The United States Forest Service's first fire lookouts system was a crude setup of tents and crow's nest lookouts. Watching for wild fires in unpopulated areas was a relatively new idea and was regarded with little importance until the Great Fire of 1910. This massive fire too lives and caused major loss of property and forest lands. These damages forced the Forest Service to re-examine their practices, and they began building lookouts.

Manufactured in Columbia Falls, Montana in 1930, pre-packaged lookouts were shipped throughout a four-state region for on-site assembly on stilts or bare ground. This lookout tower was stationed at Sliderock Mountain, just off Rock Creek road, southeast of Missoula.

When this lookout was brought to the Museum in 1983, it was placed on its own "mini-Sliderock" mountain. The first section of stairs was removed, so the tower sits lower that it would have in its original location.

With assistance from the Friends of the Historical Museum and the Missoula Chapter of the Society of American Foresters, Sliderock Lookout stands preserved today as a reminder of the changing technology of fire prevention.

Erected by The US Forest Service Collection.