Malheur National Forest

Frazier Point L.O.

Oregon Lookouts

Location.

Malheur National Forest

Status.

Abandoned; Currently standing

Estimated drive time from Portland, OR.

6-1/2 hours

Date visited.

May 27, 2022

Elevation.

6,290′

National Historic Lookout Register.

US 456; OR 59

Trip Report.

We headed deeper into the forest on NF-15 after a successful visit to Dry Soda L.O. (post) You will stay on NF-15 until you reach the major junction with NF-16. Take a left on to NF-16 and then eventually a right on to NF-1630 that is only a short drive from the junction. NF-1630 is another well maintained gravel road with no hazards for low clearance vehicles. Good gravel, great gravel even! It’s better than some paved roads in Portland. The gravel looked very fresh and we speculated that it was possibly recently re-graded. You will stay on this road for a while until you reach the spur NF-849. It will be hard to miss because there is a sign for Frazier Point L.O. It is only another mile down NF-849. Most cars can make it the majority of the way on this spur. We decided to stop less than half of a mile from the lookout and walk due to some larger rocks in the road and wet conditions.

The lookout and living quarters are not in the best condition and the stairs have been boarded to prevent people from climbing the tower. The trees are tall here so you don’t get any views from the ground. This was fine considering we were socked in a rain cloud anyway. The cabin used for living quarters was unlocked and still had some items left inside; a table, bed frame, mattress, pot holders, and even a pan. I wanted to check out more in the bedroom but there seemed to be a nest of wood rats cozied up in the old mattress and some of the kitchen cabinets too. My partner hates rats and rodents of any kind, so he decided not to come inside the cabin. We said our good byes to the lookout before heading out to find a camp spot. Since it is listed for decommission by the Forest Service, we are never sure if we’ll be back before they tear it down. I’m always hopeful someone with more resources and money can restore or relocate these lookouts instead of having them torn down. And maybe one day I’ll be one of those people.

History.

The existing lookout on Frazier Point was built in 1936 as a 100′ ring connected treater timber tower with 7’x7′ L-6 cab. It is accompanied by a 20’x20′ ground cabin, built in 1938, that used to be the garage. It was converted to the living quarters in the 1970’s when the original 14’x16′ cabin burned down. This tall tower has a collection of interesting stories in the book Fire Lookouts of the Northwest. It seems the height of the lookout had negative effects on a few of the attendants that have staffed it over the years. One of the more notable stories is of an unfortunate accident where a 4-year-old boy fell from one of the landings and died. This story is believed to be the reason why the Forest Service adds screens to the stairs and landings on every lookout. The site was originally established in the early 1930s as an emergency lookout post. They used a rocky point 1/2 mile from the current lookout site. It was actively staffed every season up until 2008. As of July 2019, the structure has been listed as condemned and is slated to be removed by the Forest Service.

Snow Mountain L.O.

Oregon Lookouts

Location.

Ochoco National Forest; Administered by Malheur National Forest

Status.

Active; Currently standing

Estimated drive time from Portland, OR.

6 hours

Date visited.

September 5, 2021

Elevation.

7,163′

National Historic Lookout Register.

US 502; OR 94

Trip Report.

After exploring West Myrtle (post) and Sugarloaf Mountain (post) we decided it made the most sense to move camps the next day. Snow Mountain L.O. was in the area by forest standards but it would’ve been a long day of driving from our current camp. We drove out of the Malheur NF and into the Ochoco NF via NF-37 to NF-47 to NF-43. We drove NF-43 all the way to NF-4380 which lead directly to the lookout. We set up camp in the area and decided we had enough time left in the day to see the lookout. We figured if we were successful in seeing the lookout that afternoon, than we would have time to see Tower Point L.O. the following day. We continued up NF-4380 which was a decent road for my Civic until the last mile where it deteriorated significantly. I was able to drive within a 1/2 mile of the lookout, but it was another bumpy road that was graded over a scab and required caution. We parked in a pull out and walked the remaining distance. There were no trees on this summit and we could see the lookout from where we parked. We were surprised to find no lookout attendant onsite and the catwalk locked up. This is noted as an actively staffed lookout online and from what we could see in the windows there were signs that someone had been there recently. We speculated that the weekend fill-in attendant must have already left for the day and the full-time lookout had not arrived yet. We enjoyed exploring the summit undisturbed and what limited views we had before heading back down to the car. We did attempt to see Tower Point the next day but were unsuccessful. I ended up bottoming out on the ruts in the road and was too distraught afterwards to attempt road walking. Thankfully, my Civic only received minor damage to the heat shield.

