Lemmon Rock Lookout House

Lemmon Rock Lookout House is a fire observation station in Pima County positioned high on a mountain to monitor forest conditions. The building contains a work area, kitchen, sleeping quarters, and fire detection equipment all within a single efficient space that allowed rangers to live and work in one place.

The building was constructed in 1928 to replace an earlier tower from 1913, making it the oldest still-operating fire lookout in Coronado National Forest. The replacement during the 1920s reflected improved methods and technology in forest fire management.

This fire lookout represents early wildfire prevention methods, when forest rangers spent seasons in remote towers watching for smoke and reporting dangers by telephone. The building shows how people managed forests before modern technology arrived in wilderness areas.

The lookout sits at 2,650 meters elevation and is accessible only by mountain trails or with special arrangements, so arrive well prepared for rugged terrain. Weather conditions in the high mountains change quickly, so bring layers and check local conditions before making the visit.

The structure still follows the standardized architectural plans from the 1920s that were used throughout the Southwest Region's fire lookout network. This design consistency across many towers reflected how federal agencies approached efficiency and uniformity in remote forest management.