Your correspondent parked at a pull-off and walked a little under a mile to the peak. This road becomes very narrow, steep and rough. At a Y intersection, take a right on Forest Service Road 216.2. Bullock tower on Scruton Mountain.ĭirections: From Highway 385, go west on Custer Peak Road about two miles. The best views are obtained by climbing a nearby scree pile to the base of an earlier lookout tower, which still has some stone stairs and a small outbuilding. Views: Pactola Lake to the North, to the South peaks of the Black Hills core, including Black Elk. Bullock fire tower should not be confused with the Mount Roosevelt Friendship Tower, which former Deadwood sheriff Seth Bullock built in tribute to his friend Theodore Roosevelt. That tower was removed and replaced with the present, all-steel tower in 1975. Info: A wood tower with a small living quarters was built in 1938. The gate tends to be closed, but you can walk the approximately 1.8 miles, with an elevation gain of 563 feet. A snowy day on Black Elk Peak.ĭirections: From Highway 385, turn Northwest on Custer Gulch Road, then continue straight onto Edelweiss Mountain Road. Your correspondent has also seen the peak shrouded in a white fog that centered the gaze hyper-locally, and that was okay too. Views: At America's highest point from here to the Atlantic, you can see for many miles, on clear days all the way to the Laramie range of Wyoming in the West and Badlands in the East. If you're a local with some snow gear, winter views are underrated and easily observed alone. One can wander off away from any summer crowds on large expanses of rock before meeting the true edge. There is a reservoir, which still fills with rain water, and an inactive pump house. A five-year restoration project was completed in 2018. The tower is an exemplar of CCC stone work, completed in 1938, and open to all. The effort pays off upon approaching this sacred site, the absolute center of the Hills' lithic iconography. Info: This is the mainstay of the circuit and requires the most leg work. This route is highly recommended for close-up views of the adjacent Mount Elkhorn, itself a gothic masterpiece. The short Willow Creek loop connects with the Black Elk trail. The most direct is from Willow Creek campground off the 244. There are also approaches from the North. There's a loop option or an out-and-back, either clocking in around seven miles round trip, and gaining about 1,550 feet in elevation. Views from Bear Mountain.ĭirections: The most popular approach is to park at Sylvan Lake and take one of a couple trails. Though the tower may be inaccessible, the heights offer views of the granite core peaks to the East, and limestone plateau to the West. Views: In June, Bear Mountain Road is a Rocky Mountain iris lover's paradise. A wood tower (circa 1910's) predated the present steel structure. While the tower has been closed to the public, vault toilets and a picnic table are available for visitors. Info: The Bear Mountain lookout tower is an actively staffed, all-steel structure. Bear Mountain Road leads right up to the tower. Views of the Seven Sisters from Battle Mountain.ĭirections: Bear Mountain can be approached from a couple directions, accessible via improved gravel roads most cars can handle in summer weather. The tower itself was locked at the time of visit. Views: The Seven Sisters Range to the South, Angostura Lake and the sandstone architecture of Hot Springs directly below. Info: Though not as dramatic as the Black Elk Peak Lookout, Battle Mountains' is picturesquely situated atop a rocky dome that flaunts an arid, snaky, Southern Hills ambience. The tower is about 1.5 miles ahead, and the road may be passable for most vehicles in dry conditions. Former tower sites - Boulder Hill, Castle Peak, Cicero Peak, Crows Nest Peak, Flag Mountain, Norris Peak, Parker Peak, Pilger Mountain, Signal Hill, Terry Peak, Veterans Peak - are not.ĭirections: One block South of Hot Springs' Dew Drop Inn on the 385, turn East onto Thompson Avenue, which becomes Battle Mountain Road. The list includes sites in the South Dakota Black Hills with an extant tower. Rushmore, Rush Mountain, Rush Mountain Adventure Park, Mount Rushmore, Rushmore Cave, Mountain Coaster, Mt.Is a lookout tower tour on your Black Hills itinerary? Here's a list of fire lookouts - some are active, some are open to the public, others are not - how to get there, and what you'll see.
2 Comments
8/10/2023 12:57:12 pm
Very interesting,good job and thanks for sharing such a good blog.your article is so convincing that I never stop myself to say something about it.You’re doing a great job.Keep it up
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8/10/2023 01:40:56 pm
There is a reservoir, which still fills with rain water, and an inactive pump house. Thank you for making this such an awesome post!
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