Deer Ridge Lookout

About

Deer Ridge Lookout stands 40 feet above the forest floor on a timber frame tower, providing guests with exceptional 360-degree views of the Purcell and Cabinet mountain ranges, the Moyie River Valley, Moyie Springs, and vistas extending into Canada and Montana. The lookout sits at an elevation of 4,755 feet along the Deer Ridge in the Idaho Panhandle National Forests, approximately 24 miles northeast of Bonners Ferry. The 14x14-foot cabin features a wraparound catwalk accessed through a trap door and steep interior staircase. Furnishings include two twin beds, two chairs, a dresser, and a table. No electricity or potable water is available; guests must bring all water for drinking, cooking, and washing. A pit toilet is located 50 yards from the tower. All cooking must be done outside at ground level; no open flames, candles, lanterns, or gas stoves are permitted inside the cabin. Hiking trails from the lookout follow Deer Ridge and Ruby Ridge. Huckleberry picking is popular from August through September. Fly fishing for rainbow and brook trout is available in the Moyie River below. Elk, deer, and black bears inhabit the area, so proper bear safety practices are essential.

Directions

Take Highway 95/2 north from the Bonners Ferry Ranger Station for 5 miles. Turn right onto Highway 2 and head east for 2 miles. Turn left onto Meadow Creek Road and head north and east for 10 miles to the bridge over the Moyie River. Turn right onto Road 2541 (Placer Creek Road) and go east 1.5 miles. Drive north on Road 2540 for 6 miles until the road ends at Deer Ridge Lookout.