FOREST LOOKOUTS
  • CALIFORNIA
  • Alameda County
    • Crane Ridge
    • Grizzly Peak
  • Alpine County
    • Leviathan Peak
    • Markleeville
    • Mt. Reba
  • Amador County
    • Mt Zion
  • Butte County
    • Bald Mountain
    • Bear Ranch Hill
    • Big Bar Mountain
    • Bloomer Hill
    • Bottle Hill
    • Brush Creek
    • Bull Hill
    • Lone Pine
    • Lookout Mountain
    • Platte Mountain
    • Rackerby
    • Sawmill Peak
    • Sunset Hill
    • Swain Hill
  • Calaveras County
    • Bear Mountain (Fowler)
    • Blue Mountain
    • Devil's Nose
    • Folsom
    • Sierra Vista (Quiggs Mountain)
    • Valley Springs Peak
  • Colusa County
    • Snow Mountain
    • Three Sisters Peak
  • Contra Costa County
    • Mt Diablo
    • Round Top
  • Del Norte County
    • Baldy Peak
    • Bear Basin Butte
    • Buck Mountain
    • Camp Six Mountain
    • High Divide
    • High Dome
    • High Plateau Mountain
    • Little Rattlesnake
    • Lookout Point
    • Monkey Creek Ridge
    • Red Mountain
    • Rock Creek Butte Point
    • Sanger Peak
    • Ship Mountain
    • Stone Corral
    • Summit Valley
    • Upper Coon Mountain
    • Youngs Peak
  • El Dorado County
    • Alder Ridge
    • Angora
    • Armstrong Hill
    • Bald Mountain
    • Baltic Mountain
    • Bayview
    • Big Hill
    • Iron Mountain
    • Jakey's Point
    • Leek Spring Mountain
    • Lookout Mountain
    • Mt Danaher
    • Peavine Ridge
    • Pilot Hill
    • Pine Hill
    • Plummer Ridge
    • Robb's Peak
    • Slate Mountain
  • Fresno County
    • Bald Mountain
    • Bear Mountain
    • Black Mountain
    • Black Mountain (Joaquin)
    • Burrough Mountain
    • Delilah
    • Fence Meadow
    • Hog Mountain
    • Joaquin Murietta
    • Lookout Peak
    • Mount Tom
    • Musick Mountain
    • Owens Mountain (Copper Peak)
    • Sentinel Ridge
    • Stag Dome
    • Weldon Point
  • Glenn County
    • Bidwell Point
    • Black Butte
    • Black Diamond
    • Long Point
    • Red Mountain
    • Sacramento NWR
    • Valley View
  • Humboldt County
    • Big Hill
    • Blake Mountain
    • Brannan Mountain
    • Broad Camp
    • Brush Mountain
    • Burrill Peak
    • Coffee Pot
    • Cold Springs
    • Eightmile
    • Grasshopper Mountain
    • Grouse Mountain
    • Iaqua Buttes
    • Lake Mountain
    • LePerron Peak
    • Mount Lassic
    • Mount Pierce
    • Pratt Mountain
    • Schoolhouse Peak
    • Shelton Butte
    • Somes Mountain
    • Sugar Pine Mountain
    • Trinity Summit
  • Kern County
    • Annette
    • Bald Mountain
    • Blue Mountain
    • Breckenridge Mountain
    • Cook's Peak
    • Grapevine Peak
    • Jasmine
    • Lost Hills
    • McKittrick Summit
    • Oak Flat
    • Piute
    • Sunday Peak
    • Tollgate
    • Wheeler Ridge
  • Kings County
    • Cottonwood Pass
    • Point La Cima
  • Lake County
    • Elk Mountain
    • Garrett Mountain
    • Goat Mountain
    • High Glade
    • Mount Konochi (Wright Mtn)
    • Pacific Point
    • Pine Mountain
    • Pinnacle Rock
    • Potato Hill
    • Sheetiron Mountain
  • Lassen County
    • Antelope Mountain
    • Blacks Ridge
    • Boyd Hill
    • Clover Valley
    • Dow Butte
    • Dyer Mountain
    • Fredonyer
    • Harvey Mountain
    • Hayden Hill
    • Ladder Butte
    • Landon
    • Lava Peak
    • Likely Mountain
    • Observation Peak
    • Pegleg Mountain
    • Seven Lakes Mountain
    • Shaffer Mountain
    • Snag Hill
  • Los Angeles County
    • Arcadia
    • Blue Ridge
    • Bodel Peak
    • Castro Peak
    • Charlie Peak
    • Glendora Station
    • Grass Mountain
    • Highline
    • Josephine Peak
    • Los Pinetos
    • Mendenhall Peak
    • Mount Gleason
    • Mount Islip
    • Mount Lukens
    • Mount Wilson
    • Oat Mountain
    • Pacoima
    • Parker Mountain
    • Pine Mountain
    • Point Dume
    • San Dimas
    • San Gabriel Peak
    • San Jose
    • San Rafael
    • San Vicente Mountain
    • Sawmill Mountain
    • Sierra Palona Peak
    • Slide Mountain
    • South Mount Hawkins
    • Sunset Peak
    • Tejon Mountain
    • Temple
