Thanks to volunteers the Deadman Lookout Tower has extended hours

The Deadman Lookout Tower near Red Feather Lakes is now open Thursday through Monday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. through July and on weekends through September, completely staffed by volunteers.

Forty – a record number – volunteer hosts trained this year with Canyon Lakes Ranger District to staff the Lookout to provide visitors with valuable information, ranging from where to camp and fish to tips about how to become better public land stewards. The volunteers come from all over Larimer County, with some even coming from Boulder County. All the volunteers have a keen interest in helping to preserve and share the history of the Deadman Fire Lookout with others.

Those visiting the top of the Lookout, some 55 feet high, are rewarded with amazing views of northern Colorado from its 10,700 foot elevation. On a clear day, one can see landmarks one hundred miles from the tower, including vistas into southern Wyoming and the peaks of the Rawah Wilderness to the west.

Visitors can also see and use the original fire spotting equipment at the top and our volunteers are trained in the history of the fire tower. Some of the volunteers even have first-hand experience with fire.

The site also has a vault toilet and picnic tables, so you can make a great day-trip out of the experience. Just be sure to pack out your trash.

To confirm the Lookout will be staffed and open the day you plan to go, call our visitor information center at 970-295-6700. As volunteers are getting fully trained, the Lookout is anticipated to be open additional days.

The Lookout is located up the Deadman Road, northwest of Red Feather Lakes. To get there from Fort Collins, take Colo. State Highway 287 north to Livermore. Turn west onto County Road 74E to Red Feather Lakes. Next, turn left on County Road 86 (Deadman Road). Travel on this gravel road for about 15 miles to the turnoff for Forest Service Road 170. It is about two miles from here to the Lookout.