Watchman Lookout Station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Watchman Lookout Station
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| Location | Crater Lake National Park, Oregon |
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| Nearest city | Fort Klamath, Oregon |
| Built | 1932 |
| Architect | National Park Service, Merel S. Sager |
| Architectural style | National Park Service rustic |
| MPS | Crater Lake National Park MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 88002626 |
| Added to NRHP | December 1, 1988 |
The Watchman Lookout Station No. 168 is a special building in Crater Lake National Park in southern Oregon. It's one of two fire lookout towers there. For many years, park rangers used this lookout to spot wildfires during the summer.
It's also a popular spot for hiking because it offers amazing views of Crater Lake and the area around it. What makes this building unique is that it's both a fire lookout and a small museum! The Watchman Lookout Station is officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's an important historical site.
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History of the Watchman Lookout
The Watchman Lookout Station sits high up on Watchman Peak, about 8,025 feet above sea level. This peak is a high point on the western edge of Crater Lake. A man named William Gladstone Steel named Watchman Peak in 1886. He was part of a team that came to Crater Lake to measure how deep it was.
The lookout building, known as "Building 168," was built in 1932. It was designed to be both a place to watch for fires and a small museum for visitors. Merel S. Sager from the National Park Service Landscape Division chose this perfect spot for the lookout.
Why Fire Lookouts Are Important
In the past, finding and putting out forest fires quickly was a main job for the National Park Service. Lookouts, like the one on Watchman Peak, were placed on tall spots. From these high points, rangers could see huge areas of forest.
The Watchman tower was part of a big network to detect fires in Crater Lake National Park. This network included lookouts from the National Park Service, the United States Forest Service, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. A trained observer, usually a park ranger, would work at the lookout. They would use a short-wave radio to talk to the fire dispatcher at the park headquarters.
During the 1930s, young people from the Civilian Conservation Corps also helped by being observers. The National Park Service kept the Watchman Lookout Station staffed during fire season until 1974. They have used it sometimes since then.
A Historic and Educational Site
Today, the Watchman Lookout Station helps us learn about history. Since the lookout was built, ideas about how to handle wildfires have changed a lot. The Watchman tower lets visitors see what it was like to be a fire lookout in the 1930s.
It's easy for people to get to the site, and it has clear views in every direction. The building was made using natural materials like stone and logs, so it blends in with the mountain. All these things make the Watchman Lookout Station a special and important historical building. Because of its value, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
What the Lookout Building Looks Like
The lookout building has a simple, two-story design. It's like a small fort or "blockhouse." The main part of the building is about 17 feet (5.2 m) by 17 feet (5.2 m) on the first floor. There's also a wing that sticks out to the east, measuring about 14 feet (4.3 m) by 20 feet (6.1 m).
The first floor has very strong stone walls. It used to have a small exhibit room. Having a museum area was unusual for a working fire lookout. But because visitors could easily reach it, the Watchman lookout was a great chance for the National Park Service to teach people about the park and how they prevented fires. The first floor also has a restroom and a storage area. A large eight-foot glass window gives amazing views of Crater Lake.
The second floor is an observation room with glass on all four sides. It's also about 17 feet (5.2 m) by 17 feet (5.2 m). There's a walkway around the outside of this room. The first floor was built right into the hillside, so the building's shape is a bit uneven. Because of this, the second story of the lookout is held up by a steel frame, not just by the first floor. The lookout's natural stone and log design helps it fit in with the mountain. There's also a stone wall in front of the building that looks out over Crater Lake, which is 1,849 feet below!
Hiking the Watchman Trail
The trail to the Watchman Lookout Station is about three-quarters of a mile long. It's a gentle climb up the mountain. To get to the start of the trail from Crater Lake National Park's Rim Village, drive north on Rim Drive for about 4 miles. You'll see a clearly marked parking area. The trail begins about 100 yards south of the parking lot. The trail is usually open from mid-July through October, depending on the snow.
