Lookout

Fox Butte L.O.

Oregon Lookouts

Location.

Deschutes National Forest

Status.

Abandoned; Currently standing

Estimated drive time from Portland, OR.

4-1/2 hours

Date visited.

May 15, 2022

Elevation.

6,025′

National Historic Lookout Register.

US 146; OR 22

NF-550 road sign to Fox Butte
Park near this sign
Open gate
First view of the Aermotor from the road

Trip Report.

Sunday was our last full day of the trip. Our only set plan was to attempt to locate the Pumice Springs crows nest. I was given the choice to add on East Butte (post) or Fox Butte since my partner had already been to both last year. I decided Fox Butte made the most sense since it was closer to our camp and recently slated for decommission. My partner’s dad decided to hang back at camp instead. After breakfast and packing a lunch, we headed out on NF-23 to NF-550. It didn’t take us very long to get there from camp. There are three water bars along NF-550 that will need caution if you are in a lower clearance vehicle. We obviously had no issues in the truck and parked at the signed junction for Fox Butte. There is a locked gate up the road that doesn’t have a pull out or turn around spot. We were well aware of this gate beforehand and didn’t attempt to drive up. The lookout is about a mile or so road walk from this junction. As we headed up the road, we were surprised to find the gate was actually open. I speculated that maybe the Forest Service was on top of their plan for once and had already torn down the lookout. Luckily, I was wrong and someone had just cut the lock. We made sure to close the gate on our way out in hopes to deter at least some vandals. The weather was clear and it felt like summer as we hiked the road. Once on the summit we checked out the L-4 ground cabin that had seen better days and climbed part of the Aermotor tower. My partner climbed all the way to the top, but I stopped on the second landing. It seems to still be in somewhat decent shape, but be wary to climb at your own risk. We spent some extended time on the summit since this would most likely be our last time up here before it’s gone.

After hiking back down to the truck, we headed out on NF-23 towards Sand Springs Campground. We were following directions based on a Geocache that was supposed to take us to the area of the crows nest. We turned left at the four way junction near Sand Springs Campground than right on to NF-900. The cache and crows nest were supposed to be right off the NF-900 road according to the coordinates. We wondered around the area for 2 hours trying to find the tree but all existing pines looked too young to host a crows nest. It was definitely not down this road. Another source had mentioned it was located half way between Pumice Springs and Sand Springs. We drove out towards Pumice Springs and kept an eye out for significantly taller trees in the area. I assume it is probably farther off the road than the eye can see but we didn’t have the hours to spend hiking off of every road in the area. We were unsuccessful in our attempt which was disappointing. This just means another trip to the area is in our future.

History.

Fox Butte started as a lookout site in 1919 when a heliograph was set up on the west point. A year later, in 1920, they ran a telephone line to the butte from the Cabin Lake Ranger Station. A standard D-6 cupola was built on the western summit in 1924. The lookout was later destroyed by the Fox Butte Fire in 1926 that burned over 15,000 acres of timber. They started to rebuild a new lookout tower the following year. This was noted as a pole tower with ground cabin for living quarters. In 1933, they started construction on the eastern summit of the existing 80′ steel Aermotor tower. The living quarters from the western summit were moved to the eastern summit for use with the new tower. A 16×18 wood frame garage was added in 1934. The living quarters were eventually replaced with the L-4 ground house moved from Sixteen Butte in 1948. There is record of it being consistently staffed up until the late 1950s. It could have been used for longer but I wasn’t able to find a definitive date on when it was abandoned. The Forest Service briefly used the lookout for a season in 1995 while the East Butte L.O. was being reconstructed. It is now apart of their proposed plan to be removed.

Green Mountain L.O.

Oregon Lookouts

Location.

Bureau of Land Management – Lakeview District

Status.

Active; Currently standing

Estimated drive time from Portland, OR.

5 hours

Date visited.

May 14, 2022

Elevation.

5,190′

National Historic Lookout Register.

