Martis Peak Lookout in Kings Beach, California

The Martis Peak Lookout was built in 1914 as part of the newly formed U.S. Forest Service's efforts at forest fire suppression.

The lookouts were connected by telephone lines to a central dispatch station so that smoke sightings could be reported. The lookout was taken out of service in the early 1980s and unfortunately was vandalized. The structure was refurbished and reopened in 1997 and is now staffed in the summertime by volunteers.

When not actively in use, the lookout cabin can be visited. Inside it preserves a plane table, used for getting the azimuth (the angle clockwise from north) of a smoke sighting. In conjunction with measured azimuths from other lookouts, the smoke location could be obtained by triangulation.

Around the inside of the lookout, up toward the ceiling, are labeled outlines of the mountain skyline visible across Lake Tahoe. This is of obvious use in geographic orientation.

The lookout cabin is open for overnight use in the winter for ski or snowshoe trips.