Morton Peak Lo

Open — Open year-round for day-use hiking. The tower may be staffed by volunteers during summer and fall fire season.

About

Morton Peak Fire Lookout sits at 4,624 feet elevation on a commanding ridge in the San Bernardino National Forest, offering spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. The original 1934 cabin was destroyed in the 1959 wildfire, and the current 14x14-foot CL-100 metal tower with flat corrugated roof and metal catwalk was rebuilt in 1960. The lookout is positioned right on the rim of Mill Creek Canyon, providing sweeping vistas of the San Bernardino Mountains, San Gorgonio Peak, and the urban areas of Yucaipa and Mentone below. The site is accessed via a steady uphill hike on Morton Ridge Road (Forest Road 1S13), starting from Highway 38 near Mountain Home Village. The 5.25-mile round-trip route gains approximately 1,400 feet of elevation through chaparral vegetation including yucca, manzanita, laurel sumac, and sagebrush. During summer and fall, the tower may be staffed by volunteer fire lookouts who watch for wildfires and may welcome visitors up for a tour if present. This is strictly a day-use hiking destination and is no longer available for overnight rental as it once was.

Directions

From Redlands/Mentone, take Highway 38 east approximately 1.5 miles past the Mill Creek Ranger Station. Turn left on Forest Road 1N12 and drive approximately 1.5 miles to the gate on the left. The trailhead begins here; Morton Peak Lookout is located approximately 2.6 miles up Forest Road 1S13.

Nearby Campgrounds