FOREST LOOKOUTS
  • WASHINGTON
  • ASOTIN COUNTY
    • Big Butte
    • Saddle Butte
    • Smoothing Iron
  • CHELAN COUNTY
    • Alpine
    • Baldy Mountain
    • Basalt Mountain
    • Beehive Mountain
    • Big Hill
    • Boulder Butte
    • Boundary Butte
    • Byrd Point
    • Carne Mountain
    • Chelan
    • Chelan Butte
    • Chumstick Mountain
    • Cougar Mountain
    • Dirty Face Ridge
    • Domke Mountain
    • Duncan Hill
    • Estes Butte
    • French Ridge
    • Goman Peak
    • Goode Ridge
    • Harriets Peak
    • Horton Butte
    • Icicle Ridge
    • Jack Ridge
    • Junction Ridge
    • Junior Point
    • Keystone Point
    • Klone Peak
    • Lorraine
    • McCue Ridge
    • McGregor Mountain
    • Mission Peak
    • Mount David
    • Mount Stuart
    • Nelson Butte
    • Poe Mountain
    • Pyramid Mountain
    • Rock Mountain
    • Slide Ridge
    • Soda Springs
    • Steliko Point
    • Stiletto Ridge
    • Stormy Mountain
    • Sugarloaf Peak
    • Three Brothers
    • Tiptop
    • Tumwater Mountain
    • Tyee Mountain
    • Vie Mountain
  • CLALLAM COUNTY
    • Baada Point
    • Blue Mountain
    • Blyn
    • Bogachiel Peak
    • Burma Point
    • Burnt Mountain
    • Crow's Nest
    • Dodger Point
    • Ellis
    • Foothills
    • Gunderson Mountain
    • Hurricane Ridge
    • Hyas Mountain
    • Ice Cream Cone Mountain
    • Kloshe Nanitch
    • Mt Pleasant
    • Mt Townsend
    • Mt Zion
    • Muller Mountain
    • Neah Bay (AWS)
    • Ned Hill
    • North Point
    • Ozette Lake (AWS)
    • Pyramid Mountain (AWS)
    • Pysht
    • Sekiu Mountain
    • Solduc Mountain
    • Sooes Mountain
    • Striped Peak
    • Twin
  • CLARK COUNTY
    • Green Knob
    • Larch Mountain
  • COLUMBIA COUNTY
    • Griffin Peak
    • Jumpoff joe
    • Oregon Butte
    • Paradise Ridge
    • Table Rock
    • Thorne Point
  • COWLITZ COUNTY
    • Abernathy Mountain
    • Devils Burn
    • Elk Mountain
    • Elk Rock
    • Gilbert, Ted
    • Lam Mountain
    • Meridian Mountain
    • Powderhorn
    • Signal Peak
    • Wolf Point
  • DOUGLAS COUNTY
    • Badger Mountain
  • FERRY COUNTY
    • Barnaby Butte
    • Bisbee Mountain
    • Bodie Mountain
    • Cody Butte
    • Columbia Mountain
    • Copper Butte
    • Franson Peak
    • Gold Mountain
    • Graves Mountain
    • Grizzly Mountain
    • Jackknife Mountain
    • Johnny George
    • Keller Butte
    • Little Vulcan Mountain
    • Lynx Creek
    • Marble Mountain
    • Moon Mountain
    • Quartz Mountain
    • Scalawag Ridge
    • Sheep Mountain
    • South Huckleberry
    • Stahley Peak
    • Taylor Ridge
    • Thirteenmile
    • Togo Mountain
    • Twin Sisters
    • Vulcan Mountain
    • Wapaloosie Mountain
    • White Mountain
    • Whitestone Ridge
  • GARFIELD COUNTY
    • Clearwater
    • Diamond Peak
  • GRAYS HARBOR COUNTY
    • Anderson Butte
    • Artic
    • Brittain
    • Burnt Hill
    • Byles
    • Chester Ridge
    • Colonel Bob
    • Cook Creek Tree
    • Deep Creek
    • Drake (Reed Hill)
    • Gobbler Knob
    • Higley Peak
    • Hobi Peak
    • Humptulips Ridge
    • Kelly
    • Lem
    • Lone Mountain
    • Macafee Hill
    • Minot Peak
    • Mobray
    • Moclips
    • Point Grenville
    • Prices Peak
    • Salmon River
    • Twin Peak
    • Vesta
    • Weatherwax
  • JEFFERSON COUNTY
    • Big Quilcene
    • Clearwater
    • Elk Creek
    • Finley Peak
    • Geodetic Hill
    • Hoh (Oil City)
    • Kloockman Rock
    • Ludden Peak
    • Mount Constance
    • Mount Jupiter
    • Mount Octopus
    • Mount Walker
    • Owl Mountain
