Fort-hunting goes beyond fort tourism. It is easy to engage in fort tourism with the First, Second, and Third System forts. They are mostly in parks whose locations are marked on road maps, and some feature guided tours and other amenities. Easy to get to, easy to tour. I shall now leave the fort tourists to visit Forts Ticonderoga, Monroe, Adams, and Winfield Scott. We wouldn't want them to get their shoes muddy. For the rest of us, there's fort-hunting.

Fort-hunting is necessary if one wishes to track down Endicott and later forts. Even the massive 16-inch batteries can be elusive until one sees the tell-tale rectangle of light shining through a hillside.

There are two major features common to the later forts, that the fort-hunter must always be on the lookout for. These are (1) a lot of concrete and (2) a hill or ridge shaped like this:

This shape is known as a trapezoid. In an Endicott battery, the concrete will only be visible if you come upon it from behind.

A useful "optional" accessory for the fort-hunter is a boat. The boat must be capable of being beached, as many forts are on small islands with no piers. The Zodiac is a good choice here.

Finding forts is now easier than ever thanks to the Net. The Army Corps of Engineers' FUDS (Formerly Used Defense Sites) project has posted lists of all military sites in each state. Satellite photos of many areas are also available, ideal for pinpointing Endicott sites (although, paradoxically, an overgrown 16" battery is invisible to a satellite).

Still, it is often useful to break out the map and determine just where a fort "ought" to be. Points of land adjoining narrow straits are the most likely candidates for Endicott batteries. Sites with a sweeping "view" of a harbor approach often have 16" emplacements.

Once you have selected a candidate site, go exploring. Hug the coast. Look for the two major features described above. Be aware that many fort sites are in use by universities, the Armed Forces (active or reserve), or others. You may spend hours of searching only to get turned away within sight of your goal by a gate guard. Also be aware that observation towers are not always accompanied by forts. Many towers were built solely for early warning, and not for fire control.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed this introduction to a fun yet demanding hobby. Now go out there and get 'em!

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