California Lookouts – The Roaming Civic

Trip Report.

After deciding to visit Lava Beds NM, I wanted to see if there were any other fire lookouts close by that would be accessible. Unfortunately, there isn’t an equivalent map to Rex Kamstra’s fire lookout page for California, which is helpful in finding fire lookouts within the same area. I was able to find Timber Mountain L.O. after doing a bit of research. My partner downloaded the quadrangle map and the route looked simple enough. We figured in the worst case we would run into snow on the road but would be able to hike the remaining distance. We headed out in the morning towards the southern entrance of the Monument and the small community of Tionesta. The main paved road eventually turns into FS-10 that you will follow until it comes to a T-junction with county road 97. From the junction you will turn left. From here we were a bit turned around. The map shows that all the roads should connect but this is not exactly the case. We turned right on to county road 97A which leads to Eagle’s Nest RV Park. The road does in fact connect but there is a private party that has blocked the route with a gate. We headed back out to the main county road and turned right at the next county road 97C. We followed this road until it came to a three way junction. You will want to continue straight over the cattle guard on to road 44N18. This road will take you all the way to the summit. The road is well maintained gravel with only a few hazards. We were surprisingly able to drive all the way to the top in my Civic. There is a gate 1/2 mile from the summit that might be closed during different times of the year, but we found it open during our visit. We enjoyed the lookout to ourselves with lunch before heading back to the Monument for some caving. This was definitely one of the easier fire lookouts to access thus far.

Looking towards Lava Beds NM & Schonchin Butte L.O.

Timber Mountain L.O. From Indian Wells CG

History.

This site was recorded for administrative use as early as 1912. There isn’t much information on what structure, if any, was used back then besides a platform. There are remnants of an old foundation that can be found next to the existing lookout where the old platform used to sit. It is recorded in the National Historic Lookout Register that there was a previous L-4 or Region 5 BC-101 structure used from 1934. The current fire lookout was built in 1966 as a CL-100 plan with 30′ steel tower. It is even outfitted with running water and electricity. The Forest Service still actively staffs this lookout every season.

Location.

Lava Beds National Monument

Status.

Staffed; Currently Standing

Estimated drive time from Portland, OR.

5-1/2 hours

Date Visited.

April 8, 2022

Elevation.

5,302′

National Historic Lookout Register.

Yes

Trip Report.

I had a four day weekend set aside to celebrate my 30th birthday this year. My original plan was to knock off a bucket list backpack to the Enchanted Valley in the Olympic NP but the weather forecast had other plans. With severe winter weather warnings across the state of Washington and Oregon, we decided to look farther south. I had never heard of Lava Beds National Monument until the week before when I was researching other options. It ticked all the boxes for what I was looking for in an alternate plan; somewhere my partner and I hadn’t been before, a sunny weather forecast, snow free, a fire lookout, and within reasonable driving distance for an extended weekend. We left Friday morning and spent the day driving across Oregon to the California border. There are multiple routes you can take to get to Lava Beds NM, but we took HWY-39 from Klamath Falls because wanted to stop in Tulelake beforehand to see part of the Tule Lake National Monument. There is a lot of history in this area that is often overlooked in our school systems and it is worth seeing first hand. We arrived at the Lava Beds NM early afternoon and had our pick of the camp spots in the Indian Wells campground. There was some daylight left after setting up camp and we decided to visit Sheepy Ridge Overlook and Schonchin Butte L.O. for sunset. The hike up to Schonchin Butte L.O. is a short 0.7 mile trail that climbs 500′ in elevation to the top of a cinder cone. There is a signed road off the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway that you will take to get to the trailhead. It is a well maintained gravel road and drivable by any vehicle. We reached the summit just before sunset and enjoyed the lookout to ourselves. It was very windy and cold on the catwalk, but the sweeping views were worth it.

We spent the next few days checking out other points of interest in the park and drove out to see Timber Mountain L.O. as well. Lava Beds NM offers a variety of things to do from caving their developed caves or hiking along historic sites. But no matter where you go in the park there seems to be a view of Schonchin Butte. Part of the Monument was still closed during our visit due to damage from the previous years wildfires. They also close some of their caves in the winter for hibernating bats that were still in affect. If you do plan on visiting any of their caves, you will need to stop at the visitor center for a caving permit and be aware of their protocols on White-Noise Syndrome. Despite having clear skies the first three days, we woke up to snow on our last morning. We quickly packed up camp and started our long drive home. The entire state of Oregon seemed to have been blanketed in snow as well. This meant avoiding all the high passes and taking the long way home.

Schonchin Butte from Indian Wells Campground

History.

The cinder cone that makes up Schonchin Butte is one of many eruption sites from over 65,000 years ago on the Medicine Lake Shield Volcano. A shield volcano is a low profile volcano that is named after its resemblance to a warrior’s shield laying on the ground. These types of volcanos are formed from highly fluid lava that travels farther creating a thinner profile. The cinder cones are then made from a glassy rock filled with gas bubbles called scoria. Schonchin Butte’s large cone was developed from the initial eruption throwing scoria high in the air. The bowl shaped crater on the summit was created from trapped gasses below releasing and causing the lava to become heavier.

The lookout and trail on Schonchin Butte were built by the CCC camp stationed in Lava Beds. Construction started in 1939 and wasn’t completed until 1941. The CCC camp there contributed to making the monument what it is today. They even hand carried the needed materials to the summit which included lumber and cement. I couldn’t find specific information on the type of fire lookout since California designs are slightly different than Oregon, but it resembles a flat top R-6. The doorstep on the lookout has a date of 8/26/42 which is noted as the day it was installed. The elevation is also on the doorstep at 5,293′ but was later found to be 5,302′ by modern technology. Over the years the lookout has been updated and changed, but the physical structure has remained the same. The most recent renovations took place in June/July of 1994. The lookout is still staffed every summer from June to September, but the rangers no longer live in the lookout.

More Information.

National Park Service

AllTrails