    • Quilcene Ranger Station
    • Shine
    • Skidder Hill
    • Twin Lakes
    • Webb Mountain (Lower)
    • Webb Mountain (Upper)
  • KING COUNTY
    • Bare Mountain
    • Beckler Peak
    • Camp Waskowitz
    • Canyon
    • Cascade
    • Cedar Mountain
    • Cedar Point
    • Christoff
    • Cleveland Mountain
    • Colquhoun Mountain
    • Goat Mountain
    • Granite Mountain
    • Grass Mountain
    • Humphrey Mountain
    • Kelly Butte
    • Little Mountain
    • Maloney Ridge
    • McClellan Butte
    • McDonald
    • Meadow Mountain
    • Mount Sawyer
    • Mount Si
    • Nordrum Mountain
    • Pinnacle Peak
    • Platts
    • Proffitts Point
    • Pyramid Peak
    • Rattlesnake Ridge
    • Snoqualmie
    • Snowshoe Butte
    • Stampede Pass
    • Surprise Mountain
    • Tiger Mountain
    • Windy Mountain
  • KITSAP COUNTY
    • Bangor
    • Gold Mountain
    • Green Mountain
    • Kitsap
  • KITTITAS COUNTY
    • Bald Mountain
    • Big Creek
    • Davis Mountain
    • Devil's Slide
    • Easton Ridge
    • Elbow Peak
    • Fish Lake
    • Frost Mountain
    • Goat Peak
    • Jolly Mountain
    • Koppen Mountain
    • Lion Rock
    • Lookout Mountain
    • Lookout Mountain
    • Manastash Ridge
    • Martin
    • Mount Lillian
    • Naneum Point
    • North Ridge
    • Peoh Point
    • Polallie Mountain
    • Quartz Mountain
    • Red Mountain
    • Red Top Mountain
    • Roaring Ridge
    • Stafford Creek
    • Taneum Point
    • Teanaway Butte
    • Thorp Mountain
  • KLICKITAT COUNTY
    • Dymond Gap
    • Grayback Mountain
    • Lorena Butte
    • Meadow Butte
    • Monte Cristo
    • Nestor Peak
    • Simcoe Butte
    • Sopelia
    • Twin Buttes (Lorena)
  • LEWIS COUNTY
    • Baw Faw Peak
    • Burley Mountain
    • Cascade Creek
    • Cispus Mountain
    • Clam Mountain
    • Coyote Mountain
    • Doty
    • Dry Creek
    • Goat Ridge
    • Hamilton Butte
    • Hawkeye
    • High Rock
    • Huckleberry Mountain2
    • Hunters Cabin
    • Kiona Peak
    • Kosmos Hill
    • Ladd Mountain
    • Lookout Mountain
    • Lookout Point
    • Lost Lake
    • Lucas Creek
    • Nannie Peak
    • National
    • Newaukum
    • Pleasant Valley
    • Pompey Peak
    • Purcell Mountain
    • Rockies (Little)
    • South Point
    • Stahl Peak
    • Tatoosh Ridge
    • Tongue Mountain
    • Tower Rock
    • Tumac
    • Twin Sisters
    • Vanson Peak
    • Watch Mountain
    • West Fork Tilton
    • Windy Knob
  • MASON COUNTY
    • Dayton Peak
    • Dennie Ahl
    • Dow Mountain
    • Dusk Peak
    • Grisdale Hill
    • Jefferson Ridge
    • Lightning Peak
    • Mason Lake
    • Mount Lincoln
    • Simpson
    • South Mountain
    • Tahuya
  • OKANOGAN COUNTY
    • Aeneas Mountain
    • Armstrong Mountain
    • Bailey Mountain
    • Big Hill
    • Billy Goat Peak
    • Black Ridge
    • Blue Goat Mountain
    • Bridge Creek
    • Buck Mountain
    • Buckhorn Mountain
    • Bunker Hill
    • Burch Mountain
    • Buttermilk Butte
    • Chiliwist Butte
    • Cooper Mountain
    • Cornell Butte
    • Corral Butte
    • Diamond Point
    • Doe Mountain
    • Dollar Watch Mountain
    • Driveway Butte
    • Dugout Mountain
    • Fir Mountain
    • First Butte
    • Funk Mountain
    • Gardner Mountain
    • Goat Mountain
    • Goat Peak
    • Gold Ridge
    • Granite Mountain
    • Jackass Butte
    • Juniper Point
    • Knowlton Knob
    • Leecher Mountain
    • Lincoln Butte
    • Little Buck Mountain
    • Lookout Mountain
    • McClure Mountain
    • Mebee Pass
    • Midnight Mountain
    • Milton Mountain
