Great Smoky Mountains National Park Observation Towers

Description

Within the compass of this heading is included a wide range of structures, the common denominator of all being the provision of means for negotiating a view. Lookouts may eventuate from the practical requirement of forest fire detection, or from determination on the part of designing technician or willful band of park users, hyper-view conscious, for something bigger and better and more distant in views than Nature unaided could achieve. Between the grimly functional lookout of the ranger and the utmost in aesthetic structural elevation contrived by the view-for-view's-sakers is greater distance than any park vista will ever provide. When it has been essayed to superimpose the too conscious aspirations of the aesthetic, on the structurally sufficient skeleton of the fire detection tower, the literally "crowning" error in park development has been committed. Probably a frank rendering of either extreme, free of gesture toward the other, is better than any hybrid produced by crossing the two irreconcilables. Examination of existing timber-framed trestle-type lookout towers for aesthetic values will prove disheartening. In general, the oil derrick as their inspirational source is painfully undisguised. This conclusion cannot be held in disparagement of the designers, if it be honestly admitted that they have valiantly sought to solve the unsolvable.

Resources

Name Format Description Link
2 ArcGIS Online REST Endpoint https://services1.arcgis.com/fBc8EJBxQRMcHlei/arcgis/rest/services/GRSM_VIEW_TOWERS/FeatureServer/0
2 GeoJSON URL https://services1.arcgis.com/fBc8EJBxQRMcHlei/arcgis/rest/services/GRSM_VIEW_TOWERS/FeatureServer/0/query?where=OBJECTID+IS+NOT+NULL&objectIds=&time=&geometry=&geometryType=esriGeometryEnvelope&inSR=&spatialRel=esriSpatialRelIntersects&distance=&units=esriSRUnit_Meter&outFields=*&returnGeometry=true&maxAllowableOffset=&geometryPrecision=&outSR=&returnIdsOnly=false&returnCountOnly=false&returnExtentOnly=false&returnDistinctValues=false&orderByFields=&groupByFieldsForStatistics=&outStatistics=&resultOffset=&resultRecordCount=&returnZ=false&returnM=false&quantizationParameters=&f=pgeojson&token=
55 Original FGDC metadata used to create this reference. Be aware that some of the fields, including file paths, may be out of date. This file should only be used for understanding additional documentation that is not already managed by Data Store https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/DownloadFile/544256?Reference=2223235

Tags

  • buildings-structures
  • grsm
  • protection-public-safety
  • great-smoky-mountains-national-park
  • points-of-interest
  • facilities

Topics

Categories