There is a beautiful hand carved map in the Idlewild C.G. that we stopped at to fill our water containers. It notes most lookouts in this area except for West Myrtle Butte (post). It is pretty rudimentary when it comes to the actual roads getting to these places but gives a general idea of what is in the area.

History.

Snow Mountain was developed as a fire lookout site in 1915 with a D-5 ground cab. They replaced the ground cab in 1930 with an L-4 cab. And later replaced the L-4 cab in 1961 with the present structure. The current standing lookout is a 10′ treated timber tower with an R-6 flat top cab. The summit also has a current Forest Service style vault toilet and communication towers. We weren’t able to climb the lookout but the views from the base would still be panoramic on a clear day.

West Myrtle Butte L.O.

Oregon Lookouts

NOTICE: As of July 14, 2024 this area is currently closed due to the active Falls Fire.

Location.

Malheur National Forest

Status.

Abandoned; Currently standing

Estimated drive time from Portland, OR.

6 hours

Date visited.

September 4, 2021

Elevation.

6,384′

National Historic Lookout Register.

US 428; OR 53

Trip Report.

My partner and I decided to switch our Labor Day weekend plans from backpacking to car camping due to the wildfire smoke. Our plan was to head out to the Malheur NF to see West Myrtle Butte, Sugarloaf Mountain (post), and Snow Mountain (post) lookouts. And if we had time we would attempt to go to Tower Point L.O. in the Ochoco NF as well. The Malheur NF looked to be the most promising for visibility and air quality. We knew it would be busy since it was bow hunting season and a holiday weekend but we were still able to find somewhere to disperse camp. We decided to start by checking out West Myrtle Butte since it was the most northern of the three. We took NF-37 to NF-641 to get there. We were able to drive my Civic down NF-641 until there was a fork in the road. NF-641 continues to the left up to the lookout. The road immediately deteriorated after passing this junction. We parked in the shade on a pullout and road walked the remaining 0.7 miles. You are basically already on the ridge at this point so the grade getting to the lookout from here is gradual.

History.

There are two living quarters on the summit along with a pit toilet and Aermotor tower. The Aermotor is an 80′ steel tower with a 7’x7′ cab. The main living quarters were a wood 16×20 foot plan 6-D 61. Both of these structures were built in 1929 and are still standing. A 16×20 wood frame Aladdin style garage was added to the summit in 1934. I don’t recall seeing a garage on the summit when we visited, but it might have been the second structure. It appeared to be more of a storage area or additional living quarters than a garage but I couldn’t find any information on this. It may have also been torn down. The main living area had some vandalism with broken windows but is in otherwise fair condition. The Aermotor tower was open to climb even though the FS had deemed it unfit for use. All structures showed signs of wood rat activity, and there was even a nest in the fire finder platform cupboard. All of these structures are slated for decommission by the Malheur NF.

Sugarloaf Mountain L.O.

Oregon Lookouts

NOTICE: As of July 14, 2024 this area is currently closed due to the active Falls Fire.

Location.

Malheur National Forest

Status.

Active; Currently standing

Estimated drive time from Portland, OR.

6-1/2 hours

Date visited.

September 4, 2021

Elevation.

6,128′

National Historic Lookout Register.

US 427; OR 52

Trip Report.

