Watchman Lookout Station

The Watchman Lookout Station is a fire lookout tower with a two-story blockhouse design and massive stone masonry walls in Crater Lake National Park. The upper floor features large glass windows that allow views across the entire park landscape.

The tower was built in 1932 by the National Park Service and served as an active fire monitoring post until 1974. During those decades, park rangers and Civilian Conservation Corps members worked there to protect the surrounding forests from fire.

The station shows how the National Park Service chose to build with local stone and wood to match the mountain setting. Visitors can see how the structure blends with its surroundings rather than standing out from them.

The tower is reached via a hiking trail of roughly three-quarters of a mile from the parking area on Rim Drive. The walk is gradual and manageable, taking about an hour for the full round trip.

The site sits at about 8,025 feet elevation and provides sweeping views across the entire Crater Lake and surrounding mountains. Today the structure also operates as a small museum where visitors can learn about fire protection history in the park.

Location: Klamath County

Inception: 1932

Architects: National Park Service, Merel S. Sager

Architectural style: National Park Service rustic

GPS coordinates: 42.94295,-122.17242

Latest update: December 12, 2025 17:48