Cheryl Hill
Staying in a fire lookout is a unique experience that has become enormously popular in recent years, for good reason. Surrounded by nature, renters enjoy amazing sunrises and sunsets and a night sky full of stars. Here are five incredible Oregon lookouts you can call home for a night.
Fivemile Butte (Mt. Hood National Forest)
Located near Dufur, Fivemile Butte Lookout sits at 4600 feet and is the only year-round lookout rental in Oregon. Perched on a 40-foot tower, this 14x14-foot cabin offers a front-row view of the eastern side of Mt. Hood. In summer renters can drive right up to the base of the tower. In winter renters park at nearby Billy Bob Sno-Park and trek 2.7 miles over snow-covered roads, hauling all their gear.
You can hike here from Eightmile Campground. Check out Hike 4 in my book.
Acorn Woman Peak (Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest)
Acorn Woman Peak sits at 5650 feet in the rugged Siskiyou Mountains. This ground cabin is an ideal location for people with a fear of heights. Added to the rental program in 2019, it is the most bare-bones lookout rental in Oregon (it doesn’t even have beds), but the views more than make up for it. With very little air traffic overhead it is also exceptionally quiet.
You can also hike here from Little Grayback Lower Trailhead on FR 490. Check out Hike 29 in my book.
Drake Peak (Fremont-Winema National Forest)
Perched at 8222 feet in the Warner mountains, the Drake Peak Lookout is the highest fire lookout you can drive to in Oregon (and the road is in surprisingly good shape!). Despite the fact that Lakeview is only 12 miles away, light pollution is minimal and the stars are phenomenal. The road has no gate so you may have visitors who drive up to check out the view.
Bolan Mountain (Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest)
Built in 1953, the lookout on 6270-foot Bolan Mountain (southeast of Cave Junction) was a beloved and popular rental. Just weeks after the Forest Service did some restoration work on the cabin, it burned down in the 2020 Slater Fire. With help from the Siskiyou Mountain Club the lookout was rebuilt in 2024. Although much of the nearby forest was burned in the fire, the views of the surrounding Siskiyou Mountains are as good as ever. You might even see distant Mt. Shasta.
You can also hike here from Bolan Lake. Check out Hike 28 in my book.
Pickett Butte (Umpqua National Forest)
Located 30 miles southeast of Roseburg, this 40-foot tower is available to rent mid-October through early June, when it converts to a working lookout tower. Its low elevation of 3290 feet means that the road is not buried under snow for months at a time like other winter rentals. Views of the rolling green hills extend for miles, and sunsets here are spectacular. Keep a sharp eye out for poison oak if you decide to walk around and explore near the lookout.
Tips for Renting a Lookout
- Before making a reservation research which lookout you want to stay in and whether it’s a good fit for you. For example if the road access is rough and you have a low-clearance vehicle you may want to look elsewhere.
- Reserve on recreation.gov six months in advance at 7am (Pacific).
- Some lookouts require a code to unlock the gate and/or the cabin. Call the ranger station a few days in advance to get this code (or to confirm the code you received by email).
- Keep in mind that renting a lookout is a primitive experience. There is no running water or flush toilets.
- Bring everything you think you’ll need, including toilet paper!
- Leave the lookout better than you found it and always pack out all your trash.
