116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Breathtaking views
Take a trip to Allamakee County to see Iowa’s only fire tower
Marion and Rich Patterson
Dec. 10, 2023 6:30 am
As our pickup truck slowly bounced up a rugged single lane road sandwiched between tall trees we occasionally caught a glimpse of an iconic structure. Pointing skyward was a 93-foot-tall fire tower, the only one ever built in Iowa.
In a year when millions of people were forced to breathe wildfire smoke, Iowa’s sole fire tower symbolizes the rich history of American forestry and fire control. Located on a high Allamakee County ridge, it overlooks much of Yellow River State Forest. Iowa’s fire tower is as fun to visit as are driving tiny roads that give a motorist an intimate view of thick stands of trees in rugged terrain.
We visit Yellow River State Forest a few times a year to hike, camp, bird, fish and enjoy expansive views of a large woodland. A favorite activity is driving on forest roads. One leads to the fire tower.
In the 1930s the area surrounding where the tower today stands was a cut over woodland. The state purchased about 4,000 acres with the plan to restore trees. Thousands of pines were planted in a historically hardwood forest. The site was then called the Paint Creek Experimental Forest.
By the late 1950s the state decided that the area had greater recreation than timber value and was renamed the Yellow River State Forest. Although some timber harvesting still is done and cut into lumber in a small sawmill near forest headquarters, the woodland is mostly a place for camping, hiking, hunting and fishing. In an otherwise tree-scarce state, Yellow River is ideal for enjoying the quiet majesty of trees and wildlife in an expansive forest.
The fire tower was built in 1963, the same year the Paint Creek Unit was opened for recreation. Obsolete even before it was built, it never played a role suppressing fires. Visiting it involves either hiking or driving a bouncy road in some of Iowa’s ruggedest terrain. Being on top of the fire tower would offer a magnificent view of Yellow River State Forest’s rugged terrain. Unfortunately, visitors aren’t allowed to climb it but can enjoy it from its base.
Experiencing the tower makes a visitor wonder. Why was it built when towers in other states were being abandoned? Perhaps it was envisioned to be a monument to forestry or to protect young recently planted pines. Whatever the reason, the tower is a fascinating structure that was placed on the National Historic Lookout Register in 1995 and the National Register of Historic Places in 2021.
Fortunately, several Yellow River locations offer magnificent views of hills and the Paint Creek Valley. Whenever we camp in the forest we drive a steep forest road leading to the Larkin Overlook just before sunset. We sit quietly watching daylight fade over Paint Creek far below our perch. The fire tower is clearly visible from our rocky perch.
Driving to the fire tower
From forest headquarters a tiny forest road climbs uphill to the tower and continues to connect with Old Junction Road. It leads to paved Allamakee County Road X52 and Iowa Route 76. The road is windy, steep, narrow and rocky. Trailers and RVs are not allowed and it is often closed after heavy rains or snow. Pickups and cars with high ground clearance can traverse it when driven carefully and slowly. In many places it’s too narrow for two cars to pass. We drive slowly, keeping alert for approaching vehicles. Fortunately, frequent wide spots let cars pass. Anyone lacking a vehicle with high ground clearance can hike about a half mile up the road from headquarters to the tower.
The tower’s history hearkens back to what’s called “The Big Burn.” On Aug. 20 and 21, 1910, one of history’s largest forest fires raced across the Idaho Panhandle and into Montana, destroying much of the town of Wallace. The burn killed 83 people and destroyed enough timber to build 800,000 houses.
Its devastation stirred governments to aggressively prevent forest fires and quickly extinguish any that started. The era of the fire tower was launched. By the late 1930s more than 5,000 towers were constructed, including 611 built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the depression. Most were in western states but towers were also built in New England, the Lake States, the Carolinas and even Florida. All were situated on high ground that gives an expansive view of forests below.
The small buildings, called cubs, were staffed by a lookout who continually scanned the forest below for smoke plumes. When smoke was spotted, the lookout summoned fire crews to speed to the site and attempt to stop the burn.
Towers became obsolete when high flying airplanes with heat sensors were developed. They could efficiently and rapidly cover vast areas spotting embryonic fires, and alerting firefighters to speed there.
Driving in Yellow River State Forest
The Fire Tower Road is just one of many roads snaking through Iowa’s state forests. Paved roads lead to forest headquarters, the sawmill and most campgrounds. Any car can easily traverse them. We choose to reach Little Paint Campground by exiting paved X52 and driving unpaved Donahue Road. It’s not quite as rugged as the Fire Tower Road but requires slow going in a vehicle with high clearance. The Larkin Hill Road is unpaved and steep and leads to the Larkin Overlook. Unlike trailers and large RV’s, most cars can negotiate it.
In addition to those inside Yellow River State Forest, many nearby gravel roads wind through privately owned farms and forests. We sometimes drive them north to Lansing, have lunch in a cafe, and return to our campsite on X52. It passes one of Iowa’s most picturesque churches overlooking Wexford Creek. Although officially named Immaculate Conception Church it’s commonly called the Wexford Church.
Northeast Iowa’s forest and country roads give drivers an unusual opportunity to slowly traverse rough ground and enjoy views in the comfort of their car. Driving the Fire Tower and Donahue Roads is a bit like hiking, without the effort.
Visiting other first towers
Although Iowa only has only one fire tower, nationally many remain, especially in western states. Despite their name, some are not towers but are small buildings, called cabs, built on high knobs and rock outcrops. All offer magnificent views. Some can be reached by vehicles, while others require a hike. Our favorite is on top of Black Elk Peak in South Dakota. We’ve hiked to its summit many times. Another is the Scurvy Mountain Lookout near Pierce, Idaho.
The U.S. Forest Service rents some lookouts for overnight visitors, offering an opportunity to spend the night high atop a mountain complete with stunning views. Forest Fire Lookout Association (www.firelookout.org/lookout-rentals.html) will get you started in locating the various state lookout rentals. You also can type in rent a fire lookout and search from there. An outstanding source for information on forests and their history is the Forest History Society (foresthistory.org).
We visit Yellow River State Forest a few times a year to stretch our legs on long trails, camp, drive forest road and simply relax enmeshed in a big forest.
Rich and Marion Patterson enjoy tent camping in natural areas. They own and blog on their website windingpathways.com. In 1974 Rich worked as a U.S. Forest Service Hotshot and helped extinguish fires in the Boise and Targhee national forests.