Old Forgotten Bunker?

I recently posted a thread about a strange occurrence during a camping trip a few years ago. Unrelated to that story is a strange bunker like structure you can find in that same forest on a hillside overlooking an old Dirt Airstrip that was used by the Army and Navy during WW2.

The bunker like structure appears like nothing more than a roof on the hillside. It has a stairwell built into it that goes down into the mountain. That stairwell is filled with Boulders and Rainwater. At the bottom of it (sticking up just over the rocks) is the top half of a steel plate bolted to the structure wall.

Some friends and I managed to remove the bolts and slide the plates away, revealing a dark water filled room beyond it. Our skinniest friend stuck himself half way into the room but could see very little in the darkness or under the water.

I'll upload pictures later when i have access to them at home. But for those curious, the structure is located here
39.509058, -122.937446
When looking at this site from the satellite images, note this is above the treeline and those are mostly just bushes around that area. Very few trees that high up.

I was told by some locals who live at this lake the Military used to fly their fighters and such to the airstrip next to the lake and run drills in the area (this would have been in the 40's and 50's. There is a campsite next to the airstrip that is called Navy Camp in relation to this history.

Again i'll post the pictures i have of the structure when i can.

*edit (also, there are no signs posted on or near the structure, nothing warning to stay away, nothing mentioning why it was sealed.)

Let us know when your friend starts to glow green in the dark.




Looking forward to the pictures.

reply to post by tpsreporter


It was a military testing facility with boulders dropped on the front door.
It was abandoned and caved in to keep the undead in you halfwit!!!
/sarcasm

But really how cool would it be for your buddy to start craving brrrrrains.
I'm ready I got a .308 bolt action thousands of rounds and a rooftop!

It looks to be the remnants of an abandoned forest fire lookout site. Check entry #186 at the following website...

California Forest Fire Lookout sites

Hmmm i looked at those Fire Lookouts, and in all honesty, i'm pretty sure it was probably related to one, but none of the coordinates listed are anywhere near where this thing is.

Most of the firelookouts in that forest are on summits in that area. Maybe i'm entering the long/lad incorrectly but even #186 is several miles away.

Here are some of the pictures, looks like the folder with the ones of us opening it are not on this pc but i'll do my best to get them. They show the size of the structure and its surroundings a little better than these do. I would guess its about 40feet x 25 feet on the surface.

Image 1: We put a long pipe down the side of this stairwell, it went down at least 5-6 feet, so there are a bunch of rocks in there. The steel plate is on the left and you can see into the room next to it. It had rocks in it as well.
IMG 1 Filled Staircase

Image 2:
IMG 2 open hatch

While i call "BS", one of the people we were with said he heard something make a noise inside of this structure, that was what initially peaked our interest. No one was else was around to hear it, so i don't personally believe it, and i don't promote the notion of what a friend of a friend says he heard. Thats up to you.

Seems farrrrr too new to be from WW2. 60's or 70's at the latest.

Originally posted by weavty1
Seems farrrrr too new to be from WW2. 60's or 70's at the latest.

That would fit the forest fire lookout. The one previously mentioned (#186 on that list) was built in 73 and is is LO (been decomissioned)

What i see in the photos is not WW2 era.

Its not older then 1960s and by the corrosion in the metals likely not older then the late 1980s

Things like the structure in the photos could be what is called lake shore well. its far enough from the water body to act as a filter for ground water from the lake.

Is there or was there a campground nearby(5 miles?) this looks like a underground water storage and feed tank for drinking water to feed a building or camp ground up to a couple miles away.

reply to post by tpsreporter


I stand corrected, the fire lookout is half a mile north at the summit of Hull Mt.

I found a topographic map showing the turnout labelled as "Timberline Camp".


Hull Mountain topographical map



Googling Hull Mt. California, Timberline Camp returns a lot of various hits, it seems the name is well known although hangliding clubs refer to the turnout as Timberline launch.

I have found lots of references but no details, I am sure the explanation is to be found on someone's trip report blog or historic archive.

I will add that the photos rule out military construction. It looks like the original roof has been replaced, The color coated corrugated roofing and fastener type are modern, 1980+.

Perhaps it was some type of forestry storage or an emergency shelter?

Hope this helps.

reply to post by Drunkenparrot


Good research Drunkenparrot.

makes ATS great....(like it used to be)

snoopyuk