US 1618; OR 141

Trip Report.

We woke up Saturday with a plan to make a day trip to Fort Rock, Green Mountain, and Crack in the Ground. We headed out of the Deschutes NF via NF-18 passing Cabin Lake Guard Station and made our first stop at the Fort Rock State Natural Area. This large semi-circle rock that now sits in Oregon’s high desert used to be an island in what was once a shallow sea. The oldest sandals dating back to 9,000-13,000 years old were discovered in this area. We hiked the short loop around the rock before moving on. We had to make an unexpected pit stop in Christmas Valley for gas and propane. For some reason our propane connection to our larger propane tank wasn’t working when we tried to make breakfast that morning. We had a half used disposable Coleman propane bottle that got the job done but it wouldn’t last us the remainder of the trip. We were relieved to find Christmas Valley was stocked with both despite one of the stores mentioning a supply shortage. Crisis averted. Just outside of Christmas Valley is a scenic byway aptly named Crack in the Ground Road that takes you directly to Green Mountain and Crack in the Ground. It is a rough and bumpy road but should be passable to most vehicles with caution. We drove past Crack in the Ground to Green Mountain Campground first. The small primitive campground is situated at the base of the lookout. From there it is only a few hundred feet up to the lookout. It was locked behind a barbed wire gate and still closed for the season. You still get a pretty good view from just the base. There were only a couple people camping in the campground, so we used one of the picnic tables for our lunch. On our way back out towards Christmas Valley we stopped at Crack in the Ground. This hike takes you through an old volcanic fissure that is roughly 2 miles long. We were running out of day again so we only went part way into the crack before heading back to camp.

History.

A fortress. A tower for a high-security prison. The tower that kept Rapunzel locked away. The current structure on Green Mountain hardly resembles what we would typically recognize as a fire lookout. The 50′ enclosed cinder block tower with observation cab was built in 2010. This lookout was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The recovery work consisted of demolishing the existing lookout, building the new lookout, and associated site work. The original 2-story lookout was built in 1963 with a 10′ concrete base and wooden live in cab.

Spring Butte L.O.

Oregon Lookouts

Location.

Deschutes National Forest

Status.

Active; Currently standing

Estimated drive time from Portland, OR.

4-1/2 hours

Date visited.

May 13, 2022

Elevation.

5,464′

National Historic Lookout Register.

US 174; OR 25

Trip Report.

My partner had planned a 4-day camping trip to the Deschutes NF with his dad and myself to celebrate his birthday. We had an ambitious plan to see Spring Butte, Green Butte (post), Green Mountain (post), Pumice Springs, and Fox Butte (post) while in the area. This trip we had the luxury of taking his dad’s truck. Which meant what we didn’t have to worry about in road conditions were replaced with high gas prices and low gas mileage. We left Portland as early as possible to see if we could get to Spring Butte and Green Butte before setting up camp. Luckily, my partner and his dad had been to this area before and knew where there would be dispersed camp spots. This helped cut down on the travel time that we would normally have to allot to searching for a spot. The amount of Forest Service roads in this area are extensive and unmarked due to the OHV traffic. I strongly recommend having a ranger district map of the area if you plan to go down more than just the main roads. Never rely on GPS for navigation within the forest. We came upon a lost couple on our drive out of the forest on the last day of the trip that flagged us down to ask for help. They thought if they continued down the road long enough it would eventually turn to pavement and had ended up there due to their GPS. We warned them they were headed for more miles of gravel and should turn around since they were still close to the edge of the forest. Luckily, they took our word for it and followed us all the way out to La Pine.

