{{Use American English|date=July 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox NRHP | name = Devil's Head Lookout Hike & Tower | nrhp_type = nrhp | designated_other1 = Colorado | designated_other1_date = | designated_other1_number = 5DA.960 | designated_other1_num_position = bottom | image = Devil's Head Lookout Tower.JPG | caption = A picture of the watchtower with Pikes Peak in the background. | location = Douglas County, Colorado | coordinates = {{coord|39|15|37.42|N|105|6|6.64|W|display=inline,title}} | area = | built =(original built) 1912, (remodeled)1951 | architect = | architecture = | added = June 13, 2003 | refnum = 03000518 }}
'''Devil's Head Lookout''' is a U.S. Forest Service fire lookout tower at the summit of Devils Head in Douglas County, Colorado. Located on a large pinnacle of Pikes Peak granite, the fire lookout point lies within the Pike National Forest and is accessed by hiking the Devils Head National Recreation Trail.
The station was first established in 1912, with the original tower built in 1919. In the summer of 1951, the old tower was dismantled and current structure was built. In 1991, Devil's Head Lookout was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Sitting at the highest point of Rampart Range, the fire lookout is the last remaining such structure to be in service along the Front Range of Colorado.<ref>[http://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/psicc USDA Forest Service, Pike & San Isabel National Forests, Cimarron & Comanche National Grasslands - History and Facts]</ref>
The view from the current structure extends at least 100 miles in every direction on clear days.<ref>[http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/psicc/spl/devils_head.shtml USDA Forest Service, Pike & San Isabel National Forests, Cimarron & Comanche National Grasslands - About Us<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
The lookout (elev. 9748 feet, or 2971 m) can be accessed via easy/moderate trail (2.8 miles, or 4.5 km round trip) with elevation gain of 951 feet, or 290 m. The last stretch is a climb on 143 stairs. The access is from Rampart Range Road, a 14.5-km dirt road (easily accessible by passenger cars) from CO67. Note that the road to the trailhead is always closed to vehicles during the winter and typically does not open until April or May.
==Gallery== <gallery> Image:Devil's Head Stairs.jpg|The stairs at the base of the tower. The tower itself is visible in the upper right. Image:View from Devil's Head Lookout.jpg|View from the top of the Devil's Head Lookout. Pike National Forest is in the foreground, while the city of Denver is in the distance. Image:Pikes Peak Granite.jpg|The trail leading to the lookout tower passes many boulders made of Pike's Peak granite, such as this one. Image:Pike_National_Forest.jpg|A view from the trail leading to the tower. </gallery>
==See also== *National Register of Historic Places listings in Douglas County, Colorado
==See also== *Front Range *Mountain peaks of Colorado *Mountain peaks of North America *Mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains *Mountain peaks of the United States *Mountain ranges of Colorado *Rampart Range *Southern Rocky Mountains
==References== {{reflist|2}}
==External links== {{commons category|Devil's Head Lookout}} *[http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/psicc/spl/devils_head.shtml Devil's Head Lookout Tower on Pike National Forest Website] *[http://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/psicc/recreation Devil's Head Trailhead #611(Devil's Head National Recreation Trail) on Pike National Forest Website] *[http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/co/Douglas/state.html National Register of Historic Places in Douglas County, Colorado]
{{Registered Historic Places}}
Category:Buildings and structures in Douglas County, Colorado Category:Park buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Colorado Category:Fire lookout towers in Colorado Category:Fire lookout towers on the National Register of Historic Places Category:Pike National Forest Category:Rebuilt buildings and structures in the United States Category:1912 establishments in Colorado <!--year that location became a lookout--> Category:Government buildings completed in 1919<!--year first building(tower) was built--> Category:Government buildings completed in 1951<!--year second building(tower) was built--> Category:National Register of Historic Places in Douglas County, Colorado