Restoration of the iconic Hahns Peak Lookout is underway this week as Historic Routt County partners with the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps to preserve one of Routt County’s most significant landmarks, according to a statement released Thursday.

Funded by the U.S. Forest Service, the project, which began Monday, July 21, will rehabilitate the lookout structure according to federal historic preservation standards and is expected to conclude in a week. 

A 10-member RMYC crew, led by Field Supervisor Eric Baker, will spend the week sanding and staining wood, repairing stairs and window trim and removing graffiti. 

“The public benefit of the preservation of the lookout is immeasurable, bringing heritage tourists to Routt County who are attracted to our historic resources and cultural landscapes,” said Kristen Rockford, executive director of Historic Routt County, in the statement. “It is enjoyed by hikers, geologists, volcanologists, mining histor(ians) and outdoor enthusiasts.”

The Hahns Peak Lookout has overlooked Routt County since 1912, when the Forest Service built a permanent tower atop the nearly 11,000-foot peak.

The lookout was used as an Aircraft Warning Service site during World War II and was decommissioned in 1946. Falling into disrepair, the site was listed among Colorado’s Most Endangered Places in 2014.

Previous grant-based restoration work was carried out on the lookout between 2014 and 2017 through partnerships among HRC, RMYC and Historicorps.