On the ranger district map the most direct route to Spring Butte looked like NF-2220 off of HWY-31. I think under normal circumstances this road would be a good route to take but since it was still early season we ran into a lot of debris and downed trees. I also wouldn’t recommend this route as the best way for lower clearance vehicles. We were able to drive down NF-2220 until it’s junction with NF-600. There was a large downed tree blocking the road that, even if we had remembered to bring our buck saw, would have been too big to cut without a chain saw. We noticed NF-600 basically paralleled NF-2220 and decided to attempt that route instead. NF-600 is a rocky spur road that doesn’t see a lot of use. On the map it appeared to connect back to NF-2220 via another spur road, but we quickly found out it was barely even a jeep track up a rocky slope. We continued on NF-600 until it met up with NF-2420. This took much longer than expected since we constantly had to stop and move downed trees out of the way. Thankfully they were all small lodgepole pines. From NF-2420 we took a left and headed towards NF-2430. You will turn left and stay on NF-2430 until you reach the spur road NF-830 that will take you all the way to the lookout. NF-2430 crosses NF-2220 before you reach the spur which is where we were hoping to come from originally. There is a sign for the turn to Spring Butte L.O. from NF-2430 as well. From this junction it is only a mile. If we had been driving my Civic this is where I would have parked and started to road walk. We drove the truck a half of a mile up the road but decided to walk the rest of the way after a particularly rutted section. The road is gated near the lookout so you would have to get out and walk no matter what. It looked like someone had been here recently prepping for the start of their fire season since the shutters on the lookout had already been removed. We spent a short time on the summit since we were pressed for time and still wanted to attempt to find Green Butte. This lookout completed our set for all the lookouts with octagonal cabs in Oregon.

Once back at the truck we started heading towards Green Butte (post) on the map. This meant taking NF-2430 back the way we came. You will want to stay on NF-2430 until you reach NF-2222 on the left. It looked like there were multiple connecting spurs that would take you to Green Butte (post) but the most direct route is from spur NF-700. This spur unfortunately wasn’t signed. We were able to guestimate the turn after we went too far and met a different spur that was signed. Once you’re on NF-700 you will turn right on to NF-720 which is in fact marked. My partner’s dad didn’t feel like road walking with us and parked the truck at the junction. From here my partner and I walked up NF-720. We made the mistake of not taking our map or taking a picture of the map before we left. We thought NF-720 would take us to the summit but quickly found that there were multiple spur roads heading towards the butte while NF-720 paralleled it. The two spurs we had to choose between were NF-725 and NF-550. We started up NF-550 first and it appeared to be headed in the right direction. I’m a significantly slower hiker than my partner and I was worried we wouldn’t have a enough time in the day to make it back to the truck and camp before dark. I turned back before the road got too steep but my partner continued on in hopes of finding the lookout. I made it back to the truck around 6PM and we waited for my partner to return. He was lucky that we had guessed the correct spur road to reach the summit and was successful in finding the lookout. From NF-550 you turn on to NF-555 that will take you all the way to the platform lookout. I’m bummed I didn’t make it this time but now I know how to get there in the future. My partner made it back to the truck around 6:30PM mostly because he ran the rest of the way after I turned around. We ended up setting up camp much later than expected but it was worth it.

If you are wanting to reach Spring Butte L.O. with a lower clearance vehicle, I recommend starting on NF-22 which leaves directly from La Pine. It is marked as Finley Butte Road in town but eventually turns into a Forest Service road. From NF-22 you can take the other side of NF-2220 to NF-2430 to NF-830 or you can go to NF-2222 to NF-2430 to NF-830. Since I can only speak on the roads I’ve been on, I’d recommend NF-2222 to NF-2430. I would consider these portions of the road passable to lower clearance vehicles.

History.

Similar to Sisi Butte (post) and Calamity Butte (post), the existing Spring Butte L.O. has an octagonal cab. It was constructed in 1991 as the first of its kind in Oregon. The 16’x16′ cab sits shorter than the other two with a 41′ pole tower. It is still actively staffed every summer, so always make sure to be respectful of the active lookout attendant’s space and only climb the tower if you’ve been invited up. The previous lookout structure was developed in 1932 as a 30′ tower with 14’x14′ L-4 cab. It was maintained regularly between the 1950s-1970s and used up until it was deemed unsafe in the 1990s. In November of 1997, the existing lookout was broken into and vandalized. The damages were estimated up to $10,000. The fire finder and other furniture were torn and tossed from the height of the tower with complete disregard. It is unfortunate to hear that some people have such a lack of respect for places like this which is often why they are hidden behind locked gates. It is our collective responsibility to help keep places like this intact for future use and others to enjoy.

