Climbing Fire Towers in So Cal

Even though I spent most of my youth in and around Southern California, there are still some wild places I never managed to see. To wit: I just came across this article in the LA Times about a writer who spent time checking out the fire towers in and around both the Sierras and the San Bernardino National Forest. What a col idea. Turns out that the towers are operated by the National Forest Service and most, says the article, are open to visitors. I imagine that is NOT the case during the high fire season, but still it seems like a rather cool adventure to go up and hang out in some of these towers to savor the view and perhaps nibble on a sandwich. Some of these towers even allow overnight stays, which sounds totally cool...perhaps the closest we have in this part of California to the alpine lodges so common in Europe.

The writer in the article ventures to the top of 10,365-foot Mitchell Peak and takes in the 360-degree view of the central Sierra Nevada, but also heads to Buck Rock, a tower perched on an 8,500-foot granite cone in Sequoia National Forest, about 250 miles northeast of Los Angeles. The article here also provides a nice little dose of history, wherein we learn that the whole fire tower thing was started during the administration of Teddy Roosevelt and that much of the effort to build them was in response to a five million acre blaze that killed some 78 firefighters. A nice dose of adventure and history to kick off your Monday.

Filed under: Hiking, History, Learning, Stories, North America, United States, Camping