Yellowstone Adventure: Clay Butte Lookout Tower

After exploring Lamar Valley the other day we exited Yellowstone's northeast gate and went to Cooke City, Montana for lunch.  Afterwards we decided to go drive up Beartooth Pass to see what was up there.

 
We passed this sign for the Clay Butte Lookout Tower and there was a big sign that said "Visitors Welcome".  You don't have to ask me twice to go see an actual fire lookout tower so we made the 2.5 mile drive up the mountain.
 
 
Here it is perched on top of the mountain.
 
 
The Stars and Stripes are proudly displayed above the U.S. Forest Service flag.
 
 
The 360 degree views were quite amazing from the tower.
 
 
The tower is no longer an active lookout tower, it's now a visitor center.  I know there must be more advanced ways to watch for fires these days, but I think it's great they have maintained this piece of history.  My dad was in the Forest Service and although he didn't man a tower like this, I remember him being gone to fires most of the time in the summers.  My dad has told stories of how his mother manned one of these towers way back in the day.  She was widowed young and with four young children she had to provide for she did many types of jobs.

 
They had a display of the tools firefighters use.  My dad had several of these.

 
Irv was trying to spot a fire so he could report it.  The volunteer working there said they actually spot fires and report them even to this day.
 
 
This fire lookout tower was built in 1943.  I'm so glad it's still there for everyone to visit.  We owe a lot to the men and women who fight wildland fires--they put their lives on the line to save our public lands.
 

Comments

polcat24 said…
Yep, We didn't hesitate to go up to it. The road was a little nerve racking going up but coming down was a breeze.
July 30, 2017 at 3:10 PM
Yogi♪♪♪ said…
What a find. Irv has quite the eagle eye.
July 30, 2017 at 8:14 PM
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