Ryann and I made a trip to Signal Peak on August 19, 2007.  Weather was beautiful but skies were a little hazy due to some local fires.  Signal Peak is located about 3 miles (as the crow flies) north and west of Cisco Grove on I-80,  90 miles east of Sacramento and 15 miles west of Truckee at an elevation of ~8000’.

A bit of history: the old lookout was built on Signal Peak in the 1800s as a way to watch for fires within the wooden sheds that covered the railroad tracks.  These sheds were built so trains could continue to run during the heavy winter snows common to the Sierras.  For example, 10 miles east is Donner Lake ... name sound familiar?

Signal Peak was also the location of the first telephone used commercially so lookouts could call down to Cisco Grove to report fires in the sheds.