    • Monument 83
    • Moses Mountain
    • Mount Annie
    • Mount Bonaparte
    • Mount Hull
    • Muckamuck Mountain
    • North Creek Butte
    • North Twenty-mile
    • Okanogan Post Office
    • Old Baldy
    • Omak Mountain
    • Oval Peak
    • Pearygin Peak
    • Point Defiance
    • Remmels peak
    • Robinson Pass
    • Setting sun
    • Skull & Crossbones
    • Slate Peak
    • South Creek Butte
    • Strawberry Mountain
    • Strawberry Mountain
    • Sweetgrass Butte
    • Thrapp Mountain
    • Tiffany Peak
    • Tunk Mountain
    • War Creek Ridge
    • Washington Butte
    • Whitmore Mountain
    • Windy Peak
    • Winthrop
  • PACIFIC COUNTY
    • Blaney Mountain
    • Burt
    • Cowan Point
    • Hull Creek
    • K O Point
    • Packsack Mountain
    • Squally Jim
    • Trap Creek
  • PEND OREILLE COUNTY
    • Aladdin Mountain
    • Baldy (Current)
    • Bead Lake Mountain
    • Boundary Mountain
    • Boyer Mountain
    • Cee Cee Ah
    • Cook Mountain..
    • Crowell Ridge
    • Diamond Peak
    • Diamond Peak Patrol
    • Dry Canyon
    • Fourth of July
    • Galena Point
    • Gibraltar Rock
    • Gleason Mountain
    • Goose Creek Point
    • Granite Peak
    • Grassy Top
    • Grouse Knob
    • Gypsy Peak
    • Hall Mountain
    • Hanks
    • Hanlon Mountain
    • Harvey Creek
    • High Rock
    • Huckleberry Mountain..
    • Indian Mountain
    • Jackson Mountain
    • Kalispell Rock
    • Kings Mountain
    • Leola Peak
    • Linton Mountain
    • Little Blue Grouse
    • Little Roundtop
    • Mill Creek Point
    • Molybdenite Mountain
    • Monumental Mountain
    • Moon Hill
    • No Name Peak
    • North Baldy Mountain
    • Ojibway
    • Orwig Hump
    • Pass Creek Ridge
    • Pelke Divide
    • Prouty Peak
    • Roundtop Mountain
    • Russian Ridge
    • Saddle Mountain
    • Salmo Mountain
    • Sand Creek
    • Scrabbler Mountain
    • Shedroof
    • Skookum Peak
    • Slate Creek
    • Slumber Mountain
    • Snyder Hill
    • South Baldy Mountain
    • South Fork Mountain
    • Squaw Valley
    • Sullivan Mountain
    • Thomas Mountain.
    • Thunder Mountain
    • Tillicum Peak
    • Timber Mountain
    • Winchester Peak
    • Yokum Lake
  • PIERCE COUNTY
    • Anvil Rock
    • Bearhead Mountain
    • Carbon Ridge
    • Clear West Peak
    • Colonade
    • Crystal Lake
    • Crystal Mountain
    • Electron
    • Garrison Hill
    • Glacierview
    • Gobblers Knob
    • Goodman Hill
    • McGuire Creek
    • Mount Beljica
    • Mount Fremont
    • Mutton Mountain
    • Nisqually
    • Noble Knob
    • Norse Peak
    • O'Farrell (South Prairie)
    • Ohop
    • Old Desolate
    • Pack Forest
    • Purdy
    • Puyallup Ridge
    • Saint Paul
    • Shriner Peak
    • Sunset Park
    • Suntop Mountain
    • Tolmie Peak
    • Windy Knoll
  • SAN JUAN COUNTY
    • Mount Constitution
    • Little Summit
  • SKAGIT COUNTY
    • Bacon Point
    • Devils Mountain
    • Dock Butte
    • Finney Point
    • Frailey Mountain
    • Gee Point
    • Haystack Mountain
    • Hidden Lake
    • Huckleberry Mountain
    • Little Mountain
    • Lookout Mountain
    • McMurray
    • Mount Higgins
    • Mount Josephine
    • North Mountain
    • Rinker Point
    • Samish
    • Sauk Mountain
    • Texas Pond
    • Wickersham
  • SKAMANIA COUNTY
    • Aldrich Butte
    • Badger Peak
    • Beacon Rock
    • Big Huckleberry
    • Breezy Point
    • Bunker Hill
    • Burnt Peak
    • Clear Creek
    • Coldwater Peak
    • Council Bluff
    • Dark Cabin
    • Dog Mountain
    • Flattop
    • Flattop (West)
