The lookout on Waldo Mountain has been wrapped to protect it from the Cedar Creek Fire, which started in the Waldo Lake Wilderness on August 1. The lookout was built in 1957. It is no longer staffed, but the Forest…
Drake Peak
Type: L-4 ground cabin Status: Rental Elevation: 8,222′ Visited: June 29 – July 3, 3033 We rented the Drake Peak lookout for three nights, our first time there. (An odd note for 2022: The Fremont-Winema National Forest has a bizarre…
Hager Mountain
Type: R-6 ground cabin Status: Staffed in summer, rentable in winter Elevation: 7,185′ Visited: June 30, 2022 Today we were driving down to the Lakeview area because we had the Drake Peak lookout reserved. We had heard that the wildflowers…
Watson Butte Lookout Collapsed
A visitor reported on Facebook that the lookout on Watson Butte in the Umpqua National Forest has collapsed. It was built in 1937 and had been abandoned for many years so it was only a shell of its former self.…
Table Mountain
Type: 30′ tower Status: Abandoned Elevation: 6,113′ Visited: June 11, 2022 The third lookout I visited today was Table Mountain. I parked at the gate and started walking: Very soon the numerous communications towers started coming into view: The old…
Parker Mountain
Type: 40′ steel tower Status: Staffed Elevation: 5,210′ Visited: June 11, 2022 After visiting Chase Mountain I stopped at Parker Mountain. I turned off of the highway and passed through this gate with a sign warning that the property is…
Chase Mountain
Type: 20′ steel tower Status: No longer staffed Elevation: 6,349′ Visited: June 11, 2022 This was the first of three lookouts I visited today. This sign at the bottom of road where I turned off of Highway 66 was ominous,…
Riddle Mountain
Type: Two-story lookout Status: No longer staffed Elevation: 6,352′ Visited: May 28, 2022 After visiting Wagontire Mountain the previous day, today I visited Riddle Mountain. I got an early start knowing that a drenching rainstorm was coming in later. I…
Wagontire Mountain
Type: Two-story lookout Status: No longer staffed Elevation: 6,510′ Visited: May 27, 2022 During a stormy, wet, windy Memorial Day Weekend in Harney County I visited two lookouts and Wagontire was up first. I drove Highway 395 south from Highway…
High Ridge
Type: 67′ tower with R-6 cab Status: Staffed Elevation: 5,303′ Visited: October 17, 2021 On my way home from staying at the Fry Meadow Guard Station I made a detour to visit the High Ridge Lookout. As I approached I…