Type: Two-story 14×14 tower
Status: Not staffed
Elevation: 8,929 feet
Visited: September 28, 2025
I visited Mt. Scott on a gorgeous September weekend.
I got an early start on my hike, which you can read about here. There was no one around as I approached the summit and its fire lookout at 8:40:
The 1952 fire lookout is no longer staffed, but houses USGS seismic monitoring equipment:
The summit of Mt. Scott is promoted as being a place where you can see the entire lake end-to-end. My lens wasn’t quite wide enough to capture that here:
Looking north at Mt. Thielsen:
And distant Three Sisters barely visible:
Looking east:
Looking southwest at Union Peak:
Looking west across the lake at The Watchman:
View northwest of Mt. Bailey:
More information
Forest Lookouts
Rex’s Forest Fire Lookout Page
National Historic Lookout Register
Peakbagger
Panorama Photos
History
The first lookout on Mount Scott was a cupola cabin built in the 1920s.
When the lookout became so run-down and unstable that getting an accurate location on smokes became impossible, the cabin was replaced. The current lookout was built in 1952 and is a two-story 14×14 structure with a fold-up catwalk. The lookout is no longer staffed and is home to USGS seismic monitoring equipment.