Fire Lookout Towers
There are 7 active & staffed lookouts in the Black Hills & 5 of these are on the Black Hills National Forest.
Elk Mountain Fire Lookout
At an elevation of 5,662 feet, situated near the southwest corner of SD in the Black Hills, the Elk Mountain Fire Lookout stands tall about ½ mile east of the WY state border. (Photo by Colleen Weisert)
Bear Mountain Fire Lookout
Standing tall on a 7,200 ft. mountain peak, the third highest point in the Black Hills, the Bear Mountain fire lookout tower provides strategic views of the southern Black Hills to the Wyoming border.
Custer Peak Fire Lookout
The Custer Peak Lookout is still in use by the Forest Service as a fire lookout. The first lookout was built in 1911 as a small cabin on a platform.
Cement Ridge Fire Lookout
The original Cement Ridge Fire Lookout was built between 1911 and 1913. At that time it was a one-room log cabin with a shingle roof.
Warren Peak Fire Lookout
The original Warren Peak Fire Lookout was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1938. (Photo by Don Doten)
Lookout Towers Map
See a map of the active, inactive and previous tower locations across the Black Hills National Forest.