The

lookout tree A lookout tree is a simple fire lookout tower created by attaching a ladder or a series of spikes to a tall straight tree with a view of the surrounding lands, allowing rangers or fire crews to conveniently climb the tree to survey their surroundin ...

s in

Kaibab National Forest At 1.6 million acres (650,000 ha) the Kaibab National Forest borders both the north and south rims of the Grand Canyon, in north-central Arizona. It is divided into three major sections: the ''North Kaibab Ranger District'' (offices in Fredonia ...

are the survivors of a system of improvised

fire lookout tower A fire lookout tower, fire tower or lookout tower, provides housing and protection for a person known as a "fire lookout" whose duty it is to search for wildfires in the wilderness. It is a small building, usually on the summit of a mountain or ...

s that used tall, straight trees as vantage points. The practice of using trees as lookouts was widespread in the western United States during the early 20th century, as there was no need to build a foundation or to pack and assemble a tower structure. Instead, a prominent tree could be selected, and a ladder or a series of spikes could be attached to the tree trunk. For transient use this could be all that was done, but for more permanent use the top of the tree could be lopped, and a platform constructed on the resulting stump. This railed platform was then outfitted with a seat and a platform for an

Osborne Fire Finder The Osborne Fire Finder is a type of alidade used by fire lookouts to find a directional bearing (azimuth) to smoke in order to alert fire crews to a wildland fire. History and development The forerunner to the device was invented around 1840 by S ...

. A

Multiple Property Submission The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of Historic districts in the United States, districts, sites, buildings, struc ...

survey of lookout trees in Kaibab National Forest and

Grand Canyon National Park Grand Canyon National Park, located in northwestern Arizona, is the 15th site in the United States to have been named as a national park. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often consider ...

in northern

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

was carried out in 1987 as an addendum to a survey of fire towers in Arizona. Surviving trees with significant remains of their lookout function were individually listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

and were described in the MPS. Many of these lookouts were established between 1905 and 1920. Many more trees existed than were nominated, but the missing trees have either disappeared or were not located. No lookout trees were noted in Grand Canyon National Park, though some had existed. * Cooper Ridge Lookout Tree, reference number 91001962, * Corral Lake Lookout Tree, reference number 91001954, * Fracas Lookout Tree, reference number 91001955, * Grandview Lookout Tree, reference number 91001945, * Hull Tank Lookout Tree, reference number 91001947, * Little Mountain Lookout Tree, reference number 91001950, * Summit Mountain Lookout Tree, reference number 91001948, * Tater Point Lookout Tree, reference number 91001946, * Telephone Hill Lookout Tree, reference number 91001952, * Tipover Lookout Tree, reference number 91001953, * Tusayan Lookout Tree, reference number 91001951, All were individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 13, 1992.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places Fire lookout towers on the National Register of Historic Places in Arizona Buildings and structures in Coconino County, Arizona Kaibab National Forest 1905 establishments in Arizona Territory National Register of Historic Places in Coconino County, Arizona Lookout trees