    • Topanga
    • Verdugo
    • Vetter Mountain
    • Warm Springs Mountain
    • Whittaker Peak
    • Zuma
    • Henneger Flat
    • Los Angeles County Fairplex
  • Madera County
    • Castle Peak
    • Deadwood Peak
    • Goat Mountain
    • Red Top
    • Shuteye Peak
  • Marin County
    • Barnabe Mountain (Dickson)
    • Mount Tamalpais (Gardner)
  • Mariposa County
    • Guadalupe
    • Green Mountain
    • Henness Ridge
    • Miami Mountain
    • Penon Blanco Peak
    • Pilot Peak
    • Pinoche Peak
    • Signal Peak (Devils Peak)
    • Trumbull Peak
    • Williams Peak
  • Mendocino County
    • Anthony Peak
    • Cahto Peak
    • Cold Spring Mountain
    • Gualalal Mountain
    • Hull Mountain
    • Hunter Point
    • Iron Peak
    • Lookout Peak
    • Mathison's
    • Mount Sanhedrin
    • Poison Rock
    • Sherwood Peak
    • Spy Rock
    • Two Rock
  • Merced County
    • Barfield
    • Basalt Hill
    • Dickinson Hill
  • Modoc County
    • Blue Mountain
    • Blue Mountain Tree
    • Fox Mountain
    • Happy Camp
    • Lone Pine
    • Mahogany Ridge
    • Manzanita Mountain
    • Sugar Hill
    • Timber Mountain
    • Tulelake NWR (Peninsula)
    • Warren Peak
  • Mono County
    • Bald Mountain
  • Monterey County
    • Anderson Peak
    • Chalk Peak
    • Chews Ridge
    • Cone Peak
    • Junipero Serra
    • Mt. Carmel
    • Mt Toro
    • Pinyon Peak (Sid Ormsbee)
    • Pinyon Peak (US)
    • Plaskett Ridge
    • Semas Mountain
    • Smith Mountain
    • Three Peaks
    • Ventana Double Cone
    • Williams Hill (Calandra)
  • Napa County
    • Berryessa Peak
  • Nevada County
    • Banner Mountain
    • Camel's Hump
    • Cherry Hill
    • Columbia Hill
    • Grouse Ridge
    • Red Mountain
    • Wolf Mountain
  • Orange County
    • Bolero
    • Gilman Peak
    • San Juan
    • Santiago Peak
  • Placer County
    • Bunker Hill
    • Devil's Peak
    • Duncan Peak
    • Hellister Point
    • Howell Hill
    • Martis Peak
    • Mosquito Ridge
    • Stateline
  • Plumas County
    • Argentine Rock
    • Bald Eagle Butte
    • Ben Lomond
    • Black Mountain
    • Camel Peak
    • Claremont Mountain
    • Dixie Mountain
    • Kettle Rock
    • Lexington Hill
    • Mount Ewell
    • Mount Harkness
    • Mount Hough
    • Mount Ingalls
    • Pilot Peak
    • Radio Hill
    • Red Hill
    • Red Rock
    • Smith Peak
    • Spanish Peak
    • Table Mountain
    • Thompson Peak
  • Riverside County
    • Barton Peak
    • Black Mountain
    • Box Springs Mountain
    • Estelle Mountain
    • Ranger Peak
    • Red Mountain
    • Santa Rosa Peak
    • Tahquitz Peak
    • Thomas Mountain
  • San Benito County
    • Call Mountain
    • Fremont Peak
    • Hepsodan
    • North Chalone Peak
    • Sampson Peak
  • San Bernardino County
    • Butler Peak
    • Cajon Mountain
    • Cajon Summit
    • Grass Valley
    • Keller Peak
    • Little Mountain
    • Miller Canyon
    • Morton Peak
    • Mount San Antonio (Old Baldy)
    • Red Hill (Manker)
    • San Sevaine
    • Strawberry Peak
    • Sugarloaf Mountain
    • Tip Top Mountain
  • San Diego County
    • Black Mountain
    • Bottle Peak
    • Boucher Hill
    • Cuyamaca Peak
    • High Point
    • Hot Springs Mountain
    • Los Pinos
    • Lyons Peak
    • Red Mountain
    • Santa Margarita
    • Tecate Peak
    • Woodson Mountain
  • San Luis Obispo County
    • Avenales
    • Bald Mountain..
    • Black Mountain...
    • Branch Mountain
    • Caliente Mountain
    • Cerro Alto
    • Hi Mountain
    • Midway Peak
    • Rocky Butte
  • San Mateo County
    • Allen Peak
    • Mandego Hill
    • Pise Point (Kings Mtn)
  • Santa Barbara County
    • Big Pine Mountain
    • Camuesa Peak
    • Cuyama Peak
    • Figueroa Mountain
    • La Cumbre Peak
    • Los Coches Mountain
    • Madulce Peak
    • Manzanita Mountain
    • McKinley Mountain
    • McPherson Mountain
    • Mount Solomon
    • Salsbury
    • Santa Ynez
    • West Big Pine
    • Zaca Peak
  • Santa Clara County
    • Copernicus Peak
    • Eylar Mountain
    • Loma Prieta
    • Pacheco Peak