Green Point L.O.

Former Lookouts, Oregon Lookouts

Location.

Siuslaw National Forest; Cascade Head Experimental Forest

Status.

Abandoned; Partially standing

Estimated drive time from Portland, OR.

2 hours

Date visited.

April 23, 2022

Elevation.

1,303′

Former Fire Lookout Site Register.

US 711; OR 122

Trip Report.

Green Point, not to be confused with Green Mountain, Green Butte, Green Peter, or Green Ridge, is a crows nest located outside the community of Otis within the Oregon coastal range. You can access the community of Otis via HWY-101 or HWY-18. From Otis, you will want to follow the Old Scenic Highway towards the Cascade Experimental Forest Headquarters. Continue on past the headquarters until you reach a four way junction. Turn right here onto NF-1861 until you reach the road with a gate off to the left. Park here. All roads were in good condition for driving a low clearance vehicle.

The above map shows our rudimentary route. The black dots indicate our driving route with the larger dots representing Otis, Green Point, Cascade Experimental Forest Headquarters, and our parked car. The purple indicates our hiking route. We parked the car in a pull out across from an old road with a gate. You could potentially park at the gate, but someone was already parked here during our visit. I’m not sure what they were doing since they were just sitting in their car, but I’m sure they thought the same about us. Especially, after we headed uphill into the brush. We had drove to the junction past this gated road initially because there was supposed to be another road off to the left that headed closer to the summit. We weren’t able to find any indication of an old road along this section. We hiked a bit up the gated road, but it just followed around the point. It was also significantly overgrown and brushed over by prickly berry bushes. It seemed easier to head cross-country to the summit instead. We started up at an angle from the junction towards the high point. It was fairly easy and open walking for a while, but as we grew closer to the summit we were met with downed trees and thicker brush. I didn’t expect it to be a walk in the park, it is the coast range after all, but this section made me want to turn around. My partner encouraged me to continue on and we eventually broke through into another open area. We followed some game trails until we reached the plateau that is Green Point. It is fairly flat on the summit with a nice park-like stand of trees. We searched around for a while until we found the correct tree. It was on the more northern side of the summit right before it slopes down again.

Heading back down, it was much easier to find a more open route that avoided most of the brush. We were even able to find the old road bed. It was only visible due to the cut bank, otherwise completely overgrown. It was virtually invisible from the main road and un-walkable. Actually, the whole area was overgrown near the main road. We had to push through a dense thicket to get back on the road to our car. There were two bikers stopped and talking on the road where we were headed out. I’m sure they were caught off guard when we emerged out of the brush for no apparent reason. We tried to act casual and headed back to the car. The only marker to identify where to start is a paper plate nailed to a tree with a 3 spray painted on it. This is the better route even if it might not look like it from the road.

History.

Green Point used to have a 53′ pole lookout tower with L-4 cab and garage built by the CCC in 1939. It was used for aircraft surveillance in 1942 and later destroyed in a windstorm during 1951. The crows nest pre-dates the tower and was added to the summit in 1933. I’d say this one doubles as a former fire lookout site and existing lookout.

Timber Mountain L.O.

California Lookouts

Location.

Modoc National Forest

Status.

Active; Currently standing

Estimated drive time from Portland, OR.

6 hours

Date visited.

April 10, 2022

Elevation.

5,071′

National Historic Lookout Register.

US 1333; CA 156

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 NF-10 that you will follow until it comes to a T-junction with CR-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 CR-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 CR-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.

Old foundation

Tule Lake National Monument/Wildlife Refuge

California Lookouts

My partner found these two structures when researching other potential fire lookouts to visit in the area. Unfortunately, neither of these ended up having any recorded history in fire detection but were still interesting in their own unique way.

