PEQUOT LAKES, Minn. 鈥� Wow, what a spectacular view!
There's no doubt that phrase, or something similar, has been uttered countless times by those who make it to the top 鈥� or even near the top 鈥� of the fire tower at the in Pequot Lakes to take in the panoramic view from high above the treetops.
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It's a decent uphill hike along a steep path to get to the tower, and then a 135-stair climb 100 feet up to the tower's cab. Even on a day with just a slight breeze, the tower seems to sway the closer you get to the top.
You'll find the fire tower park off County Road 11, just east of the Highway 371-CR 11 roundabouts and toward Breezy Point. Crow Wing County developed the park that officially opened in June 2020 and now maintains it.
But the fire tower has a long history.
Pequot Lakes fire tower
was built in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Art Savage is one ranger who staffed the fire tower. He lived in the three-bedroom cabin under it with his wife and three children from 1939-47.
Savage worked in forest protection and management in Pequot Lakes for 40 years, from 1939-79, battling fires and educating people about forest management and wildfire prevention.
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Read all about Savage鈥檚 service as a forest ranger on a kiosk at the base of the fire tower.
, took over and manned the fire tower when Savage retired. He said Savage would climb the fire tower, spot a fire and then climb down to put out many fires himself.
According to information on the kiosk, Savage used his own vehicle to chase fires. As needed, he enlisted the help of the Pequot Lakes High 歪歪漫画 Forest Fighting Crew.
Simar spent 40 years with the Department of Natural Resources in a variety of positions before retiring in 2010.
The tower closed for a while for safety reasons before being restored and reopened to the public in 2012. Simar worked with the Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway Association to reopen the tower to visitors.
In spring 2015, Simar again took on fire detection duties as a volunteer. He manned the fire tower on high wildfire danger days, carefully scanning the horizon from above the treetops for smoke. He could see about 20 miles in any direction.
Only about a half dozen fire towers in Minnesota remained in use at the time, including the tower in Nimrod.
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The to the public again in spring 2017 because of vandalism and maintenance costs.
Soon after, former Pequot Lakes resident and former Crow Wing County commissioner Paul Thiede had the idea to turn the historic Pequot Lakes fire tower and surrounding land into a county park.
An integrity study found the tower was stable and simply needed maintenance work.
Other county commissioners agreed with Thiede, and Crow Wing County acquired the tower and surrounding 40-acre property from the DNR in November 2018 to preserve and protect the tower while also opening it back up for public use.
鈥淭his is a great honor. I am flabbergasted that, at my young age, I鈥檇 have a park named after me,鈥� Thiede said with a touch of humor at the June 2020 grand opening for the property christened the Paul M. Thiede Fire Tower Park in honor of Thiede's vision and leadership to protect the fire tower located in the commissioner district he served.
What the park offers
The fire tower park offers much more than a historic fire tower.
Find three miles of walking trails 鈥� with interpretive signs 鈥� on 10 acres that meander through canopies of majestic trees. Two trails lead to the fire tower 鈥� a 0.3-mile Fire Tower Trail and a 0.4-mile Wildlife Loop.
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Dogs are welcome, with two Mutt Mitt stations for people to clean up after their dogs.
Interpretive signs along the crushed granite walking path to the fire tower share information about the history of the park and of fire towers, Minnesota landscapes, and fires and firefighting.
There are kiosks and map signs outlining the trail loops; kiosks listing species of trees in the park, which include paper birch, red oak, jack pine, etc.; kiosks with information about foresters; and benches to rest and admire nature's beauty.
At the park entrance is a pavilion with picnic tables and grills, and kiosks with information about fighting forest fires and the state鈥檚 biggest forest fires.
The picnic shelter at the park entrance is dedicated to the late Don Nelson, called 鈥渢he road man of Sibley Township.鈥� An interpretive sign acknowledging Nelson says he served Crow Wing County, Sibley Township and Pequot Lakes as an employee and volunteer.
There's a vaulted toilet that is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act in the parking lot.