  • Santa Cruz County
    • Chalk Mountain
    • Eagle Rock
    • Saratoga Summit
    • Mount Bielawski
  • Shasta County
    • Alamine
    • Backbone Ridge
    • Bear Mountain
    • Burney Mountain
    • Grizzly Peak
    • Hat Creek Rim
    • Hirz Mountain
    • Hogback Mountain
    • Lassen Peak
    • Magee Peak
    • North Fork Mountain
    • Prospect Peak
    • Shirttail Peak
    • Soldier Mountain
    • South Fork Mountain
    • West Prospect Peak
  • Sierra County
    • Alaska Peak
    • Babbitt Peak
    • Calpine Hill
    • Crystal Peak
    • Granite Peak
    • Mills Peak
    • Poverty Hill
    • Saddleback Mountain
    • Sardine Peak
    • Sierra Buttes
    • Verdi Peak
  • Siskiyou County
    • Baldy Mountain (Happy Camp Baldy)
    • Ball Mountain
    • Bear Mountain (Siskiyou)
    • Black Butte
    • Black Fox Mountain
    • Blue Ridge
    • Bolivar
    • Buckhorn Bally
    • Bullion Mountain
    • Cecil Point
    • China Creek
    • Collins Baldy
    • Cottonwood Peak
    • Craggy Peak
    • Deadwood Baldy Peak
    • Denny Point
    • Dry Lake Mountain
    • Duzel Rock
    • Eagle Peak
    • Eagle Rock
    • Eddy Gulch
    • English Peak
    • Gazelle Mountain
    • Herd Peak
    • Hungry Creek
    • Lake Mountain
    • Lakeview Point
    • Little Mount Hoffman
    • Lower Devils Peak
    • Marble Mountain
    • Medicine Mountain
    • Mount Eddy
    • Mt. Bradley
    • Mt. Hebron R.S.
    • Offield Mountain
    • Orleans Mountain
    • Orr Mountain
    • Packers Peak
    • Paradise Craggy
    • Pony Peak
    • Round Mountain
    • Schonchin Butte
    • Slater Butte
    • Sterling Mountain
    • Ukonom Mountain
    • Van Bremmer
    • Windy Peak
  • Sonoma County
    • Big Mountain
    • Hoover (Oak Ridge)
    • Mount Jackson
    • Mount St. Helena
    • Pole Mountain
    • Red Oat Mountain
  • Stanislaus County
    • Mike's Peak (Salado Mtn)
    • Mount Oso
    • Orestimba Peak
  • Tehama County
    • Ball Mountain
    • Ball Rock
    • Beegum Peak
    • Brokeoff Mountain
    • Campellville
    • Colby Mountain
    • Digger Butte
    • Eagle Peak
    • Franklin Point
    • Greasewood Hill
    • Inskip Hill
    • McCarthy Point
    • Tomhead Mountain
    • Turner Mountain
  • Trinity County
    • Backbone Ridge
    • Billy's Peak
    • Black Rock Mountain
    • Bonanza King
    • Bowerman Peak
    • Bully Choop
    • Cabin Peak
    • Cold Springs
    • Dedrick Point
    • Dubakella Mountain
    • Eagle Rock
    • Granite Peak
    • Grizzly Mountain
    • Haman Ridge
    • Hammerhorn Mountain
    • Hayden Roughs
    • Hayfork Bally
    • Hetten Peak
    • Horse Ridge
    • Ironside Mountain
    • Kettenpom Peak
    • Lymedyke Mountain
    • Mad River Rock
    • Mary Blaine Mountain
    • Pickett Peak
    • Plummer Peak
    • Red Mountain
    • Shannon Butte
    • Slate Mountain
    • Virgin Creek Buttes
    • Weaver Bally
  • Tulare County
    • Ash Peak
    • Baker Point
    • Bald mountain
    • Blue Ridge
    • Buck Rock
    • Buena Vista
    • Cahoon Rock
    • Eshom Point
    • Gibbon Peak
    • Jordan Peak
    • Kern Peak
    • King George Peak
    • Little Baldy
    • Lookout Point
    • Milk Ranch Peak
    • Mitchell Peak
    • Mule Peak
    • Paradise Peak
    • Park Ridge
    • Shadequarter
    • Sherman Peak
    • Slate Mountain
    • The Needles
    • Tobias Peak
  • Tuolumne County
    • American Camp
    • Cave Mountain
    • Crandall Peak
    • Crane Flat
    • Darby Knob
    • Duckwall Mountain
    • Elizabeth Mountain
    • Forbay
    • Jones Point
    • Liberty Hill
    • Manzanita Point
    • McCormick
    • North Mountain
    • Pilot Peak
    • Pinecrest Peak
    • Rushing Hill
    • Smith Peak
    • Thompson Peak (Point)
    • Woods Ridge.
  • Ventura County
    • Cobblestone Mountain
    • Frazier Mountain
    • Mount Pinos
    • Nordhoff Peak
    • Reyes Peak
    • Rincon Mountain
    • Santa Paula Peak
    • South Mountain
    • Thorne Point
    • Topa Topa Peak
    • Triunfo
  • Yuba County
    • Oregon Peak
    • Pike County Peak
    • Walsh Mountain
AMADOR COUNTY

