The hike to the top of the last remaining fire lookout in Colorado charms with its smooth, double-track path and a canopy of pine and aspen. While this hike is not difficult – you can go with the entire family – it’s a must-see. The tower’s rich history captures the true spirit of Colorado.
In a quick one and a half miles, you climb 1,000 feet to reach nearly 10,000 feet above sea level. More than 20,000 people make the trek each year. The view from the top is worth it. On a clear day, you can see for 100 miles in every direction, with Pikes Peak to the south, the plains to the east, Long’s Peak to the north, and the Hayman Burn to the west.
At the top of the trail, fire lookout Bill Ellis will be there to greet you, just as he has for the past 22 years. In a time when firefighters use electronic GPS systems, the internet, and airplanes to battle wildfires, Bill Ellis is a dying breed. Using binoculars, Ellis spends hours each day scanning hundreds of miles of forest looking for a “smoke.”
If you have a question, chances are that Bill Ellis will know the answer. If he’s busy, you can learn about the tower by taking a moment to read the notes tacked up on the walls of his office. There is a list of frequently asked questions, as well as the names of those who have hiked to the tower more than 100 times and the names of summiteers over the age of 80.
The lookout tower is not the original. The first fire station was built in 1912, consisting only of a table with a fire-finder bolted to a rock. Situated between Denver and Colorado Springs, the spot was chosen because of the 360 degree panoramic view it offered of the Pike National Forest. The first glass-enclosed lookout was built in 1919, the same year that Colorado native Helen Dowe became the first woman fire lookout ranger in the U.S. Forest Service. The tower was reconstructed in 1951 with the help of 100 men and 72 mules of the 973rd Construction Battalion from Fort Carson.
Devil’s Head remains as the last of the eleven original Front Range lookout towers and is operated from April through October. In 1991, the fire lookout was designated on the National Register of Historic Places.
If you’re going to make the trip, the trail begins at Devil’s Head campground in Douglas County. Drive Highway 67 west from Sedalia to Rampart Range Road. Turn left, and drive on the dirt road for 8.5 miles until you reach the trail head. It’s about 40 miles from Denver. The trail to the tower is 1.4 miles and has an elevation gain of 940 feet, reaching a climax of 9,748 feet. The end of the trail greets visitors with 143 lung-busting steps up a rock face to the tower.
After you reach the lookout, you may continue hiking on the Zinn Trail Overlook, which will add about another mile onto your trip. If you want a longer run, you can run on Rampart Range Road, which is all dirt.
Bring water with you, since there isn’t any along the trail. There is a toilet near the base of the tower. Dogs and horses are allowed on the trail, but bicycles and motorized vehicles are not. There is no fee to run on the trail, but there is a fee for camping.
For more information, log onto http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/psicc/spl or call 303-275-5610.