Bill Ellis, 85, stands outside of the Devil’s Head tower. For the past 35 years, Ellis has been part of one of Colorado’s last operating fire lookout towers.

Washington was once home to hundreds of fire lookouts — great towers that would stand above the trees, offering 360-degree views of the surrounding wilderness. The towers were used by spotters ...

Abandoned fire lookout stations are being repurposed as backcountry cabins, offering affordable rustic overnight retreats with stellar views ...

Washington state has unusual places to stay that are the envy of those across the country. It may take some planning, but staying at one of these unique places will give you much more in the way ...

They are all different heights — some are as high as a 100-foot tall tower, some are just basically a small cabin, but nearly all of them stand thousands of feet above the Treasure Valley.

Glorieta Baldy Lookout, built in 1940, was staffed until the 1990s to monitor wildfires. With a wooden cabin atop a 30-foot Aermotor MC-24 steel tower, it is one of the few of its kind remaining.

America’s fire towers are among the country’s best rental bargains: around $40 per night. And they have turned out to be the perfect Covid-19 escape.

Bill Ellis, 85, stands outside of the Devil’s Head tower. For the past 35 years, Ellis has been part of one of Colorado’s last operating fire lookout towers.

Nearly 1,000 fire lookout stations were erected in Idaho. Less than 200 still stand, but many are within driving distance of Boise.