MOUNT ZION

California Department of Forestry
September 3, 1927:   "Following an official visit of State Forester M. B. Pratt, accompanied by United States Service Official Price, announcement is made by State Forest Ranger James Smith that after inspecting possible locations for a lookout station in Amador county that Mount Zion had been selected as the most desirable location.
      About nine miles east of this city, the place offers the most ideal situation in the opinion of the forestry officials.  The people of the county are gratified that Amador will have such a station next season, as the service is needed."   (Stockton Independent)

June 10, 1928:
  "James Smith, fire warden, came before the members of the Amador county board of supervisors Monday in order to get assistance for a look out station at Mt. Zion near Pine Grove.  The board agreed to pay one-half of the salary at $55 per month not to exceed four and one-half months.'  (Oakland Tribune)


July 7, 1928:  "State Forest Ranger James Smith reports that the new lookout station at Mount Zion, near Pine Grove, is proving to be highly successful in locating fires.  Smith states that from June 9 fifteen fires have been located by the man in charge.  Six of the fires were in Amador county, four in El Dorado and six in Calaveras county.  This new lookout station will greatly lessen the fire danger." (The Lodi Sentinel)

February 18, 1929:  "A.B. 342 and a companion act, A.B. 343, giving the State Department of Natural Resources jurisdiction over two parcels of state land now used for forestry purposes, but heretofore controlled by the State Surveyor-General.  The Mt. Zion fire lookout area, in Amador County is one of the districts affected."  (The Oxnard Daily Courier)

