Colorado Lookouts

Eightmile Mesa Lookout

San Juan National Forest

Elevation: 8776

Status: Inactive

Year Built: 1941 , 1963

Structure Type: 20ft CL100, 30ft Steel, replaced 14x14 wood cab

Google Map

Eightmile Mesa is off FR-651 , the road is rough but can be carefully driven in a passenger car. There is a standing 30' steel tower built in 1963 and footings of the 1941 tower near the BM. It is closed to the public and used only as needed.

Visit the National Historic Lookout entry for Eightmile Lookout.

See also the introduction to Administering the National Forests of Colorado: An Assessment of the Architectural and Cultural Significance of Historical Administrative Properties and the description of Eight Mile Mesa Lookout in the San Juan National Forest inventory in the same document.

A National Geodetic Survey Datasheet decribes the original wooden tower:

 HL0523 ******************************************************************
  HL0523  DESIGNATION -  EIGHT MILE
  HL0523  PID         -  HL0523
  HL0523  STATE/COUNTY-  CO/ARCHULETA
  HL0523  USGS QUAD   -  SERVICEBERRY MOUNTAIN (1984)
  HL0523
  HL0523                          STATION RECOVERY (1958)
  HL0523
  HL0523'RECOVERY NOTE BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1958 (OSR)
  HL0523'LOCATED ABOUT 7 MILES SOUTH OF PAGOSA SPRINGS, ON THE NORTH
  HL0523'RIM OF EIGHTMILE MESA AND DIRECTLY BELOW THE CENTER OF THE
  HL0523'U.S. FOREST SERVICE EIGHTMILE LOOKOUT TOWER.
  HL0523'
  HL0523'THE LOOKOUT TOWER IS A WOOD FRAME, ELEVATED, LOOKOUT CABIN
  HL0523'WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET SQUARE AND SUPPORTED BY A
  HL0523'FOUR-LEGGED LOG STRUCTURE.  OVERALL HEIGHT IS 35 FEET.  POINT
  HL0523'OBSERVED WAS THE APEX.