Devil's Head Lookout is a U.S. Forest Service fire lookout tower located in Douglas County, Colorado. The tower is accessed by hiking on the Devils Head National Recreation Trail. The original tower was built on a large pinnacle of Pikes Peak granite and is used as a fire lookout point in the Pike National Forest. The view from the tower extends at least 100 miles in every direction on clear days.
This morning I set out with a group of friends to hike the trail. It was a fairly mellow hike after hiking the incline. The trail had about 900 feet of elevation gain starting at around the 9,000 foot mark.
Helen and Kevin from Meet In Denver before we climb the stairs to the tower
This morning I set out with a group of friends to hike the trail. It was a fairly mellow hike after hiking the incline. The trail had about 900 feet of elevation gain starting at around the 9,000 foot mark.
Helen and Kevin from Meet In Denver before we climb the stairs to the tower
In 2003, Devil's Head Lookout was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Devil's Head LookoutThe original fire lookout structure was built in 1912. It consisted of a table with a fire-finder bolted to a rock. A glass-enclosed lookout was built in 1919, the same year that Helen Dowe became the first woman fire lookout ranger in the U.S. Forest Service. The tower was reconstructed in 1951 with the help of 100 men and 72 mules of the 973rd Construction Battalion from Fort Carson.
The tower's location is even more significant because of the fact that the area south and west of the tower has a very high frequency of lightning strikes. During a typical summer, this area experiences from 30 to 40 fires caused by lightning. From the vantage point of the tower, the fire lookout ranger is able to spot these fires very soon after they begin. This enables the forest service to quickly dispatch fire crews to contain the fires.
The lookout is tended by fire technician Bill Ellis, who walks the catwalk around the tower every 15 minutes looking for smoke. He is also the unofficial PR representative for the Forest Service. Ask him anything about fires, and chances are he'll know the answer. He can also point out the sights.
The lookout is tended by fire technician Bill Ellis, who walks the catwalk around the tower every 15 minutes looking for smoke. He is also the unofficial PR representative for the Forest Service. Ask him anything about fires, and chances are he'll know the answer. He can also point out the sights.
Cindy and I trying to make sure we are in the frame
Beautiful view on a beautiful day
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