    • French Butte
    • Grassy Knoll
    • Gumboot
    • Horseshoe Ridge
    • House Rock
    • Huffman Peak
    • Little Baldy
    • Little Huckleberry
    • Lookout Mountain
    • Madcat Meadow
    • McCoy Peak
    • Mount Mitchell
    • Mount Saint Helens
    • Mowich Butte
    • Observation Peak
    • Point 3670
    • Red Mountain
    • Silver Star Mountain
    • Siouxon Peak
    • Sleeping Beauty
    • Smith Creek Butte
    • Spencer Butte
    • Steamboat Mountain
    • Strawberry Mountain
    • Summit Guard Station
    • Summit Prairie
    • Sunrise Peak
    • Switchback Mountain
    • Three Corner Rock
    • Twin Butte
  • SNOHOMISH COUNTY
    • Bannock Mountain
    • Barlow Pass
    • Basin
    • Benchmark Mountain
    • Blackjack Ridge
    • Blue Mountain
    • Circle Peak
    • Dan Creek Guard Station
    • Darrington Ranger Station
    • Evergreen Mountain
    • French Point
    • Galena Mountain
    • Glacier Ridge
    • Gold Hill
    • Green Mountain
    • Haystack Mountain
    • Heybrook
    • High Rocks
    • Johnson Mountain
    • Jumbo Mountain
    • Kodak Peak
    • Miners Ridge
    • Mount Pilchuck
    • Mount Pugh
    • North Fork Bench
    • Red Mountain (Ridge)
    • Sauk Guard Station
    • Stillaguamish
    • Sulphur Mountain
    • Three Fingers
    • Whitechuck Bench
    • Whitechuck Mountain
  • SPOKANE COUNTY
    • Lookout Mountain (Point)
    • Mica Peak
    • Mount Spokane
    • Quartz Mountain
    • Turnbull
  • STEVENS COUNTY
    • Abercrombie Mountain
    • Addy Mountain
    • Blue Grouse Mountain
    • Calispel Peak
    • Chewelah Peak
    • Churchill Mountain
    • Cliff Ridge
    • Colbath Mountain
    • Eagle Mountain
    • Electric Point
    • First Thought Mountain
    • Flagstaff
    • Frisco Mountain (Peak)
    • Goddards Creek
    • Gold Mountain
    • Green Mountain.
    • Johnson Peak
    • Leadpoint Mountain
    • Miller Mountain
    • Mineral Mountain
    • Monumental Mountain
    • Nelson Peak
    • Old Dominion
    • Onion Mountain
    • Rogers Mountain
    • Scoop Mountain
    • Sherwood Mountain
    • Spirit Point
    • Spokane Mountain
    • Stranger Mountain
    • Swede Pass
    • Tower Mountain
    • Wellpinit Mountain
  • THURSTON COUNTY
    • Capitol Peak
    • Crawford Mountain
    • Deschutes Tower
    • Miller Hill
    • Porcupine Ridge
    • Rainier Tower
    • Rock Candy Mountain
  • WAHKIAKUM COUNTY
    • Incline Mountain
  • WHATCOM COUNTY
    • Anderson Butte
    • Baker Lake (Point)
    • Barometer Mountain
    • Black Rock
    • Blue Canyon
    • Cady Point
    • Church Mountain
    • Copper Mountain
    • Crater Mountain
    • Deming
    • Desolation Peak
    • Devils Dome
    • Dillard Point
    • Easy Ridge
    • Entwhistle
    • Excelsior Point
    • Galbraith
    • Goat Mountain
    • Lookout Mountain
    • Nooksack
    • Park Butte
    • Roland Point
    • Sourdough Mountain
    • South Twin
    • Sulphur Butte
    • Whatcom Peak
    • Winchester Peak
  • YAKIMA COUNTY
    • American Ridge
    • Bear Creek Mountain
    • Blue Slide
    • Cleman Mountain
    • Clover Springs
    • Darland Mountain
    • Edgar Rock
    • Goat Butte
    • Hagerty Butte
    • Jennies Butte
    • Jumpoff
    • Lakeview Mountain
    • Little Bald Mountain
    • McKays Butte
    • Midway
    • Miners Ridge
    • Mount Adams
    • Mount Aix
    • Panther Creek
    • Pine Mountain
    • Ravens Roost
    • Round Mountain
    • Satus Peak
    • Sedge Ridge
    • Signal Peak
    • Timberwolf Mountain
  • General & Misc., Washington
  • INDEX
THURSTON COUNTY

