The Long Way
Curry County
A small cabin sits on a mountain ridge overlooking a hazy landscape.
Plate I. Snow Camp Lookout. From fs.usda.gov
People walk up a dirt mountain path with parked vehicles nearby.
Plate II. Access road and landscape, Snow Camp Lookout. From fs.usda.gov
A dirt road winds up a hillside with dead trees under a clear blue sky.
Plate III. Dirt road leading to Snow Camp Lookout. From fs.usda.gov
A person stands on the balcony of a small lookout building on a rocky hill.
Plate IV. Snow Camp Lookout. From recreation.gov
Two people and two dogs sit around a red-and-white checkered table inside a cabin.
Plate V. Cabin interior, Snow Camp Lookout. From fs.usda.gov
A dead tree stands on a ridge overlooking a forested landscape and the ocean in the distance.
Plate VI. Panoramic view from Snow Camp Lookout. From fs.usda.gov
A wooden lookout cabin sits atop a mountain under a clear blue sky.
Plate VII. Snow Camp Lookout. From fs.usda.gov

Snow Camp Lookout

Gold Beach, Curry County, Oregon. Cabin.

Details

Map. Gold Beach, Curry County, Oregon. Larger map
Where
29279 Ellensburg Avenue, Gold Beach, OR 29279. Directions
Getting there
From Brookings, Oregon, and US Highway 101, turn onto North Bank Chetco River Road (Country Road 784). In approximately 8 miles this becomes Forest Road 1376. Continue on Forest road 1376 for approximately 25 miles to the lookout site.
Fees
$65 per night.
Access
No water on site. No smoking. Although visitors can drive to within sight of the lookout, the 200-yard hike to the summit can be strenuous when carrying gear.
Walk-in or reserve
Reservations can be made online at Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777.
Phone
(541) 247-3600
Website
fs.usda.gov
Managed by
Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, Gold Beach Ranger District.
Established
2004.
Coordinates
42.34401, -124.16501.

A cabin-type fire-lookout structure with a catwalk destroyed in the 2002 Biscuit Fire and rebuilt by Don Hartley of Don Hartley Construction in Crescent City, California.

Notable Events

  1. 1910The earliest fire detection equipment was established on site about 1910 and was used during World War I. fs.usda.gov
  2. 1924The lookout on the peak did not receive any structural shelter until 1924 when a 14 X 14 foot square cabin, called a "Hall Special" was constructed. fs.usda.gov
  3. 1942Lookout towers with a view of the coast such as Snow Camp served as Aircraft Warning System stations, staffed around the clock for the entire year of 1942. fs.usda.gov
  4. 1958The Hall Special cabin remained in place until 1958, when a Standard 15 X 15 foot "R-6 Flat" style lookout cabin was constructed on the summit. fs.usda.gov
  5. 2002Snow Camp Lookout burnt completely in the Biscuit Fire of 2002. fs.usda.gov
  6. 2004Don Hartley organized the team of volunteers for the reconstruction, and a new rental opened within two years on June 26, 2004. fs.usda.gov

People

  • Don Hartley, owner of Don Hartley Construction in Crescent City, California; organized the volunteers who rebuilt the lookout after the Biscuit Fire.
  • Elwin Frye, packer for the Forest Service who identified a portion of the Snow Camp Trail as an Indian travel route.

Sources

  1. fs.usda.gov/r06/rogue-siskiyou/recreation/snow-camp-lookout
  2. recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234159
  3. fs.usda.gov/r06/rogue-siskiyou/recreation/snow-camp-lookout