Fire lookout towers take on a new role

Improved telephone communication and airplanes made the towers obsolete.
COLUMBUS -- Icons of Ohio's woodland conservation efforts, the forest fire lookout towers at Mohican, Tar Hollow and Scioto Trail state forests, are finding renewed lives this year as unique vantage points for observing Ohio's change of seasons.
Thanks to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry, visitors can once again climb these lofty structures to watch the surrounding woodlands come alive with autumn's reds, golds, purples and oranges.
"These lookouts are valued not only for their history, but also as symbols of the forest conservation movement," said John Dorka, chief of the ODNR Division of Forestry. "They represent an important aspect of Ohio's early reforestation efforts."
Between 1924 and 1978, the State of Ohio constructed and operated 45 forest fire lookout towers to watch over public lands that were newly planted with trees and areas where state foresters were encouraging a natural regeneration of woodlands.
"It's hard to imagine now, but these acres were very lightly forested in the early 1920s -- a time when much of the state had been clear cut," said Dorka.
Each day during the peak fall and spring wildfire seasons, vigilant spotters climbed to the cabins of these towers to survey the surrounding landscape for telltale signs of wildfire smoke. If a blaze erupted, spotters would telephone from tower to tower to triangulate the exact location.
Were unsafe for public
In time, improved telephone communication throughout these rural areas, as well as the use of airplanes in wildfire detection, made lookout towers obsolete. Time, weather and vandals took their toll on the wood and metal structures, in most instances rendering them unsafe for public access. Today, only seven of these historic structures remain standing in Ohio's 20 state forests.
Working in conjunction with the national Forest Fire Lookout Association, the ODNR Division of Forestry has undertaken a long-term project to restore the seven towers to their former glory and open them to the public. The renovated 80-foot lookout tower at Mohican State Forest in Ashland County reopened in the fall of 2005. Recently, restoration was completed on the 73-foot Brush Ridge Tower at Tar Hollow State Forest and the 60-foot tower at Scioto Trail State Forest, both in Ross County.
What's ahead
In coming years, the division plans to refurbish the 60-foot Copperhead Tower at Shawnee State Forest in Scioto County, the state's oldest lookout tower -- as well as towers at Hocking, Zaleski and Blue Rock state forests.
"Preserving these towers will allow visitors access to spectacular views of Ohio's forested landscape," Dorka added. "There are no better places to appreciate fall color or the work of the state's conservation pioneers."
Additional information regarding the historic forest fire lookout towers in Ohio's state forests is available on the Internet at ohiodnr.com, or by calling the Division of Forestry at (614) 265-6694. Information on the national Forest Fire Lookout Association is available at firelookout.org.