Olson Observation Tower is one of the few remaining

fire 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 in

Monongahela National Forest The Monongahela National Forest is a national forest located in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, USA. It protects over of federally managed land within a proclamation boundary that includes much of the Potomac Highlands Regi ...

. Olson is located at the southern end of Backbone Mountain northeast of

Parsons Parsons may refer to: Places In the United States: * Parsons, Kansas, a city * Parsons, Missouri, an unincorporated community * Parsons, Tennessee, a city * Parsons, West Virginia, a town * Camp Parsons, a Boy Scout camp in the state of Washingt ...

Tucker County Tucker County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,762, making it West Virginia's fourth-least populous county. Its county seat is Parsons. The county was created in 1856 from a part of ...

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the B ...

. The southern end of Backbone Mountain is the site of West Virginia's first

, originally built by the state in 1922. This tower was later given to

, which replaced it in 1963 with the current tower. The current tower is constructed of steel and features 133 steps leading to a cab on top. While the cab is not open to the public, the entire walkway up to the top is accessible. The tower provides 360-degree views of the surrounding area including the

Cheat River The Cheat River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed August 15, 2011 tributary of the Monongahela River in eastern West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania in the Uni ...

watershed,

Blackwater Canyon Blackwater Canyon is a rugged, heavily wooded, long gorge carved by the Blackwater River in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, USA. For many years, it has been the object of controversy as environmental activists have contended w ...

, Canaan Mountain, Backbone Mountain and the

Otter Creek Wilderness The Otter Creek Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness area located in the Cheat-Potomac Ranger District of Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia, USA. The Wilderness sits in a bowl-shaped valley formed by Otter Creek, between McGowan Mountain an ...

. Olson Tower is named after Ernst B. Olson in recognition of 28 years of fire control and conservation program service to

Other facilities

A small picnic area is located along Forest Route 717 near Olson Tower.

Accessing Olson Tower

Olson Tower is located at the end of FR 717, a spur from FR 18. Both roads are gravel but can easily be traversed by normal passenger cars coming from U.S. Route 219 in the west. While FR 18 provides excellent views of

east of FR 717, this section of the road is only traversable by high-clearance vehicles. Passenger car travel is not recommended.

References

{{Monongahela National Forest Government buildings completed in 1922 Towers completed in 1922 Government buildings completed in 1963 Towers completed in 1963 Monongahela National Forest Buildings and structures in Tucker County, West Virginia Tourist attractions in Tucker County, West Virginia Fire lookout towers in West Virginia Allegheny Mountains

Other facilities

Accessing Olson Tower

See also

References