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…
Lookout Mountain
Type: 82′ tower with L4 cab Status: Staffed Elevation: 5,229′ Visited: October 16, 2021 I parked on Road 62 and walked past the locked gate on Road 370: The larches along 370 were beautiful: After 0.4 miles of walking the…
Bull of the Woods Lookout Burns
On August 31, in response to a question on Facebook about wrapping the Bull of the Woods lookout, the Mt. Hood National Forest wrote “Due to the proximity of the fire, it’s not safe to have firefighters there for the…
Gold Butte and Hawk Mountain Wrapped
It has been another bad wildfire year in Oregon. While several lookouts have burned in California, I haven’t heard of any burning in Oregon yet, although there are two being threatened by the Bull Complex Fire. According to Inciweb: Following…