December 14, 1929:
   "The material for the states' new steel lookout tower on Mount Zion is expected to arrive within a few days and the tower will be erected during the present month.  An engineer from the state forestry department was in the county last week inspecting the site for the new tower, which will be erected about 350 feet south of the present station.  Amador county, through its board of supervisors, contributed $250 toward the cost of the structure.  The tower will be seventy feet high and the foundation that will support it will raise this height another ten feet.  The moving of the tower to a new point on the mountain will give a clearer view to lookouts.  Trees and brush have already been removed from the top of Mt. Zion."   (Blue Lake Advocate)

February 5, 1930:   "The new steel lookout station on Mt. Zion, which was financed by the Amador County Board of Supervisors and the state, is completed.  The new tower, which is 50 feet higher than the old one, commands a remarkably fine point of vantage of neighboring counties as well as Amador.  Work will be started next month on the highway to the station."   (Stockton Independent)

February 10, 1930:   "Historical names will be given to three fire lookout stations in Amador, Tuolumne and Santa Clara counties, the stations to be completed for use during this year's fire season, it was announced today by State Forester M.B. Pratt.
      One is the Mt. Zion lookout tower erected on Mt. Zion in Amador county."   (The Hanford Sentinel)

February 11, 1930:  "The station to be completed for use during this year's fire season, it was announced today by State Forester M.B. Pratt."  (San Mateo Times)

February 12, 1930:   "Three fire lookout stations now being by the state division of forestry, in cooperation with federal and counties agencies, in Amador, Tuolumne and Santa Clara counties, have names of historical interest, it was pointed out by State Forester M.B. Pratt.
      Mt. Zion in Amador county is reported to have been given its name by five ministers who mined in that vicinity."   (Santa Cruz Evening News)

March 13, 1930:   "Two new lookout towers costing $1800 each for use during the forest fire season this year, will be erected in the Sierra Nevada mountains, State Forester M.B. Pratt, announced today.
      One of the stations will be on Mount Zion, near Jackson."   (The Hanford Sentinel)

March 13, 1930:  "Construction of steel tower for Lookout Station on Mt. Zion above Pine Grove, completed."  (Woodland Daily Democrat)

April 30, 1930:   "A large attendance is expected at the dedication at 2 o'clock Sunday of the new steel lookout tower on Mt. Zion.
      Fred  G. Stevenot, director of the state department of natural resources, will be the speaker.
      Music for the occasion will be furnished by the forty-piece Preston School band."   (The Sacramento Bee)

May 2, 1930:  "Assemblyman H.E. Dillinger planned to go Sunday to Mt. Zion Lookout, near Jackson, Amador County, to attend ceremonies dedicating a forest service lookout tower there."  (Mountain Democrat)

April 6, 1931:  "In cooperation with the board of supervisors, water is being developed for the lookout on Mt. Zion, which the local people wish to convert into a recreational center."  (Reno Evening Gazette)

June 3, 1930:   "Many were present to witness the dedication of Mt. Zion lookout station Friday afternoon.  State Forest Inspector E. P. Briggs was the master of ceremonies and presented the program."   (Stockton Independent)

September 4, 1931:  "W.C. Austin, State Forest Ranger, confined to his bed for several days the past week the result of a bite by a "Chinese bedbug," also known as a Kissing bug, causing severe swelling about his face and neck.  He was bitten while sleeping at the Mt. Zion lookout station near Pine Grove, Amador County.
     Mr. Austin was able to attend to business Monday."  (The Mountain Democrat)
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​National Geodetic Survey

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​DESIGNATION - MT ZION LOOKOUT TOWER
PID - JS4004
STATE/COUNTY- CA/AMADOR
COUNTRY - US
USGS QUAD - PINE GROVE (1973)

STATION DESCRIPTION

DESCRIBED BY CALTRANS 1972 (RMB)
THE STATION IS THE CENTER OF THE TOP OF THE CALIF DIVISION OF
FORESTRY STEEL LOOKOUT TOWER KNOWN AS MT. ZION LOOKOUT LOCATED IN
SECTION 9, T6N, R12E MT. DIABLO MERIDIAN.
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Member:  Forest Fire Lookout Association

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