Jed Johnson Tower

Jed Johnson Tower rises above Lake Jed Johnson in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge and is one of the most distinctive New Deal-era structures in southwestern Oklahoma. Built by Civilian Conservation Corps workers in the 1930s, the stone observation tower reflects the rustic architectural style used in parks and refuges across the country. The tower was designed to blend with the granite landscape rather than compete with it. Its heavy masonry, elevated location and views across water, prairie and rugged hills make it both an architectural and scenic landmark. Access conditions have changed over time, and the interior of the tower is not always open, but the surrounding area remains worth visiting for the landscape and exterior view. The structure is best understood as part of the larger CCC legacy in the Wichita Mountains, where federal work programs built roads, trails, dams and recreational facilities during the Great Depression. Jed Johnson Tower turns that national story into something tangible and beautifully adapted to the local terrain.