Discover History
The Ashley National Forest maintains and provides historic information on numerous historic buildings and sites across the Forest. From prehistoric rock art, to the historic Carter Military Road, to the Ute Mountain Fire Lookout Tower, to the historic Swett Ranch, and to historic Forest Service Ranger Stations and Guard Stations.
For more information on any of these topics, please click below.
Ute Mountain Fire Lookout Tower
The Ute Mountain Fire Lookout Tower was constructed by Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) enrollees in 1936 and 1937. The structure is a 28 foot tall wooden tower with a standard Forest Service designed lookout cab on top. The cab was intended to serve as a living space as well as a fire lookout. The Ute Mountain Fire Lookout cab is 12 feet tall and sits on a 28-foot high tower, making the total height of the structure approximately 40 feet. The Forest Service staffed the Ute Mountain Lookout to spot fires during the summer season from 1937 to 1968.
Swett Ranch Historic Site
The Swett Ranch was one of twelve homestead areas on the Greendale Bench on the north side of the Uinta Mountains. The Swett Ranch is an excellent example of a homestead / ranch from the 1920s and 1930s before automated and machine driven equipment changed farming and ranching practices.
The Swett Ranch is maintained by the Forest Service as a historic site and is open to the public.
Colton Guard Station
The Colton Guard Station is located in the Colton Hollow area, near Vernal, Utah, in the Ashley National Forest. The Civilian Conservation Corps built the complex in 1933 as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal instituted during the Great Depression. It was a residence for rangers who patrolled the forest on horseback prior to the age of modern vehicles.
Paradise Guard Station
Folklore states the district ranger built Paradise Guard Station in his spare time in 1922 and it has changed very little since then. In 1929, the Bartlett Sawmill was built just 75 yards south. It burned down in 1940, but some remnants of the old facility still remain.
Trout Creek Guard Station
The Civilian Conservation Corps built Trout Creek Guard Station in 1934 as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal instituted during the Great Depression. It was a residence for rangers who patrolled the forest on horseback prior to the age of modern vehicles.
Summit Springs Guard Station
Summit Springs Guard Station is located a couple of miles off the Sheep Creek Geological Loop southwest of Flaming Gorge in the high Uinta Mountain Range. The Civilian Conservation Corps built the complex in 1931 as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. It was one of 11 guard stations built in the area to serve as homes for rangers who patrolled the forest on horseback prior to the modern age of vehicles. The complex includes the guard station, bunkhouse, parking area, and fenced yard. The Ashley National Forest has chosen to rehabilitate and rent this guard station and bunkhouse to the public so that guests can enjoy a rustic experience similar to that of the first rangers.