View from Above

Surprisingly, it is kind of difficult at first to find the 80 foot fire observation tower standing on a hill in the McKenzie Wildlife Center near Poynette, Wisconsin.

The purpose here is education, not fire prevention.  But the tower is an example of an early means of detecting wild and forest fires.

McKenzie's tower previously stood on the grounds of the Wisconsin State Fairgrounds.  I've been going to the State Fair pretty much every year since I was born.  I have no memory of seeing a tower at the fair.

Joining a number of classmates from St. Paul Lutheran School, I do recall climbing a tower when we took a field trip to Poynette's Wildlife Center sometime between grades 5 and 8.

It's been here a long time.  The U.S. Forest Service started using towers like this to look for fires in 1905.  Rotating Rangers and other trained individuals worked in the small glassed in cabin at the top where they had a 360 degree view of miles and miles of trees and grassland.

Looking for smoke, even during times of high fire danger, has to be an extremely difficult job.  I wonder what they do during the shift to stay alert as the tops of trees become large swaths of green ocean.

You can climb half-way up the tower at McKenzie.  The stairs are pretty much one person at a time.  Going up isn't too bad, but coming down is when I noticed the dramatic grade of the stairs.  Be sure to keep both hands on the railing.

While the tower is 80 feet high, 40 feet is as far as the public can climb.

There is a small observation deck there and views in every direction.  The view to the left is toward the southeast.

In the early spring there isn't much to see other than tops of trees.

The field to the north of the tower is a field with Bison - a former native species that disappeared as Wisconsin's prairies transformed into farmland.

The Center includes trails, a logging museum, arboretum, conservation museum, and wildlife exhibit.  It's open in exchange for a donation.  It was a great place to see for the Friends of McKenzie Maple Syrup Festival, but worth a trip any time of year.