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. The tower was built sometime between 1939-1941, along with a log cabin that housed the lookout. The nearby, Summit Ridge cabin and tower (no longer staffed) are a virtual copy or twin of the original Elk Mountain structures. Ninety steps (or seven flights that narrow and steepen going up) climb the 67 ft. tall steel base and lead to a small 7ft-by-7ft carpeted metal and glass cab. There have been several fires on Elk Mountain over the years. In the early 2000’s, the Elk Mountain fire burned 13,195 acres, along with the cabin and outhouse and most of the trees surrounding the tower. With very few trees remaining after the fires, the Forest Service started replanting ponderosa pine trees in 2005 on the upper slope of the mountain. In 2011, the 7,456-acre WhoopUp fire burned across Elk Mountain. The Tower remains active (has electricity, a phone and radio system) and is staffed by a fire lookout late spring to early fall. The area of and near Elk Mountain has a population of Bighorn Sheep, Elk, Mule Deer, and an occasional Antelope. Elk Mountain also has an active grazing allotment, and cattle populate the mountain during some of the summer months. (Photo by Colleen Weisert, Black Hills National Forest/USDA Forest Service)