Sheepy Ridge Overlook

Date visited: April 8, 2022

We wanted to stop at this overlook on our way into the Lava Beds National Monument since it’s located on the same route but accidentally drove past it. We had some extra time in the day before sunset and were able to drive back out after setting up camp. It’s only a short 30 min drive from the campground. This overlook was built from lava rock by the CCC in the 1930s for observation purposes. We hoped there might be some history of it being used as a fire lookout but I was unsuccessful in finding any information. It is located behind the Tulelake National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center and is a short hike up. The trail is only 0.5 miles and climbs 170ft of elevation. From the overlook you have a great overview of the wildlife refuge and part of the Klamath Basin.

More Information.

National Wildlife Refuge

Tulelake-Butte Valley Fairgrounds Museum

Date visited: April 8, 2022

We passed through the town of Tulelake while heading to the Lava Beds NM for the weekend. Located just outside the town is the Tule Lake National Monument. This National Monument is the site of the Segregation Center and Camp Tulelake which were used to detain Japanese Americans during World War II. The visitor center is temporarily located at the Tulelake-Butte Valley Fairgrounds along with some other important exhibits. The Rangers only staff the National Monument from Memorial Day through Labor Day. We wanted to make a quick stop at the visitor center since there appeared to be a fire lookout based on pictures online. One of the fairground employees that was working there was nice enough to let us view the exhibits onsite. We found that what we thought to be a fire lookout was actually an observation tower used by the guards at the camps. There are a lot of great historical artifacts at this location from this dark period in history and it is worth the stop if you are in the area.

More Information.

National Park Service

Schonchin Butte L.O.

California Lookouts

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.

US 1358; CA 181

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 (post). 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 (post) 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. (post) 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 Fleener Chimneys
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

Columbia Breaks Fire Interpretive Center

Washington Lookouts

Location.

Entiat, WA

Date visited.

March 25, 2022

Trip Report.

We decided to stop off at the Columbia Breaks Fire Interpretive Center for a quick stretch and lunch before heading to our weekend reservations at Steliko Point (post). The building was closed during our visit but the parking area and interpretive trail were still open to the public. The self guided trail is only 1/2 mile and features three fire lookouts that were relocated and restored. You might also see a few Marmot’s along the trail, they like to hide among the rocks. The main focus of the trail is to educate on the historic impact of wildfires and its importance in ecology. It also touches on the pros and cons of human effects in fire management. If you like fire lookouts and find the history of wildfires interesting this is worth the stop while in the area. The CBFIC is a non-profit and financed through donations. Places like this are important for preservation and education. Please donate if you are able or visit their website to learn about getting involved!

Chelan Butte L.O.

Former Fire Lookout Site Register: US 1391; WA 291

Chelan Butte L.O. is a 28′ treated timber tower with 14’x14′ standard L-4 cab. It was moved to the CBFIC in 1995, but originally sat at 3,835′ on a butte overlooking the town of Chelan and Lake Chelan. The current lookout was built in 1938 by the CCC as a replacement for the original tower that burned down. The original lookout built on Chelan Butte was a 40′ pole tower with L-4 cab in 1936. It was placed on the National Historic Register of Historic Places in 1990. The lookout, for the most part, maintains it’s original integrity but the shutters were replaced and the tower was lowered by 4′ to accommodate the CBFIC site.

Flattop Mountain L.O.

Former Fire Lookout Site Register: US 1315; WA 215

Flattop Mountain has had a unique history of lookouts throughout the years. It has an elevation of 4,394′ and is located in the Gifford Pinchot NF. It was named due to it’s broad and flat summit. It was so broad that they developed the site with two fire finders at each end in the 1920’s. The remaining lookout that can be found at the CBFIC is a replica of the lookout from the east point of the mountain. Some of the old wood from the lookout was used in the reconstruction, specifically the roof and wooden frame supports.

