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The James T. Saban Lookout is located 1 ½ miles southeast of Meadowlark Lake on the southern portion of the Bighorn National Forest. Established on February 22, 1897, “the Bighorn National Forest is among the oldest of the National Forests, and was named for the Bighorn River whose headwaters rise within Forest boundaries” (USFS). The Bighorn National Forest is 80 miles long and 30 miles wide, covering 1,115,073 acres (USFS). It extends south to north from Tensleep, Wyoming, into Montana along the Big Horn Mountains (USFS). Straddling a ridge at an elevation of 9477 feet, High Park Lookout provides a commanding view of High Park to the south, Meadowlark Lake to the northwest, and the forested slopes of numerous natural drainages. The structure’s immediate terrain is marked by a pine-fir forest with large granite boulders and outcroppings. Native grasses and wildflowers are abundant in the area (McWilliams 1992). The substructure consists of native stone rubble perimeter walls. The structure walls are formed of weatherboards over wood frame construction. The roof is comprised of a single wood-shingled hip with closed eaves, gutters, and downspouts. Casement windows and wood paneled doors are present, one of which provides access to a small storage room on the lower west elevation. A walkway surrounds the building on the upper elevation. A log and wire railing encloses the walkway, which is reached by means of a wood stairway. The interior consists of one room that served as a fire lookout (McWilliams 1992). The structure’s setting and location are unchanged from the time of its construction. Similarly, the structure’s form and materials have been preserved. No longer functioning as an active U.S. Forest Service fire lookout, the structure still affords a commanding view and is a popular recreation destination. The majorly unaltered environment and condition of the structure reflect the period and associations for which the site is significant.

The James T Saban Lookout is significant at the statewide level under National Register Criteria A and C. The site is eligible under Criterion A in the areas of conservation and politics/government as it is a well-preserved physical reminder of firefighting efforts on national forests in the early twentieth century, and a direct representation of the Civilian Conservation Corps’ (CCC) work on Wyoming national forests under the 1933 Unemployment Relief Act enacted through New Deal federal legislation. The James T Saban Lookout is eligible under Criterion C in the area of architecture as it is an excellent example of the “Standard 14’x14’ Lookout House” constructed by the CCC during the era and throughout the Rocky Mountain region. Of the five fire lookout towers originally built on the Bighorn National Forest, the James T Saban Lookout is one of only three standing on the forest today. Its exclusive existence, combined with its prominent location and well-maintained site, make the James T Saban Lookout a vital reminder of the Civilian Conservation Corps’ Depression era presence in the state, as well as the early firefighting efforts on the Bighorn National Forest.