The Long Way
Shoshone County
A small white building with an American flag and a tall wooden tower nearby outdoors.
Plate I. Spyglass Ground House, Idaho Panhandle NF. From recreation.gov
A small white building with a flagpole and an American flag stands outside among trees under a blue sky.
Plate II. Spyglass Ground House. From recreation.gov
A white cabin stands in a foggy mountain landscape.
Plate III. Spyglass Ground House in fog. From recreation.gov
A white cabin and an American flag stand on a mountain ridge among trees.
Plate IV. Exterior view of Spyglass Ground House. From recreation.gov
Several people working on the exterior of a small wooden building.
Plate V. Restoration of Spyglass Ground House. Photograph by Forest Service - Northern Region, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
A scenic view of rolling mountains covered in forests under a blue sky.
Plate VI. Mountain view, Spyglass Ground House. From recreation.gov
A small white building with many windows and a shingled roof stands surrounded by trees under a blue sky.
Plate VII. Spyglass Ground House exterior. From recreation.gov
A scenic view of distant mountains, evergreen trees, and autumn foliage.
Plate VIII. Scenic view, Spyglass Ground House. From recreation.gov

Spyglass Ground House

Smelterville, Shoshone County, Idaho. Ground house.

Details

Map. Smelterville, Shoshone County, Idaho. Larger map
Where
Smelterville, Shoshone County, ID. No street address stated. Directions
When
Check-in 2:00 p.m.; check-out 11:00 a.m.
Getting there
From I-90 take Exit #43 (Kingston) and drive 24 miles north on Forest Highway 9 (2-lane and paved) to Prichard Junction. Continue on Forest Road 208 for 28 miles to the end of pavement, then Forest Road 6310 (gravel, large rocks and potholes). Travel 7 miles to Magee Ranger.
Access
No water on site; bring 1 gallon per person per day for drinking and washing. Pack in / pack out; bring garbage bags. No dogs. No tent or RV camping; all visitors must sleep in the cabin. Wood stove subject to fire restrictions.
Walk-in or reserve
Reservation required via recreation.gov; a combination code is emailed on confirmation to open both the gate and the cabin.
Phone
208-783-2363
Managed by
Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests.
Established
1911.
Coordinates
47.84207335, -116.1969809.

Spyglass 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.

Notable Events

  1. 1922A 20' platform tower, log cabin, and barn were erected on Spyglass Peak. idahofirelookouts.com
  2. 1930A 50' pole tower with 7x7' cab replaced the first tower in 1930. firelookout.com
  3. 1943In 1943, an L-4 cab was added for living quarters on the ground, later remodeled for storage, and is still on the summit. firelookout.com
  4. 1943The L-4 cabin was moved from McDonald Peak for quarters. idahofirelookouts.com
  5. 1950A 53' treated timber tower with L-4 cab, built in 1950, was last staffed in 1978. firelookout.com
  6. 1950Sometime after the new live-in lookout tower was constructed in 1950, the L-4 ground house was converted to storage by removing the windows and covering the outside with siding and the inside with plywood. firelookout.org
  7. 1970sIt was an operational lookout until the mid- to late 60s and then abandoned in the 1970s. recreation.gov
  8. 1978A 53' treated timber tower with L-4 cab, built in 1950, was last staffed in 1978. firelookout.com
  9. 1978The lookout was put on Emergency Staffed status. idahofirelookouts.com
  10. 2011Lutherhaven Executive Director Bob Baker and FFLA's Gary Weber met IPNF Forest Archaeologist Steve Matz and Coeur d'Alene River District Recreation Planner Claire Pitner, who supported restoring Spyglass and adding the site to the cabin rental program. firelookout.org
  11. 2012Work began on refurbishing the ground cabin in 2012, while the tower was left as a standing ruin. firelookout.com
  12. 2012Two major regional grants totaling more than $25,000, arranged through Lutherhaven's efforts, let the Idaho Panhandle National Forests, Lutherhaven Ministries, and the Forest Fire Lookout Association begin renovating the tower, groundhouse, and outhouse. spokesman.com
  13. 2014In July 2014, the tower cab partially collapsed, necessitating its emergency removal. firelookout.com
  14. 2014Current structures on the site include a 53-foot tower support structure (the hipped roof L-4 cab having been removed in 2014), a 1930s gable roofed ground house used as a residence for lookouts when the site was operational, and a 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed outhouse. recreation.gov
  15. 201726 volunteers contributed 526 hours in 2017 toward finishing the restoration of the 1930's gable-roofed ground house; volunteers have put in 4500 hours since the project started in 2012. commons.wikimedia.org
  16. 2019The bureaucratic process for the cabin rental program was completed and Spyglass is now available thru recreation.gov. firelookout.org

People

  • Bob Baker, Lutherhaven Executive Director who began the Spyglass restoration partnership in 2011 (2011).
  • Fred Simmet, Forest Service maintenance worker overseeing restoration.
  • Steve Matz, IPNF Forest Archaeologist who supported the restoration (2011).
  • George Wilson, lookout personnel (1959).
  • John Fertakis, lookout personnel (1946).
  • Mr. and Mrs. Byron Fitch, lookout personnel (1962).
  • Mr. and Mrs. David Bell, lookout personnel (1961).
  • Mr. and Mrs. Dean Dykes, lookout personnel (1966).
  • Mr. and Mrs. Jas. Murray, lookout personnel (1956).
  • Mr. and Mrs. Joe Harrington, lookout personnel (1955).
  • Mr. and Mrs. Robert Lamb, lookout personnel (1948).
  • Mr. and Mrs. Wayne McCormick, lookout personnel (1951).
  • Robert Anderson, lookout personnel (1972).
  • Ronald Warren, lookout personnel (1965).
  • Tim Jones, lookout personnel (1967-1968).
  • Claire Pitner, Coeur d'Alene River District Recreation Planner who supported the restoration (2011).
  • Gary Weber, FFLA representative in the 2011 meeting that launched the restoration (2011).
  • Jim and Frances Irwin, Spyglass lookouts (1964).
  • Bob and Kris Anderson, staffed the lookout (1972 through 1976).

Sources

  1. recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/10007160
  2. idahofirelookouts.com/cda-region/spyglass-ground-house
  3. recreation.gov/api/camps/campgrounds/10007160
  4. firelookout.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/30-2.pdf
  5. idahofirelookouts.com/cda-region/spyglass-ground-house
  6. spokesman.com/stories/2012/jul/26/spyglass-lookout-gets-tlc-frm-lutherhaven-voluntee
  7. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2017_Spyglass_Lookout_Ground_House_Restoration_(40396526792).jpg
  8. cdapress.com/news/2012/aug/06/an-eye-on-spyglass-5
  9. firelookout.com/id/spyglasspk.html