From 1910 through the 1950s over 4000 lookouts stood watch over America’s forest land, then faded into history, only to be brought back to life by adventurous hikers and photographers.

The summer of 1910 was a particularly brutal one for the Northwestern United States. Forest fires raged throughout Idaho, Montana, Washington, and Oregon, catching the attention of the entire country when a series of small wildfires joined together to create what would later become known as the Big Blowup. More than 3 million acres of land burned, killing 85 people and consuming 7.5 billion board feet of timber in the process, with smoke literally drifting as far east as the nation’s capitol in Washington D.C.

The tragic event put forest fire issues into public discourse, and brought to light the serious need for the U.S. Forest Service—a then underfunded agency established just five years prior—to adopt more progressive fire prevention policies. Though many efforts were then taken to protect the country’s forest land (which did then, and still today, comprises 33% of the country’s total landmass) nothing captured the country's attention—and romantic imagination—quite like the fire lookout tower.

By 1911 lookout towers were being erected on mountaintops across the country, especially in the western states where 70% of the forest land is publicly owned. Soon enough every national forest—as required by newly formed law—had established their own fire detection system, largely consisting of a lookout tower and single staffer, also known as a lookout.