Despite some nearby highway noise, you'll feel like you鈥檙e in the middle of nowhere walking the paths. No motorized activity is allowed in the park.
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The park is open year-round from dawn to dusk, with minimal maintenance (snowplowing) during the winter months. The fire tower is closed in the winter for safety.
The park has become a destination not only for the thrill of climbing the fire tower and the view, but for outdoor enthusiasts who like nature and hiking.
What people say
A callout on Facebook elicited the following responses about the fire tower park.
- Kim Churack, of Pequot Lakes, said: "I've climbed the tower many times for the view, but walking the trails is my go-to for a respite from 'life' and 'Into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul' (John Muir)."
Churack shared a photo she took walking up to the tower in October 2020.
"A 'pandemic' walk. I call it my 'Stairway to Heaven,'" she said, noting she has a huge canvas print of that photo in her entryway.
- Sarah Bowman, of Breezy Point, regularly walks the park's trails.
"I love how wooded it is. Last week when I was out there, I saw a rabbit and a couple of deer," Bowman said. "Plus the variation in elevation makes for a great workout. When friends and family come to visit, it's always a fun adventure to bring them to the top of the fire tower!"
- Frank Haggerty, a former area resident, said: "I went up there. Great view!"
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- Tammy Meyer Larsen, of Pequot Lakes, said: "My annual goal is to climb it spring, summer and fall and see how much it changes!"
- Pat and Deanne Trottier, of Breezy Point, said: "As regular hikers in the lakes area, greater Minnesota and beyond, we enjoy having the Pequot Lakes fire tower nearby and have been thrilled with the expansion of the trail system. It is rare to find one location that combines a fire tower, multiple hiking trail loops, forestry educational signage and even history of the fire tower and wildfires in Minnesota. Walking the hilly terrain is a good workout! We are lucky to have this historic fire tower park in our community."
- Lynn Sharenbroich, of Pequot Lakes, said: "The fire tower is a treasured site along the Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway. Now that it's part of the Paul M. Thiede Fire Tower Park, its popularity continues to grow. There's a fun information panel near the trailhead about the fire tower with a little Bunyan 'truth and lore' sprinkled in too."
- Nancy Waller, of Breezy Point, said: "My husband and I walk it often. It is a great workout as well as pretty. Won鈥檛 climb the tower. High places scare me!!"
- Cindy Couture Noyes, Pequot Lakes, said: My husband and son run there all the time. It helped my son prepare for a 25K trail run at Lutsen. For me 鈥� pretty sure it was one of the final nails in the coffin leading to total knee replacement! Absolutely a beautiful asset to our community.
- Lauren Nickisch, Pequot Lakes, said: My father, Jim Nickisch, as a Pequot Lakes High 歪歪漫画 student in 1949-50, was hired by District Forester Art Savage to keep a lookout for fires from the 100-foot Pequot tower. Art lived in the cabin below the tower where he often played his violin when he wasn鈥檛 on duty. Jim enjoyed hearing the music during his work shifts in the tower, especially when Jim鈥檚 sweetheart, Marilyn, would climb the tower to visit him. Jim and Marilyn married in 1952. Over the years, their three children and extended family members have climbed the tower and continue to enjoy keeping a lookout for its shining silhouette above the tree line of Pequot Lakes. The historic fire tower is now part of the Crow Wing County Paul M. Thiede Fire Tower Park. Monetary gifts in memory of Jim have been dedicated to improving the park.
By the numbers
- 100 feet: That鈥檚 how tall the Pequot Lakes fire tower is.
- 135: That's how many stairs to the top of the tower.
- 2017: The year the tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1993: The year the tower went on the National Historic Lookout Register.
- 1935: The year the Civilian Conservation Corps built the tower.
- 1927: The year the tower site was established by the Minnesota Department of Conservation Forest Service.
Park information
- Address: 5230 County Road 11, Pequot Lakes, approximately one mile east of downtown Pequot Lakes.
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