[5][6] Watchman Peak was named by William Gladstone Steel in 1886 when he brought a survey team to Crater Lake to measure its depth.

The lookout location was selected by Merel S. Sager of the National Park Service Landscape Division.

[5] Early detection and prompt suppression of forest fires was a primary responsibility of the National Park Service.

Lookouts, like the one on Watchman Peak, were located on heights overlooking great expanses of forest area.

The National Park Service staffed the Watchman Lookout Station during fire season until 1974 and intermittently since then.

The Watchman tower provides visitors the opportunity to experience the essential elements of 1930s-era fire lookout.

The lookout's native stone and log construction helps blend the structure into its mountain top environment.