Lookout rental · U.S. Forest Service · San Juan National Forest · Mancos, CO

Jersey Jim Fire Tower

The Jersey Jim Lookout Tower is named after an early cattleman who ran Jersey cattle in the area. Today, cattle are still grazed in the area under permit. Many nearby trails were established by loggers seeking timber or by miners accessing hard-rock ore deposits in the La Plata (Spanish for silver) Mountains. Hesperus Peak, a sacred mountain to the Navajo Nation, is visible, as is Sleeping Ute Mountain of the Four Corners. The Jersey Jim Lookout Tower was home to U.S. Forest Service fire lookouts from the 1940s to 1970s.

Lookout rentalReservable · Recreation.gov1 siteNo hookups
Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Pic looking up of the fire towerFire tower compassTower from on the ground
Photos courtesy of USFS, usfs · Recreation.gov
1fire
active
Gold Mountain · 47 mi away · 39,747 acres
Interagency incident data as of 2026-10-16
Incident details ↓

Site mix

Fire lookouts1
This lookout is booked as a single unit on Recreation.gov. The booking page shows which dates are open and how far ahead they release. How the booking window works

Amenities & rules

HookupsNone
EquipmentRVs & trailers, Tents

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Jersey Jim Fire Tower20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 1.38 inches of precipitation, 14.7 inches of snowFebruary: 1.27 inches of precipitation, 12.8 inches of snowMarch: 1.14 inches of precipitation, 6.6 inches of snowApril: 1.04 inches of precipitation, 3.5 inches of snowMay: 1.04 inches of precipitation, 0.9 inches of snowJune: 0.58 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 1.64 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 1.79 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.90 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 1.42 inches of precipitation, 0.6 inches of snowNovember: 1.22 inches of precipitation, 5.2 inches of snowDecember: 1.25 inches of precipitation, 12.8 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 26.2°F averageFebruary: 30.3°F averageMarch: 37.8°F averageApril: 44.3°F averageMay: 52.4°F averageJune: 61.8°F averageJuly: 67.8°F averageAugust: 65.9°F averageSeptember: 58.3°F averageOctober: 47.4°F averageNovember: 36.3°F averageDecember: 27.3°F average0 in5 in10 in15 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Mancos 1Sw, 13 miles from the campground at 6,897 feet, station USC00055327 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 16 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 57 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

The Tower is 14 miles from Highway 184 on a two-wheel drive graveled road subject to adverse weather conditions. At Mancos, Colorado, Highway 184 north, about 1/2 mile turn right on Montezuma County Road 42. County Road turns into Forest Service Road 561. Landmark references: Four miles on FS 561 is Transfer Campground.

Nearest townMancos, Colorado
Coordinates37.4973° N, 108.1839° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Wildfire
    Gold Mountain

    47 mi from the campground · 39,747 acres · 92% contained

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearBackcountry Experience ↗22.5 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 1.4 mi
    Clampett Mill
    2.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 2.1 mi
    Aspen Loop ↗
    34.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 2.1 mi
    Spring Creek Connector
    0.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 2.3 mi
    Morrison ↗
    11.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 2.3 mi
    Big Al
    0.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.4 mi
    Transfer
    0.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside San Juan National Forest.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Nearby

Mesa Verde National Park, Durango to Silverton Railroad, Anazasi Heritage Center, Four Corners Monument

Guidebooks for Colorado

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Jersey Jim Fire Tower?

Sites at Jersey Jim Fire Tower are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Jersey Jim Fire Tower?

Check-in 12:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Jersey Jim Fire Tower have?

1 site, including 1 lookout.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I bring an RV to Jersey Jim Fire Tower?

Jersey Jim Fire Tower is listed for tents only.

Source: Recreation.gov

What is the nearest town to Jersey Jim Fire Tower?

Mancos, Colorado. Mesa Verde National Park, Durango to Silverton Railroad, Anazasi Heritage Center, Four Corners Monument

Source: Getting there

What if Jersey Jim Fire Tower is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Transfer Campground (2.5 mi, partly first-come), Kroeger (10.2 mi, first-come), and Snowslide (10.5 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby