Fire lookouts and Forest Service cabins for rent in Idaho
Fire lookouts and Forest Service cabins for rent in Idaho, each compiled from its own sources: season, road access, water, and what to bring. No ratings; every entry carries its status.
Point at a dot to see the place.Tap a dot to see the place. Road map of Idaho.
- Adams Ranger StationGrangeville · Log cabinA two-story 1932 district ranger's log house at 5,150 feet on Hungry Ridge, south of Grangeville, Idaho, rented by the night beside an 1862 way station on the Milner Trail.
- Arid Peak LookoutAvery · Fire towerA 1930s fire lookout on a 20-foot tower above Loop Creek in Idaho's St. Joe country, built to watch the Milwaukee Road for engine sparks.
- Atlanta CabinAtlanta · Historic ranger station compound cabinA Forest Service rental cabin in a 1933 Civilian Conservation Corps ranger compound at Atlanta, Idaho, an 1860s gold and silver camp at 5,800 feet.
- Avery Creek CabinPrichard · Fully furnished three-room cabinA 1920s Forest Service firemen's cabin on the North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River, Idaho, that housed Forest Service crews until 1981, now rented to the public.
- Bald Mountain Lookout (Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests, ID)Potlatch · Fire lookoutA retired fire lookout cab on a timber tower atop Bald Mountain in Idaho's Hoodoo Mountains, rented by the night since 1998, with the Palouse hills spread to the south.
- Barber Flat Cabin (Boise National Forest, ID)Idaho City · Cabin nonelectricA Forest Service rental cabin on the North Fork Boise River, about 27 miles of road from Idaho City, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935 and still without electricity.
- Beaver Creek Cabin (ID)Idaho City · Cabin nonelectricA 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps guard station on Beaver Creek, northeast of Idaho City, rented by the night and reached in winter only on skis or snowshoes.
- Big Trinity CabinFeatherville · CabinA Forest Service rental cabin at 7,900 feet among four subalpine lakes north of Featherville, Idaho, below the highest drivable point in the state.
- Boiling Springs CabinCrouch · CabinA cabin of 1935, once the Boiling Springs Guard Station, in a meadow beside the Middle Fork Payette River north of Crouch, Idaho, with mineral hot springs next to it.
- Buck Park CabinCouncil · Nonelectric cabinA three-cot Forest Service cabin at 7,280 feet in Buck Park on Cuddy Mountain, Idaho, reached by a rocky one-way spur and, in most of winter, only by snowmobile.
- Burgdorf Guard StationMcCall · Guard stationA renovated Forest Service guard station cabin at 6,250 feet north of McCall, Idaho, rented by the night beside the old hot-springs settlement named for Fred Burgdorf.
- Cape Horn Winter RentalStanley · CabinA guard station in Idaho's Stanley Basin, in Forest Service use since about 1910, rented in winter and reached only on skis, snowshoes, or snowmachine.
- Castle Butte LookoutKooskia · Lookout cabinA 1950 L-4 fire lookout on a rocky point off the Lolo Motorway in north central Idaho, rented by the night to four guests who haul in their own water.
- Cold Springs Peak Cabin - Clearwater NF (ID)Pierce · CabinA 12-by-14-foot log cabin built in 1931 for Forest Service fire crews, on a cliff-edged saddle at almost 6,731 feet in Idaho's North Fork Clearwater country.
- Copper Basin Guard StationMackay · Guard stationA propane-lit, two-bedroom log cabin the Forest Service rents in Copper Basin, high in Idaho's Pioneer Mountains, about forty-six road miles from Mackay, the last stretches on gravel.
- Deadwood Lookout Rec CabinEmmett · Forest service fire lookoutA Civilian Conservation Corps fire lookout atop Deadwood Mountain in the Boise National Forest, rented by the night as one fourteen-foot-square room with a wood stove and a catwalk.
- Deer Park CabinIdaho City · Forest service cabin rentalA Civilian Conservation Corps guard-station cabin from the 1930s, in a ponderosa meadow above the North Fork Boise River in Idaho's Boise National Forest, rented by the night.
- Deer Ridge LookoutBonners Ferry · Fire lookout rentalA 1965 fire lookout on a timber tower above the Moyie River northeast of Bonners Ferry, Idaho, rented by the night at the dead end of Forest Road 2540.
- Diamond Creek Guard StationSoda Springs · Guard stationA Forest Service rental cabin in a 6,900-foot meadow thirty miles east of Soda Springs, Idaho, built in the early 1990s as a snowmobile warming hut.
- Elk Creek CabinsLowman · Winter rental cabinsTwo Civilian Conservation Corps cabins of 1939 in Bear Valley, Boise National Forest, rented only in winter and reached only by fifteen miles over snow.
- Graham CabinIdaho City · Former forest service guard stationGraham Cabin, a 1934 Forest Service guard station on Idaho's North Fork Boise River, rented by the night to guests who ford the river or land on the airstrip opposite.