East Point

The first structure built on the summit of Flattop Mountain was a 16’x20′ frame house on the east point in the early 1920s. Around the 1930s they moved the frame house to the west point and built a 7’x7′ foot frame cab in it’s place. It was quickly replaced by an L-5 cab in 1933. The reconstructed replica that can be found at the CBFIC is based off the lookout that was built in 1946. It was a prototype 2-story 14’x14′ foot frame cab with slanted windows and curved hip roof. It is the only one of this style to ever be built. Originally it was thought to be the next generation of lookouts, but the Pacific Northwest was standardized on the R-6 flat top cab instead. The site was abandoned in 1960 where the lookout was subject to vandalism and fell into disrepair. There were plans to destroy it, but the Forest Fire Lookout Association was able to dismantle and relocate it to the CBFIC in 2005.

West Point

The history of the west point of Flattop started in 1930 when they moved the 16’x20′ frame house over from the east point. The house was updated in 1934 when they added two screen porches and an observation cupola. This was used until the site was abandoned and the west point house was destroyed in 1960.

Badger Mountain L.O.

Former Fire Lookout Site Register: US 1383; WA 283

Badger Mountain L.O. is a 14’x14′ standard L-4 cab that used to have a 18′ treated timber tower. It was originally constructed in the 1930s by the CCC for Lion Rock located in the Cle Elum Ranger District. It was later moved to Badger Mountain just outside the Wenatchee NF in Douglas County. The site was situated at 3,498′ and chosen due to its vantage point of the Wenatchee NF across the Columbia River. The lookout was actively staffed up until the 1970s where it was moved to emergency status. Its last recorded use was during the Dinkelman Fire in 1988. In 1990, it was placed on the National Historic Register of Historic Places and then relocated to the CBFIC in the fall of 1999. The shutters were replaced due to prolonged weather exposure but otherwise the lookout has undergone minimal change since it was originally constructed.

More Information.

Columbia Breaks Fire Interpretive Center

Steliko Point L.O.

Washington Lookouts

Location.

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

Status.

Rental program; Currently standing

Estimated drive time from Portland, OR.

5-1/2 hours

Date visited.

March 25-27, 2022

Elevation.

2,586′

National Historic Lookout Register.

US 1096; WA 62

Trip Report.

My partner and I found Steliko Point L.O. when we were researching how many lookouts are currently on the rental program in Washington. We were surprised to find that there were still a decent amount of openings for reservation, unlike Oregon lookout rentals that book up the instant they are listed as available. I’ve always wanted to stay in a lookout but never really took the time to do my research to obtain a reservation. We picked the last weekend in March because we wanted a weekend that would possibly be snow free, decent weather, and still have the gate up on the road. Based on past trip reports my Civic wouldn’t have made it up the road anyway and we wanted to decrease the amount of un-expected visitors possible.

Friday.

We woke up early Friday morning and started our long drive towards Steliko Point. There are a few ways to get there from Portland but we decided to head up I-5. From I-5 you will need to cross over via I-90 to connect with HWY-97 to eventually get to HWY-97A. We made a quick stop in Entiat to refuel and visit the Columbia Breaks Fire Interpretive Center (post). A must see if you are a lookout enthusiast like us! After visiting the museum, we headed back down HWY-97A and turned right on to Entiat River Road towards the town of Ardenvoir. Just past Ardenvoir you will turn right on to Steliko Canyon Road which turns into NF-5310. The road will be gated but there is a sign for parking near the Forest Service sheds. You will need to park parallel with the cement blocks. Once parked we had a quick lunch and loaded up our packs for the short but steep 1.6 mile trek up the road. You will gain around 1,200′ of elevation during your hike. The lookout is outfitted with mattresses, folding tables, a propane stove, a propane fridge, heater, and other basic cleaning amenities. This means you can leave your sleeping pad and camping stove at home. The only essentials we had to carry up were our clothes, cook ware, sleeping bags, food, and water. There is no water source at the summit and it is a very exposed area, so make sure to plan accordingly. We over shot on the amount of water needed by bringing (1) 3 gallon jug, (2) 3 liter hydro packs, and (8) 32oz Nalgene bottles worth. The amount of water weighing us down made the hike up harder than it needed to be. Once at the summit you are able to access the lookout via keyed entry. There is a lockbox that you are given the code to with your reservation. We were surprised to find that previous guests had stocked the lookout with even more amenities than listed. You shouldn’t assume there will be everything you need there but there are a lot of leave behinds incase you do forget something such as games, cooking utensils, books, food, and even water. I loved the community feel and connection it gave from past guests especially after reading the entries in the guest book. This lookout has only been on the rental program since November 2019 and had a brief gap where it was closed from April 2020 until May 2021 due to the Pandemic. Or at least that is what I gathered based on the gap in entries from the guest book. We enjoyed our dinner with a nice sunset before heading to bed early. We were both tired from the long day of driving to get there.

