Fire towers were once erected across the country to help spot wildfires before they got out of control. This tower is 110 feet tall with 133 steps to the top. As climbers ascend, they pass from the lower level of the trees to the tree tips and the realm of birds, then begin to see the lakes surrounding the refuge. Above the tree line, the view opens fully, with birds sometimes flying below and the wind felt in full force. From the top, at the level of soaring pelicans, clear days reveal the water towers of Waubay and Webster, evidence of high water levels, and the road leading to the island. Waubay National Wildlife Refuge protects woodlands, tallgrass prairie, and numerous wetlands, providing habitat for a diversity of birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates, and it is part of the National Wildlife Refuge System, a national network of more than 560 refuges dedicated to America's fish, wildlife, and plants.