Boucher Hill Lookout Tower
The California state lookout on Boucher Hill located in Palomar Mountain State Park, the 3rd tower on the site, was constructed in 1948 and remained in service until 1983. It is 1 of only 3 remaining examples of the pre-1950 unique, California-only design. The original structure was a small, observation only cab built by the Forest Service in 1921. That was replaced in 1934 with an enclosed 30-foot wood tower with a 14×14 cab. The lookout and site were transferred to the California Department of Forestry (CDF) in 1936. The tower was updated in 1973 with aluminum siding and new windows in the lower tower living quarters. It was added to the National Historic Lookout Register in 2002. The San Diego-Riverside Chapter of the Forest Fire Lookout Association began staffing the tower with volunteers for fixed-point fire detection and visitor interpretation in 2012.
Palomar Mountain State Park, San Diego County
Photographer: Jim Albert