Photo taken by Garnet
Photo taken by Garnet
Photo taken by Garnet

Saturday.

I woke up at 6:30AM to see if I could catch the sunrise but it was mostly clouded and didn’t offer anything spectacular. We still had great weather for most of our trip with mild temperatures and partly cloudy skies. During breakfast on the catwalk we were able to spot 40+ mule deer grazing on the hillsides. I read that this was a known area for their winter range and that they were frequently spotted from the lookout, but I didn’t think we’d see so many of them together. We were also able to spot Tyee L.O. and another lookout that someone built on private property. A trip report mentioned that you could see Sugarloaf Peak L.O. from here as well but the mountain that they identified was actually Baldy Mountain. After breakfast, my partner decided to hike along the ridge trail while I hung around the lookout to read and draw. He came back for lunch and we relaxed around the lookout for most of the afternoon. A day hiker with their dog was the only person we saw for most of the day. My guest book entry mentions that this is the only person we saw the whole trip but that is inaccurate. Later in the evening, we decided to hike down to the ridge below where there is another road and walk around. My partner ended up hiking cross-country in a different direction, so I was back at the lookout earlier than him. While I was waiting for his return, a runner came up the road and climbed the catwalk. He said he was training as a wildland firefighter in the area but didn’t realize anyone was up here this time of year. I don’t think he knew this was listed as a rental. He apologized for spooking me and invading my space before heading back down. Our interaction was brief and friendly but it might be worth adding a sign somewhere visible for day hikers and visitors to be aware. After eating dinner, we both read the books we brought until it got dark. I ended up finishing my book while there and decided to leave it behind for future guests to enjoy. Hopefully someone enjoys true crime as much as I do because I left behind a copy of Red River Girl: The Life and Death of Tina Fontaine by Joanna Jolly. Saturday night was a bit stormy with mild winds and a sprinkle of rain. We even saw a bit of lightning in the distance as we were trying to fall asleep.

Private Lookout
Tyee Lookout

Sunday.

Sunday morning, we saw the same herd of 40+ mule deer while we savored our last few hours at the lookout. Part of the condition of your stay is to pack out your trash, sweep, and wipe down the counters. Although this rental is managed by Wenatchee Valley TREAD, It’s a collective responsibility to help keep this place in good condition for others to enjoy. We left behind any remaining water we didn’t use for future guest who might need it. We spotted some day hikers headed up the road while we were locking up and took that as our cue to leave. Our packs were significantly lighter than when we started and the hike down was a breeze. We passed another group of day hikers on our hike out and even saw the same wildland firefighter start his run up the road while we were having lunch at the car. Driving back to Portland, we decided to take the more scenic route following HWY-97 most of the way until it meets up with I-84. We could see Lorena Butte L.O. from our drive and stopped at the Stonehenge Memorial while in the area. Overall it was a relaxing and quiet weekend away.

History.

