The following is a press release from King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn:

King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn, along with King County Parks Department staff and members of the Mt. Peak Historical Fire Lookout Association on Saturday celebrated the completion of the new lookout tower atop Mt. Peak with a ceremonial ribbon cutting.

“This a very cool and exciting moment for everyone in the Enumclaw Plateau community who has contributed to the planning, funding, and re-construction of the Mt. Peak fire lookout,” Dunn said. “This tower is a monument to our past that the entire region will be able to enjoy for the next 100 years. I’m proud to be a part of this community effort and honored to share in the big reveal today!”

In February of 2021, Dunn sponsored legislation that authorized a 10-year partnership between King County Parks and the Mt. Peak Historical Fire Lookout Association and awarded a $250,000 grant to the association. In 2017, when the reconstruction project was first getting off the ground, Dunn worked to provide $10,000 from the King County Budget to help fund for the design and permitting of the tower.

“The Mt. Peak Historical Fire Lookout Association is excited to reach this historic milestone,” said Doug Borst, president of the Mt. Peak Historic Fire Lookout Association. “We appreciate Councilman Dunn’s unwavering support of this project and all of his efforts to help us get to the finish line”

In 1966, Washington State’s Department of Natural Resources took down the original Mt. Peak lookout tower citing safety concerns — removing a popular hiking destination with a 360-degree view of the Enumclaw plateau and Mt. Rainier, as well as a functional fire surveillance tower that was staffed around the clock until 1964. The Pinnacle Peak Trail is today one of the most popular trails in South King County and is frequently used by locals and those who are training to climb Mt. Rainier.

The new tower opened to the public today, October 18.