Hot Spring County Highpoint Trip Report

Bismarck Lookout Tower on Bismarck quadrangle (1,282 ft)

Date: August 29, 2001
Author: Hans Haustein

I reached the tower road from Bismarck to the south. It is 3.1 miles from the intersection of Highway 7 and Highway 84 to the tower road. When I reached the tower road turn off the stream was dry and the gate was open. The drive to the top was pretty rough and in a couple of spots I thought was going to be stuck due to my back truck tires spinning in loose gravel on a steep slope. I stopped at the lookout area on the way up; it had some great views of DeGray Lake and the building rain to the south. When I reached the top, I got out and was about to take a picture when a voice called out to me. I jumped and was startled to see a man on the side of the look out tower steel work peering down at me. I talked to him for a moment while searching under the tower for the highpoint. He said he had hiked up the side of the mountain.