Steliko Point has been used as an observation camp site since 1925. The current lookout is a 16’x16′ L-4 cab with 10′ tower and was built in 1947. It was actively staffed up until the mid-1990s and is still registered for emergency use. There are signs of another foundation on the summit, but I couldn’t find any information online about previous additional structures. Steliko Point is one of only three remaining lookouts in the Entiat Ranger District. Given it’s proximity to Ardenvoir and low elevation, it is also one of the few lookouts wired on the power grid. Yes, that means you can charge your phone during your stay. There are only USB ports though, so don’t bring anything that requires a plug. Over the last few years it has undergone remodeling and updates by volunteers to open it up for the rental program. It is now mostly managed by the non-profit Wenatchee Valley TREAD for maintenance and overnight stays.

More Information.

Washington Trails Association

US Forest Service

Recreation.gov

AllTrails

Cougar Pass L.O.

Oregon Lookouts

Location.

Elliot State Forest

Status.

Abandoned; Currently standing

Estimated drive time from Portland, OR.

3-1/2 hours

Date visited.

January 1, 2022

Elevation.

1,750′

National Historic Lookout Register.

US 952; OR 124

Trip Report.

After an easy visit to Bunker Hill L.O. (post) the day before, we woke up ready for more of a challenge. We weren’t sure how the roads leading up to Cougar Pass would look, but figured we could get as close as possible and walk the remaining distance. We had been dealing with a state wide snow storm for the past week, so the chances of meeting snow here were high. Normally being just off the coast is a safe bet for no snow, but we never seem to be that lucky with our off season explorations. We headed east out of Reedsport on HWY-38 until we reached the turn off for Loon Lake Recreation Site. You will turn Right on to Loon Lake Road. The Loon Lake Recreation Site was already closed for the season but the road leading to Cougar Pass will be beforehand. The gravel road is noted as Cougar Pass Road on google maps but is actually state forest road 7700. There is a small yellow sign posted on one of the trees with this number. You will see the sign after you’ve started up the gravel road. There are no signs to notify you of the turn off from the main road. It is about 6 miles down Loon Lake Road and will be on the right hand side. We barely made it 1/2 mile up the road before we were met with some fallen trees and snow from the recent storm. We already planned on having to walk some of the road, so we were prepared. You will follow the main road until you reach a major T-junction with state forest road 7000. It was hard to find a detailed map of the Elliot State Forest. From what we had it seemed like the road to the lookout would be to the left of the junction. We walked a mile down this way but the only viable road headed steeply down. We retraced our steps and headed to the right instead. It was the first road after the junction and can be distinguished by the pole remaining from the old gate. From there it is only 1/4 of a mile to the lookout. You will reach another road junction before the summit, the lookout is to the left. The Elliot State Forest has taken steps to make this lookout harder to find by removing road signs and tank trapping the road in hopes to deter vandalism. We could tell it was a well trafficked area since there were tire tracks leading up the main roads the entire way even with a foot of snow on the road. We would have had an easier time finding the lookout if it had been a clearer day. We were in a fog cloud until we started to head back down the road to my car. As we were hiking out, we found you can see the lookout from the road. It was close to 6 miles round trip of road walking from where we parked, if you don’t include the additional 2 miles in the wrong direction.

History.

The first fire lookout was built on Cougar Pass summit in 1935 as a 40′ wooden tower and was managed by the Coos Fire Patrol. This tower was replaced by a 50′ CT3 tower with 14×14 cab in 1966. It was actively used up until 1985. Cougar Pass L.O. is the last remaining lookout in the Elliot State Forest and, as far as I know, the only one still located in any Oregon state forest. It is currently managed by the Department of State Lands and is in a state of disrepair. There is a public proposal out to restore and reconstruct Cougar Pass L.O. as an educational opportunity for the Southwestern Oregon Community College and general visitors. This proposal would not only preserve the history of this lookout but help to educate on the forestry management utilized in the Pacific Northwest during the period of 1910 to 1969.

More Information.

Cougar Pass Lookout Education Center