El Capitan, Clouds Rest and Mt. Clark. …show more content…
Aging, but not decrepit, it reminds visitors of an all but vanished method of fire detection. At one time in the 1940s, there were more than 4,000 fire towers in National Forests across the United States. Now there are less than 900.
Most lookouts were built in the 1930s and 40s. Many of them were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Computerized lightning detection systems and air patrols have in large part replaced lookout structures. Furthermore, there are more forest visitors now than back in the day, and most of them have cell phones to report a fire when they see smoke or flames. In severe fire seasons, as we have recently experienced in California, some lookouts are staffed because they offer views not covered by other systems.
For the most part, however, they are “dinosaurs,” a dying breed of fire detection. Many were removed from their mountaintop perches during the 1970s and 80s. Some were dismantled and reconstructed in historical parks as romantic reminders of the past. Many were simply burned down or dismantled and discarded. Furthermore, the Forest Service has viewed the deterioration of abandoned lookouts as a public safety issue and encouraged their