We decided we had enough time left in the day, after an easy visit to West Myrtle (post), to visit Sugarloaf Mountain as well. We drove back down NF-37 until we passed Yellowjacket Reservoir and reached the junction with NF-3740. NF-3740 has a sign that notes Sugarloaf Mountain L.O. as 5 miles away. The road was basically graded over a scab which made it a bumpy 5 miles to the gate of the lookout. It wasn’t a great road to drive on but passable to my Civic with caution. We parked near the gate and hiked the remaining 0.64 miles to the summit. There was a Forest Service vehicle parked at the top and we were greeted by the fill-in lookout attendant a few minutes later. She was very friendly and chatted with us for 30 minutes before returning to work. She said she’d been serving in that role for the past 30 years. She had previously worked at King Mountain (post) and Dry Mountain (post), but Sugarloaf Mountain was her favorite by far. She hoped that once she retired the Forest Service would let her continue to be the fill-in there on the weekends. She was disappointed there wasn’t a clearer view to show off the forest to us. She also mentioned it made her sad that she had to close the gate to the lookout. You could tell she enjoyed interacting with people and sharing her love of the forest with them. Unfortunately, we forgot to catch her name or what kind of work she does for the Forest Service during the week. We didn’t get invited up to check out the cab, but we assumed this was due to COVID-19 precautions given some comments she made during our visit. We enjoyed lunch at the picnic table below the lookout before heading back down the road. As we took a last look from the road, the lookout attendant came out to give us a parting wave and good-bye.

We stopped at Yellowjacket Reservoir on our way back to camp to see if it had water to refill our containers. The campground next to the reservoir was surprisingly empty given the holiday weekend, there were only a few campers and the host. It was a decent sized campground with vault toilets, potable water, and at least 20 spots. The reservoir was larger than I expected too, but still not large enough for motorized boats. It did have a ramp area for non-motorized boats and off-shore fishing though. We also stopped to take a look at the noted Turner Cabin along the road to Yellowjacket Reservoir. It’s technically on private property but it can be seen from the road. It looks to be well maintained by the owners and has even been updated.

History.

Sugarloaf Mountain has been used for fire detection since 1933 when a 15′ round tower with L-4 cab was built. The 16×18 garage was added in 1934 but has since collapsed. The roof remains can still be found on the summit. The present tower is a 32′ tower of treated timber with L-4 cab. It was built in 1949 to replace the older tower despite it still being in fair condition.

There was a cross made out of horseshoes nailed to a juniper tree on the summit. This was added as a memorial for the previous full-time lookout attendant who passed away due to heart failure last year.

Horny Toad Lizard on the road

Craft Point L.O.

Oregon Lookouts

NOTICE: As of July 14, 2024 this area is currently closed due to the active Falls Fire and Telephone Fire.

Location.

Malheur National Forest

Status.

Abandoned; Currently standing

Estimated drive time from Portland, OR.

6-1/2 hours

Date visited.

May 30, 2021

Elevation.

6,025′

National Historic Lookout Register.

US 1705; OR 167

Trip Report.

My partner had found Craft Point through Rex’s Fire Lookout page (site), which lead to a Geocache (site) that provided some direction on how to get there. We were already camping in the area for a visit to Calamity Butte (post) and King Mountain (post) with my partner’s dad. Based on the directions, we followed NF-28 to NF-2815 heading east to NF-046. We parked in a pull out near where the road was blocked off by larger rocks. Unfortunately, I don’t recall much about the road conditions since we were in the truck. But, I’m inclined to believe it was passable with caution to most vehicles. From where we parked, the directions get a bit loosey-goosey and becomes more of a choose your own adventure. We essentially cut into the forest from the road directly towards the ridge line above until we met up with the fence line. We turned right at the fence and followed it along the ridge. A few times we had to cross over the fence to stay safely on the ridge. We came to an exposed rocky section that no longer followed the fence. Here it was unclear which side of the ridge to stay on to best access the higher point. I was ready to call it quits, but my partner wanted to continue on. His dad and I sat in the shade while he explored on ahead. He returned a short while after exclaiming that he had found it. We followed him to the left side of the ridge that skirted below some larger rocks. Eventually, we met up with an old game trail that took us directly to the summit. The last portion of the trail was steep and headed directly up the slope. We enjoyed lunch on the summit. Getting back to the car was a bit easier since we just had to retrace our steps as best as possible.

History.

Craft Point was built in 1930 as a 15′ pole platform tower. The site was never upgraded to a more substantial structure and was abandoned in the 1940s. It’s possible it was used during emergencies, but there is little to no information online about it. It has fallen into a state of disrepair but still stands.

Calamity Butte L.O.

Oregon Lookouts

NOTICE: As of July 14, 2024 this area is currently closed due to the active Falls Fire and Telephone Fire.

Location.

Malheur National Forest

Status.

Active; Currently standing

Estimated drive time from Portland, OR.

6-1/2 hours

Date visited.

May 30, 2021

Elevation.

6,695′

National Historic Lookout Register.

