Trip Report.

We decided to take the scenic route out to the Owyhee Canyons for my birthday this year. And by scenic route, I mean a route that might not make a ton of sense to most and was definitely not the most direct. We figured we could add in a pit stop to the community of Unity to see the fire lookout at the ranger station. It’s kind of, sorta of (not really), out in the same direction. We took I-84 to Baker City to HWY-7 to HWY-245 that heads up and over Dooley Summit before dropping down into the valley to connect to HWY-26. The lookout tower is right behind the ranger station and the ranger station is right off the highway. The highway is considered the main street of Unity and it would be hard to miss otherwise. We parked in front of the ranger station and walked around to get a better look. There was no one else onsite during our visit.

This route ended up taking us longer than expected since we were hauling our canoe. We also ended up taking the back entrance to the Leslie Gulch area which is long, rocky, and not low clearance friendly. It was in the sense that we made it, but not in the sense that the other access point was much better. We made it to the Leslie Gulch area after driving for 13 hours and well after dark. Only to reach a deep wash out in the road (also not low clearance friendly). This led to us having to find a make shift emergency camp spot and regroup in the morning. After some reassessments the next day we attempted a narrow circumvent of the washout and made it within a mile of our original camping destination. Only to be stopped again by the final water bar after the last trailhead. A nice Subaru driver tried to help us navigate, but no matter which angle we approached it wanted to take our bumper with it. The good news was we were able to do all the hikes we wanted in that area, but this road is definitely no longer drivable to any vehicle as some blogs had suggested. It is definitely a gorgeous area if you have the clearance for it. We left disappointed and wound our way back out to the State Park instead.

History.

This 60′ treated timber tower with 6′ x 6′ cab was built in 1938 by the CCC. It was also noted to support a water tank which is a unique feature (I believe this is the square wooden structure just below the cab). It was noted as last used in the 1960s, but I am unsure if it was ever staffed full time. I often wonder if these towers built at ranger stations were used more for training than anything else. Many note that this is still used for emergencies, but the bottom flight of stairs have been removed which suggests it’s out of commission to me. No one was onsite during our visit to confirm. It is currently still used for the community Christmas Tree lightings.