Tower Mountain Lookout
US 142, OR 20
Lookout Details
| Registry Numbers | US 142, OR 20 (view other lookouts in United States, Oregon) |
| Date Registered | December 5, 1995 |
| Nominated by | Michael Duffy, FFLA |
| Location |
Umatilla National Forest Umatilla County, Oregon |
| Coordinates |
N 45° 03.242' W 118° 34.096' (view using Google Maps) N 45° 03' 15" W 118° 34' 06" N 45.054040° W 118.568265° |
| Elevation | 6,812 ft (2,076 m) |
| Administered by | U.S. Forest Service |
| Cooperators | North Fork John Day Ranger District |
Description
One of the few 7’x7’ steel towers ever erected in the Umatilla National Forest in northeastern Oregon, Tower Mountain Lookout, remains in service today. The 92’ tower was constructed by the U.S. Forest Service in 1929, and the attractive CCC cabin living quarters was moved to the site from the old Lucky Strike Lookout in the late 1940s.
Map
Change Basemap
Photos
Fire finder in 2022
Visit Reports
September 1, 2022: Michael Duffy
Condition |
|
| Needs paint? | No |
| Shutters OK? | Not Applicable |
| Condition of wood OK? | Yes |
| Stairs OK? | Yes |
| Glass intact? | Yes |
| Good condition? | Yes |
| Comments: | The cabin exterior was repainted by fire fighter crew two years ago and still looks good. I re-painted the outhouse interior (white) during this summer. I repainted most of the cabin interior last summer. Generally, the site is in pretty good condition. Bob LaFrance and I installed new glass in the lookout cab with support from District Maintenance. Fire fighter staff re-built the water tank stand two years ago. [I had built the original (about 30 years ago) but, some of the timbers had started to fail.] I built a new log fence around the outhouse this summer (the old logs installed in 1992, were rotting). There are many dead and dying mature and diseased lodgepole and sub-alpine fir that are slowly being removed (both for aesthetics and fire prevention!) around the site. |
Electronics and Enroachments |
|
| Are electronic sites enroaching on tower? | No |
| Comments: | The tower/shack just east of the lookout is a microwave repeater installation for the phone system at Starkey. The only other equipment/repeaters at this time are the Forest Service communications radios. The cabin solar equipment is personal gear of the lookout staffers. |
Access and Signs |
|
| NHLR sign posted? | Yes |
| Directions to tower signed? | No |
Staffing |
|
| Staffed? |
Yes
This is my 13th season as primary lookout on this station. Bob LaFrance is relief (as he has been on this station many seasons himself).
|
Opportunities for Volunteer Support |
|
| Volunteers staffing opportunities? | No |
| Volunteer maintenance opportunities? | Yes |
June 29, 2014: Jackie Fitzgerald
Condition |
|
| Needs paint? | No Response |
| Shutters OK? | Yes |
| Condition of wood OK? | Yes |
| Stairs OK? | Yes |
| Glass intact? | Yes |
| Good condition? | Yes |
| Comments: | There was an unsightly old couch in front of the cabin. The site was spectacular! |
Electronics and Enroachments |
|
| Are electronic sites enroaching on tower? | No |
| Other enroachments? | I believe there is a radar tower in the vicinity. |
Access and Signs |
|
| NHLR sign posted? | Yes |
| Directions to tower signed? | Yes |
Staffing |
|
| Staffed? |
No
Unoccupied at the time.
|
Opportunities for Volunteer Support |
|
| Volunteers staffing opportunities? | No Response |
| Volunteer maintenance opportunities? | No Response |