Diamond State Forest

This park is named for the Diamond Tree which in 1939 was chosen as a fire lookout tree. In 1940, it was pegged and a cabin built at the top. It was one of the giants of the southern forests that foresters would climb to scan the landscape for the first signs of fire… smoke. It’s interesting to see how things were done before the introduction of spotter planes.

For safety reasons the Diamond Tree is permanently closed to climbing. The Diamond Tree picnic site and walk trail is still open and is an attractive lunch stop. When you visit, you can learn about the Diamond Tree and its past role as a fire lookout.