Cement Ridge Lookout Tower

In this post, I review the Cement Ridge Lookout Tower in extreme, eastern Wyoming.

Dunn-colored rocks and dry grass in the foreground. A fire tower sits on top of the hill in the far backfound with pine tree-covered mountainsides.

 

The Cement Ridge Lookout Tower is located in extreme eastern Wyoming, almost on the border with neighboring South Dakota.  It is a National Forest Service fire lookout that is still in active use today.  This is a prime place for 360-degree views of the surrounding countryside and is especially picturesque during the fall.

The back view of a person wearing a hoodie and a dog walking across a brown-grass meadow. Pine trees, mountains and plains stretch to the horizon beyond, all under a gray, cloudy sky.
Puppers and I enjoying the lookout!

From the lookout point, you can see portions of four states, South Dakota, Wyoming, North Dakota, and Montana.  Expect the weather to be different here than in much of the rest of the Black Hills as this is one of the higher elevations you will find in the Hills.  It is frequently windy here and is usually cooler than the surrounding region due to its altitude.  It can also be cloudy/foggy, even when the surrounding areas are not.

Mr. Trekler and I once attempted to take Momma and Poppa Trekker here to view leaf colors.  It was a lovely day and we were raving about the view the entire way.  When we reached the tower, however, it was sacked in with fog. 😕 

Brown grass and green, pine trees cover ridges in the foreground. A sunny plain is in the far background near the horizon.
The view from the lookout tower! This is looking north towards Montana/North Dakota.

How do you get to the Cement Ridge Lookout Tower?

There are a number of different routes you can take to the lookout tower.  Some of them require driving on high-clearance, 4WD roads so I won’t be discussing those here.  The easiest way to reach the tower is via Forest Route 222 (also called Roughlock Falls Road) that traverses Little Spearfish Canyon. (You can reach the “little” canyon via the main Spearfish Canyon and Route 14A.)  In recent years, the Forest Service has actually put up signs directing you to the lookout, so it is much easier to locate than it used to be.

You will take Roughlock Falls Road west, towards Wyoming, past the turnoff for Roughlock Falls.  Continue until this road meets a T-intersection with Tinton Road.  You will then take a right onto Tinton Road and, a short time later, make a left onto Schoolhouse Gulch Road.  Take that route to the intersection with Cement Ridge Road and then follow the signs.

Drivers should be aware that after leaving the main road through Spearfish Canyon, ALL of these roads are dirt.  They are graded, however, and are in quite good condition.  As long as you don’t mind your car getting dirty, any sedan should be able to handle them in good weather.

It should also be noted that in the winter, most of these dirt roads become impassable to all vehicles other than snowmobiles as they are usually not maintained. 

A rocky wall on the left, green and yellow trees on the right, all under a blue sky with puffy, white clouds.
Another pretty fall picture from the Black Hills!

If you’d like to skip the busyness of Spearfish Canyon, you can access Tinton road from the north from Spearfish (take I-90 to Exit 8 for McGuigan Road.  Then take that route to the south until you reach the T-intersection with Tinton Road.)  You can also access it from the south.  Take US 85 west out of Lead (towards Wyoming) for about 18 miles.  Tinton Road will be on your right.

This is a fun place to visit almost any time of the year, which also offers amazing views.  Why not check it out?

Have you been to the Cement Ridge Lookout Tower?  What did you think?  Tell me about it in the comments!

 

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Dunn-colored rocks, dry grass and bare trees cover this mountainside. Pin reads, "Cement Ridge Lookout Tower"

 

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