Undeniable logic dictates the placement of fire lookouts. When one wants to spot a fire deep in the forest, one must view from the highest vantage point possible. That means that most are on tops of mountains, feats of engineering more than simple buildings. In south central Washington, however, Burley Mountain Lookout stands as the exception: a fire lookout that’s also a road trip.
Though climbing website Summitpost.org counts 93 remaining fire lookouts in Washington state, few still stand in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. This stretch of green takes up most of the triangle formed by Mounts Rainier, St. Helens, and Adams. In 1964 there were 37 such outposts
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