Lodging on Top of the World in Oregon
Oregonians who truly want to get away from it all know what the rest of the country is only beginning to discover: That few places offer solitude and breath-taking views combined with a sense of history and protection from the elements like Forest Service fire lookouts.
The Forest Service has been renting them in Oregon for more than a decade, and for nominal fees, usually anywhere from $25 to $40, depending on size and accessibility. Many are reachable by 4-wheel drive, though some are open only in the winter, when they’re not needed for fire protection, and access is only via cross-country skis.
They are becoming increasingly popular, so check with the appropriate ranger district weeks in advance to secure a reservation. Though you can drive to many lookouts, some require a short hike.
Most provide at least one bed, bedding, cooking utensils, a propane cooking facility, propane lights, a broom, mop and a few other necessities. Many also include a journal that enables visitors to read about experiences had by previous inhabitants. Important: Bring your own potable water for drinking and cooking. Most have an outhouse for nature’s calls.
The reward for the effort to reach one of these lookouts is views you’ll never forget. If you’re truly lucky, Mother Nature will provide a storm. Don’t panic; these structures were built to withstand lightning strikes and powerful winds. Just remember to stay inside.
Here’s a look at our favorite Forest Service lookouts in Oregon:
1. Acker Rock. This spectacular lookout literally hangs over a rock outcropping on the Umpqua National Forest east of Roseburg. You’ll feel like you’re driving to the top of the world, then a zig-zag hike is required for about a half-mile until you reach a high ridge, where the world drops off beneath you. You’ll feel almost as if you’re on a catwalk as you walk across the rocks to the lookout. In one-half of the building, you’ll be standing over a thousand feet of nothingness.
2. Butler Butte. OK, so it’s not exactly the prototypical lookout, it’s more of a cabin. Still, this intimate on a bald knob, also east of Roseburg on the Tiller Ranger District, has terrific views across ridgelines all the way to Medford. What makes this place special is a hand-written journal written by a woman who stayed here with her husband to look for Japanese war planes during World War II. The warm feeling this cabin provides is borne out by the love story that unfolds in these journals, and the acute sense of what it was like to spend a winter alone atop a mountain during wartime.
3. Soda Butte. Eastern Oregon is loaded with lookouts, especially in the Bear Valley area. This one provides terrific views of the dryer east side of the Cascades, with the airport at John Day in the distance. Lots of mining history to explore in this area, as well as the three-hole golf course at Seneca.
4. Peavy Cabin. This isn’t a lookout, either, but it’s as close to a wilderness experience as one can get in a car. A bumpy Forest Service road follows the North Fork of the John Day River, surrounded on both sides by federally designated wilderness. It dead-ends at more wilderness, right where the cabin appears in a meadow. On our stay at this peaceful hideaway we were visited in the night by a bear and a cougar.
One to skip: Pickett Butte, one more near Roseburg. We had a strange sensation the first night we were here, only to read in the journal the next morning about the haunting experiences many previous visitors had. Creepy place, and loaded with ticks, too.
Oregon has many, many more lookouts worth checking out, each with their own unique qualities, but southwest Washington also has a handful. In addition, California, Idaho and Montana are adding many of theirs into the rental system to help with budget deficits.