CAPITOL PEAK

State Division of Forestry
17N-4W-12
1929:   "Capitol Peak Lookout is unique in its construction.  The top of this mountain, some 18 miles West of Olympia, is heavily timbered, largely with Balsam and Hemlock, and in topography, is a flat of some 15 acres.
      To get a clear view by normal means would have entailed the falling of all the timber on this bench and for some distance below it.  As it will be some years before this timber is logged, this would have resulted in both the creation of a fire hazard and a loss of timber to decay.  It was therefore decided to top four trees, brace them with sills as high as possible, and too construct upon the floor thus created, a tower.  This was done; a tripod tower being erected on a floor 84 feet above the ground.  To ascend, the lookout man sits in a bo'son's chair and pulls himself to the floor through a trap door by means of a fixed rope and aided by a counter-balance.  The tower itself is a total of 119 feet above the ground.  A ladder leads to the lookout point proper.
      The whole was then guyed and a stiff job made.
      This lookout is equipped with maps, properly oriented and equipped with an allidade for securing correct bearings.  Material secured upon the ground was largely used, only such lumber as was essential being packed to the top of the mountain.
​      The field men for the District were very enthusiastic about the lookout plan, and whole-heartedly gave of their energies during the period of construction, working long hours because on the long climb necessary to get to the point of construction."   (22nd Annual Report of the Washington Forest Fire Association)

January 1930:  "With the help of a high rigger, four trees were stripped of their branches to a top diameter of six inches.  At a height of 84 feet, the four trees were joined by stout cedar joists, rough hewn.  These were 6"x16"---24',and were spiked to the trees with 12-inch cut spikes, and further braced to the trees by specially made U-bolts.  A floor was then placed on the joists.  Because the four trees joined, or any other suitable trees, did not grow so as to form a square, it was decided to erect a tripod tower upon the floor.  This tripod base forms an equilateral triangle, with sides 22 feet, a height of 35 feet, and a top triangle of 12 feet.  Each leg was set in to the junction of the tree supports and the joists, except one leg, which was offset some four feet to make the triangle.  Man power, plus blocks and manila rope, saw all the material hoisted to the top deck, and in the evening of the second day of erection of the tripod, this work was almost complete.
     To ascend to the lookout proper, a ladder rises from the hurricane deck to the crows nest, wherein is placed a fire finder.  A counter-balance bosun's chair was rigged up, with a fixed manila rope running from the floor to the ground.  The man, or even woman, who dares to ascend, pulls on the rope to overcome any lack of weight in the counterbalance.  On reaching the deck, through a trap, the door is placed in position, and then the hero gets free from the chair.  The main trees are guyed with haul-back line, one guy to each tree.  The tripod is guyed to the point where the tree supports and the main floor joins.  A good sound job was made of this unique structure, which is 119 feet from ground level to the lookout floor."  (The Timberman)

1934:   "It is also anticipated that the Capitol Peak lookout will have to be rebuilt.  Built in 1929, it is supported by four topped trees, braced by cedar sills at the 85 foot mark.  A floor is constructed on these sills, and a 30 foot tower completes the structure.  It was intended only as a temporary structure until the time (estimated four years) as the hill should have been logged off.  Trade conditions have slowed down progress, but it is felt unwise to leave the structure as it now stands, as three of the supporting trees are of hemlock and one of balsom.  The area on which it is situated overlooks the State Forest of Grays Harbor and Mason Counties, besides a very large area of Thurston, Kitsap and Lewis Counties."   ​(27th Annual Report of the Washington Forest Fire Association)

1935:  "A centrally located 100-foot ring connected lookout tower, constructed from pressure creosoted Douglas fir, has been completed and overlooks the entire area."  (Division of Forestry Annual Report)
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Activated:  March 9, 1942.    Olympia Filter Center.

1946:   "An 83-foot ring connected lookout tower was built to replace one demolished by wind on Capitol Peak in Thurston County."  (Annual Report of the Forestry Division)

February 12, 1955:  "Someone shot off the lock, broke two windows and stole several items from the Capital Peak lookout station of the State Department of Forestry.  Two sleeping bags and a supply of C-rations were taken by burglars who entered the ground-level house of the lookout station.
     Max Gulberson told sheriff's deputies the burglary occurred sometime between January 25 and Wednesday, when it was discovered."  (The Daily Chronicle)

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Removed

REX'S FIRE LOOKOUT PAGE
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Member:  Forest Fire Lookout Association.

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