Feldtmann Tower

Feldtmann Tower is a former fire lookout on Feldtmann Ridge at the western end of Isle Royale. Visitors can climb partway up it for a 360-degree view over the island’s western ridges and Lake Superior. It’s a worthwhile target if the long Feldtmann hike fits your day: the tower sits roughly halfway along the NPS-described 10.3-mile route section between Feldtmann Lake and Siskiwit Bay.

The National Park Service lists that route as a one-day hike. The path is about 18 inches wide, with rocks and roots, and the climb to the ridge is steep. On the descent toward Siskiwit Bay, an old logging road grows dense with vegetation and tall grass, which can slow you down. There is no water source easily accessible from this section, so arrange your water before setting out and carry enough for the day. The park lists spring, summer and fall as the hiking season.

From the tower, the named views include Siskiwit Bay, Houghton Ridge, Siskiwit Ridge and Red Oak Ridge. On clear days the ridge also opens toward Feldtmann Lake, Grace Harbor and Rock of Ages Lighthouse. The NPS describes a partial climb; its visitor information does not establish that the enclosed cab is open. For a photo, include some of the steelwork if the portion open to visitors allows it, then shoot out over the ridges. That keeps the old lookout in the frame while showing the panorama.

Isle Royale’s first fire towers were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1939, after the 1936 fire; the original Feldtmann tower stood on nearby Turkey Ridge. That timber tower deteriorated and was eventually demolished. The current tower was placed about half a mile southwest on Feldtmann Ridge. Isle Royale’s three fire towers were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2021 for their significance in National Park Service fire-management history.