US 73; OR 10

Trip Report.

We decided to visit Calamity Butte L.O. the day after King Mountain L.O. to help break up our time in the truck. We took NF-28 to NF-2860. NF-28 might as well be considered a major highway. It is a well maintained double wide gravel road. NF-2860, on the other hand, is extremely rough, narrow, and bumpy. I would most likely have to park at the bottom of this road and road walk up it if we had drove my Civic here. Luckily we were in a truck this time and were able to make it up to the spur NF-155 that leads to the lookout. We parked on a pull out after turning on to NF-155 and walked the remainder of the road. A high clearance vehicle can make it to the lookout but we didn’t feel like maneuvering around the remaining road hazards. This is an actively staffed lookout but when we visited it was still boarded up for the season.

History.

The first lookout that was built on Calamity Butte was a D-5 ground house in 1927 and can still be found on the summit today. It has a National Historic Lookout Register sign posted on the door front. The current lookout didn’t start construction until 1996 and was completed in 2001. It’s a 50′ tower with an octagonal cab. I’m not sure what lead the forest service to start building lookout cabs as octagonal, but it seems the newer structures built during that time frame were all moved to this shape. You can also find an older garage on the summit. Fun Fact: This point use to be named Bald Butte but it was later changed to Calamity.

King Mountain L.O.

Oregon Lookouts

NOTICE: As of July 14, 2024 this area is currently closed due to the active Falls Fire and Telephone Fire.

Location.

Malheur National Forest

Status.

Abandoned; Currently standing

Estimated drive time from Portland, OR.

6 hours

Date visited.

May 29, 2021

Elevation.

6,678′

National Historic Lookout Register.

US 469; OR 66

Trip Report.

My partner, his dad, and I were dispersed camping in the area for the Memorial weekend. Our plan was to see the lookouts in this area along with a few other points of interest. We decided to go up to King Mountain L.O. for our lunch stop of the day. There is a sign off of NF-2820 that notes when you are at the road to the lookout which is NF-503. We had a truck for the weekend but NF-503 is in good condition for passenger vehicles up until the last 1/2 mile. The water run off from rain and snow is causing deep ruts and erosion on the last bit of the road. We parked the truck and walked the remaining distance.

History.

On the summit of King Mountain there is a 10′ steel tower lookout with steel cab, an old wooden garage, and communication towers. The steel fire lookout was built back in 1957 to replace the original Cupola cabin that was built in 1923. The garage looks like it’s the original from 1934 and I don’t believe it would be standing without the wire supports in place. Unfortunately, this lookout is no longer staffed and is slated to be torn down by the Forest Service. Due to the accessibility of this lookout, they had to remove part of the catwalk and board up the windows to deter vandalism. One of the windows was broken with the ply wood removed when we visited.

Flagtail Mountain L.O.

Oregon Lookouts

Location.

Malheur National Forest

Status.

Active; Currently standing

Estimated drive time from Portland, OR.

6 hours

Date visited.

May 24, 2020

Elevation.

6,585′

National Historic Lookout Register.

US 454; OR 57

Trip Report.

My partner and I were dispersed camping in the area for Memorial Day weekend. We were checking out the points of interest on our topographic maps and found Flagtail Mountain noted as a lookout. I drove my Civic on NF-63 until we met up with the junction of NF-594. Typically, three numbered Forest Service roads are rough and I didn’t want to find out the hard way. We parked my car at the junction at a pullout and started hiking up the road. From my recollection the road wasn’t terrible and I definitely would have been able to drive farther up the road to shorten our road walk. However, I wouldn’t have made it to the top in my Civic. There was a lot of ATV activity in this area and we were dusted up a few times by passing vehicles. I’m pretty sure they all thought we were crazy for choosing to walk up the road to see the lookout. During the summer this is a staffed lookout, but when we visited it was still closed up. On our way back down, we found an unattended fire left by a group of people on ATVs that we had passed on our way up the road. There was still some snow in the area and we decided to pack it on the fire to help douse it. Please always make sure your fires are dead out before leaving them!

History.

Flagtail mountain has been the site of a fire lookout since 1922. It started as a platform on a juniper tree, which still stands. In 1934, they built a 20′ round pole tower with L-4 cab. This was used until the current R-6 lookout was built in 1966. It is still actively staffed every summer.