- Horse Heaven CabinElk City · Historic cabinA one-room Civilian Conservation Corps fireman's cabin of 1939, rented by the night at 7,100 feet on the road dividing two central Idaho wilderness areas.
- Jensen CabinAlpine · US forest service drive-in cabin rentalWithin Caribou National Forest, Jensen Cabin provides a drive-in camping option managed by the US Forest Service. The facility includes water hookups and allows campfires, with reservations available for the nightly rate. Pet restrictions apply at this location.
- Kelly Forks CabinPierce · Historic cabinPart of Kelly Forks Work Center, originally Kelly Forks Ranger Station, at the confluence of the Clearwater River and Kelly Creek.
- Liz Creek CabinPierce · Early forest service backcountry guard stationA rustic single-room 1929 guard station in a grassy meadow at the confluence of Liz Creek and Weitas Creek, surrounded by the Clearwater Mountains, reached only by trail.
- Lunch Peak LookoutSandpoint · Fire lookout rentalA lookout at 6,414 feet in the Cabinet Mountains offering views of Cabinet Mountain Wilderness, the Selkirk Mountains, and Lake Pend Oreille, 35 miles northeast of Sandpoint, Idaho.
- Magruder Rangers HouseDarby · Historical cabinA two-story log ranger's residence on the Selway River in Idaho, built by Ole Tangen and rented by the night, 34 miles down a CCC road from Montana.
- Malad Summit Guard StationMalad · Guard stationA 1934 Forest Service guard station on Malad Summit north of Malad City, Idaho, rented by the night in a one-room cabin where ranger families once spent their summers.
- Meadow Creek CabinKooskia · Former guard stationMeadow Creek Cabin, a five-building Forest Service guard station from the early 1920s, sits 15 trail miles up Meadow Creek off Idaho's Selway River; a fugitive wintered there in 1936.
- Paddy Flat Guard StationDonnelly · Fire lookouts/cabins overnightTwo cabins available for rental at this guard station; the cabins were fully renovated in 2024.
- Pebble Guard StationLava Hot Springs · Rustic one-room cabinA rustic one-room cabin on four fenced acres at the base of Bonneville Peak along Pebble Creek, surrounded by high mountain vistas.
- Red Ives CabinAvery · USFS rental cabinRed Ives Cabin is a popular location in the Idaho Panhandle National Forests. It served as the Ranger Station for the Red Ives Ranger District of the St. Joe National Forest from the 1930s to 1984.
- Redfish CabinStanley · USFS rental cabinA stay at the historic Redfish Cabin is like having your own private Idaho! Nestled in the trees above the northern shore of Redfish Lake at an elevation of 6,570 feet, the historic (Civilian Conservation Corps 1930's era) cabin offers a perfect getaway for a small family or group of friends.
- Scurvy Mountain LookoutPierce · LookoutA basic platform tower built on the mountain peak in 1917, with living quarters added in the 1920s and refurbishment in 1952; equipped for two with a woodstove and kerosene lantern.
- Spyglass Ground HouseSmelterville · Ground houseSpyglass Lookout Ground House is located on Spyglass Peak, in the heart of the Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests. It's approximately 2.5 miles east and slightly south, as the crow flies, of the Magee Historic Site.
- Tarpons Roost CabinSalmon · Rental cabinThe cabin sleeps six and will be available for rent year-round. It includes a table with benches, cooking and eating utensils and equipment, axe, shovel, bucket, cleaning supplies and firewood (during the winter months).
- Third Fork CabinOla · Rental cabinThird Fork Cabin is a former guard station, first established in 1906 as Station 10 and renamed Third Fork in 1908. A cabin was built at that time, which existed until the site was rebuilt by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933.
- Walker CabinElk City · CabinA rustic four-person cabin with two bedrooms, four single beds, a wood-insert fireplace, kitchen facilities with wood cook stove, outdoor toilet and no running water.
- Warm River CabinAshton · CabinWarm River Cabin is located less than 20 miles from Ashton, Idaho, at Warm River Springs. An Idaho fish and game hatchery operated here from the 1930s to the 1950s. The cabin was formerly the hatchery manager's house. It was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1938. The cabin is open year-round; car access in warmer months, snowmobiles and cross-country skis required from early December through mid-May.
- Warm Springs Guard StationLowman · Cabin nonelectricHistoric Warm Springs Guard Station is open year-round and has recently been restored to reflect its original finishes and paint. It's accessible by car from mid-April through mid-December but can only be reached by snowshoes or cross-country skis for the remainder of the year.
- Yellowjacket Guard StationChallis · Guard stationMany trails for hikers, horseback riders, mountain bikers and off-road riders; hunting is popular; a 40-by-40 horse corral is within the guard station complex.
Lookouts & Cabins in all eleven states; next door in Montana, Oregon, and Washington.