Lookout Butte Lookout

Closed — Currently closed due to structural deficiencies discovered in the tower. The tower and surrounding area are closed to the public until repairs can be completed.

About

Lookout Butte has a rich history spanning nearly a century, having been home to three different lookout towers since 1923. The current 60-foot wooden tower was built in 1962 and sits at 5,869 feet elevation, offering spectacular 360-degree views of the Selway Crags in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, the Seven Devils Mountain Range, Coolwater Ridge, and the Lochsa and Selway River drainages. The single-room cabin accommodates up to four people with two twin beds with foam mattresses and two cots. Amenities include a propane stove and oven, table and chairs, and basic cleaning supplies. A pit toilet is located downhill from the tower, and a campfire ring sits near the base. Guests must haul all supplies up five flights of stairs and pack out all trash. The lookout is accessible via rough forest roads requiring high-clearance vehicles, with the final quarter to half mile being particularly challenging. The area offers opportunities for mountain biking, off-road vehicle use, hiking through second-growth forest, and birding. The nearby Selway River, designated as Wild and Scenic, provides additional scenic attractions including Selway Falls.

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 Highway 12, cross the Middle Fork Clearwater River at the bridge above Kooskia (MP 74), turn left onto paved County Road 1842 toward Kooskia National Fish Hatchery. Pass the hatchery approximately 3.5 miles, stay left on County Route 286 for approximately 5 miles until it converts to Forest Road 286. Follow FR 286 for an additional 8 miles, stay right at the junction with FR 470, continue 1.5 miles to junction with FR 1129 and turn left. Travel approximately 1.3 miles to the signed spur road on the right. High clearance vehicle required for the final segment.

Nearby Campgrounds