The lookout trees in Kaibab National Forest are the survivors of a system of improvised fire lookout towers that used tall, straight trees as vantage points. The practice of using trees as lookouts was widespread in the western United States during the early 20th century, as there was no need to build a foundation or to pack and assemble a tower structure. Instead, a prominent tree could be selected, and a ladder or a series of spikes could be attached to the tree trunk. For transient use this could be all that was done, but for more permanent use the top 10 feet (3.0 m) of the tree could be lopped, and a platform constructed on the resulting stump. This railed platform was then outfitted with a seat and a platform for an Osborne Fire Finder.