Lookout Butte Lookout

Fenn Ranger Station, 831 Selway Rd
KOOSKIA, ID 83539

Overview

Lookout Butte has a history that spans nearly 80 years and has been home to three lookout towers. The first, built in 1923, was 45 feet tall with just a platform on which to stand. A cabin was put on the tower a couple years later. In 1935, a 50-foot tower was constructed. A new tower was built beside the old one in 1962, and this is currently available for rent.

The current 60-foot wooden tower offers panoramic views and the perfect setting for enjoying the area's tranquility and natural beauty. Guests can enjoy the scenery from the exterior catwalk or from inside the single-room cabin.

Recreation

Several primitive roads in the area are open to mountain biking and off-road vehicles. Other activities in the area include hiking through second-growth forest and birding.

Facilities

The lookout has room for up to four people and comes with two twin beds with foam mattresses and two cots. Other amenities include a propane stove and oven, a table and chairs, a broom, a bucket and a mop. A pit toilet sits downhill to the south of the lookout, and there's a campfire ring near the base. Guests should be prepared to haul supplies up five flights of stairs. Guests are required to bring their own drinking water. Other recommended supplies include food, sleeping bags or bedding, coolers, cookware and utensils, dishes, warm clothing and rain gear, flashlights, extra batteries, first aid kit, matches, toilet paper, garbage bags and the combination for the lookout and gate. Click here for more information about this lookout.

Natural Features

The lookout sits at 5,869 feet in elevation with breathtaking views of the Selway Crags in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness area, the Seven Devils Mountain Range, Coolwater Ridge, Pilot Knob Lookout and the Lochsa and Selway River drainages.

Nearby Attractions

Guests can take a sightseeing drive from Lowell to Selway Falls and back. This 42-mile drive offers opportunities to appreciate the pristine beauty of the Selway River, a Wild and Scenic River, as well as picturesque Selway Falls.

Camp site features

Across 1 camp site:

Fire pit: all 1 sites
Largest party: 4 people

Directions

Travel to Lowell, Idaho, located approximately midway between Lewiston, Idaho and Missoula, Montana on Highway 12, milepost 97. Cross the Selway Bridge, drive 3.5 miles and cross the Swiftwater Bridge on your right. Follow the signs 13 miles for about 1 hour to the lookout. Alternative Route From Hwy 12, cross the middle fork of the Clearwater River at the bridge above Kooskia (MP 74) turn left onto paved County Road 1842, towards the Kooskia National Fish Hatchery, pass the fish hatchery approximately, 3.5 miles stay to the left on County Route 286 for approximately 5 miles when it will convert from County Road to Forest Road 286 and turn into a gravel road. Follow Forest Road 286 for an additional 8 miles where Forest Road #470 joins from the left. Stay right on #286 for approximately 1.5 miles to the junction of Road #286 w/ Forest Road #1129 and take a left onto #1129. Travel approximately 1.3 miles and the spur road to Lookout Butte Lookout is signed and to the right. It is about 1/8th of a mile up the lookout from the main road. This last segment is a rough, outsloped, native surface road that requires high clearance to reach Lookout Butte Lookout Tower.

Stay Limit

Check in from 2 PM, check out by 2 PM.

Reviews

12 reviews

5 stars

4 stars

Mike P

Loop:Lookout Butte Lookout

Site:

Reviewed 2 years ago

We went up during several fires (31) , lots of smoke, no visible flame from the tower. Visibility changed with the wind, in the evening the smoke cleared and we could see the milky way! Overall great place, but be prepared for a ruthless stair climb. There was a pully and rope, but too thin to pull up anything heavy. The bats came out at night also, low bugs.

Jeff R

Loop:Lookout Butte Lookout

Site:

Reviewed 2 years ago

Very interesting place, THERE IS NOT COTS as it says. The view is amazing, the road is good there. There is nothing out the. The peace and quiet is wonderful.

Ray H

Loop:Lookout Butte Lookout

Site:

Reviewed 3 years ago

Family of four stayed in LOOKOUT BUTTE historic watch tower for a week in early July 2023. We have stayed in several of these tall towers, but this one is the tallest we have seen. The cabin log tells of some nervous visitors who chose to sleep on the ground. We LOVED it! Lookout Butte is in Nez Perce-Clearwater NF, and all visitors who are unfamiliar with the roads there should come with one of the USDA’s maps for that area. There is cell service at the tower but NOT along any of the access roads leading to the tower, and don’t expect to be guided by road signs. We bought our map for $14 at the USFS office in Grangeville, ID. The drive up from Lowell took us 70 minutes on Road 470, with all but the first 5 min on gravel road. The route up from Kooskia (Road 286) took us 90 minutes and close to half of that was paved. Both of those roads share the same final route the last 18 minutes to the tower. Before coming, we read several warnings about needing a high clearance vehicle for the final 200-meter access road to the tower. We drove our fully loaded Sienna van up, but we are used to driving rough roads, so we might feel comfortable going where others would not. It did get very steep. Fires were burning nearby, and the view was hazy the whole time but that made the sunsets pretty. The days were all hot and sunny, but we kept the heat down by hanging sleeping bags over the east windows in the a.m. and the west windows in the p.m.

Beth C

Loop:Lookout Butte Lookout

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Reviewed 3 years ago

Our group of 4 thoroughly enjoyed our stay at this amazing place. The panoramic views were exceptional. Get ready for an intense cardio workout, as you navigate the five flights of stairs! Also be prepared to share this beautiful retreat with other visitors throughout your stay. The lookout is in excellent condition; much better than others we’ve visited. Enjoy this little bit of paradise!

Taylor R

Loop:Lookout Butte Lookout

Site:

Reviewed 4 years ago

Had a wonderful time at this fire lookout tower! Truly a once in a lifetime experience! Word of caution, if Selway Road is closed due to a rockslide (or any other reason), there will be a sign in Koosika, ID indicating that. If this is the case, you will need to use the alternate route provided. Don't waste the time driving to Lowell, as you'll have to turn around if Selway is closed (speaking from experience).

Keith D

Loop:Lookout Butte Lookout

Site:

Reviewed 5 years ago

Do note that the location given on the map here on recreation.gov is wrong. But other services such as google have the correct location. There are multiple ways to reach the lookout. I went up from the Selway river and down to the highway by Stites. Some of the turns on the way have signs pointing towards the lookout. Some do not. Be sure to have a map handy. The roads are typical back country forest service roads. You don't need a 4x4 beast, but take it easy so you don't pop a tire on the rocks. Pack lightly. You don't want to be making tons of trips up and down the lookout. There was a gas stove top and toaster oven for cooking. Take your own cleaning supplies, you might have to clean other people's messes before you can use them. The lookout is solidly constructed. There were a couple of boards broken on the catwalk around the top, so tread lightly and watch for splinters.

Availability

See the Camp Sites section below to find detailed booking availability.

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