This day hike from Lucerne or Domke Lake climbs to the summit of Domke Mountain (4067 feet) and offers spectacular views of the surrounding area. There are no camping facilities or water along the trail. This route is steep and maintained only every other year.

Early fire lookouts were often nothing more than a tall tree in a prominent place. The fire watcher would climb several times a day and scrutinize the landscape for smoke. The "crow's nest" on Domke Mountain was abandoned in 1930 when it was replaced by a 100-foot-high steel tower. By 1970, the tower, too, was gone. More sophisticated systems of airplane, helicopter, and satellite reconnaissance and infrared sensing devices gradually turned the hundreds of mountain top lookout towers in the Northwest into anachronisms.

Directions: From Lucerne, Take the Domke Lake Trailhead (#1280) from Refrigerator Harbor. After about a half mile, you will reach the intersection with the Domke Mt. Lookout Trail.

Distance: 3 miles

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