USDA Forest Service · Wyoming
Blackhall Lookout
USDA Forest Service · Wyoming, United States
- Sites
- 1
- Hookups
- 1 electric, 1 with water
- Season
- July 17 to September 7
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Elevation
- 10,922 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile weak · AT&T weak · Verizon weak (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Access road
- BLACKHALL MT (NFSR 409) · native material · high clearance vehicles
- Lake
- Medicine Bow-Routt NFs & Thunder Basin NG
- Nearest town
- Encampment
- Phone
- (307) 326-5258
- Activities
- Fire Lookouts/Cabins Overnight, Lookout Tower, Photography, Star Gazing, Wildlife Viewing
1 numbered sites are mapped one by one - open the site map to pick yours.
About
Overview
Resting atop of a nearly 11,000-foot summit, Blackhall Mountain Lookout is perched in the Sierra Madre Range in southeast Wyoming. Traveling to the end of one of the highest roads in Wyoming rewards the visitor with panoramic views of the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest.
Built in 1963, and listed on the National Historic Registry, this remote lookout tower sleeps 4 comfortably with one queen sized bed, and one twin sized bunk bed. The tower is equipped with LED solar lights, and strong AT&T and Union signals. Don’t miss the beautiful Wyoming sunrises and sunsets and an occasional lightning storm from the wrap-around catwalk offering 360-degree views!
Being a remote cabin, water & Propane are not available, please plan ahead and bring your own drinking water and your own propane stove so you can cook during your stay. A vault toilet is located nearby. Also, please bring your own bedding, dishes, silverware, and cooking utensils. Outlets and charge ports are not available. Additionally, the last 3 miles leading to Blackhall Mountain Lookout require a high clearance vehicle with 4WD. Packing a saw in case of fallen trees on the road is also recommended. Lastly, please be advised this is a functioning fire tower and therefore availability of the cabin could be modified on the reservation system at any time to be utilized during a fire.
Enjoy your stay at this historic site!
Please follow the Pack it in Pack it out method
Charges & Cancellations
If I book this reservation today, what are my options to change or cancel?
Please remember that reservations at these facilities prevent other visitors from using these sites. Planned changes to your stay should be made as far in advance as possible. You can make changes to your reservation ahead of your arrival date in My Reservations.
Changes
If your new stay dates are completely different from your original stay dates, there is a $10 change fee (per reserved site). There are no additional fees for:
Adding or removing nights to your stay.
Changing to a different campsite.
Balances will adjust based on your new stay's nightly rate.
Cancellations
You can cancel the reservation any time before the date of your scheduled arrival. You will receive a refund for your stay, minus the following fees:
$10 cancellation fee
Any reservation fees (only if paid when booking)
Any previous change fees
Late cancellation penalties may also apply:
What is “Late”?
For individual campsites, a late cancellation applies starting from midnight 1 calendar day before your scheduled check-in. For cabins and group sites, a late cancellation applies starting from midnight 14 calendar days or fewer before your scheduled check-in.
Late Fee
In addition to the fees listed above, a late cancellation will also subtract your first night's recreation use fee from any refund owed. As of the expected check-in day, cancellations or changes to your stay are not possible through My Reservations. It is at the facility's discretion to support additional Late Cancellations, No Show, or Early Departure updates – on-site personnel may not be able to assist. These changes carry penalties and may forfeit recreation use fees. For additional details, please visit here.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18° | -1° | -28° | 31° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 20° | 3° | -19° | 36° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 27° | 8° | -8° | 46° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 35° | 14° | -9° | 47° | 11 of 11 |
| May | 44° | 21° | 8° | 54° | 11 of 11 |
| June | 61° | 33° | 22° | 73° | 9 of 11 |
| July | 68° | 42° | 32° | 77° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 65° | 40° | 33° | 74° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 59° | 34° | 13° | 69° | 9 of 11 |
| October | 43° | 22° | -20° | 57° | 10 of 10 |
| November | 31° | 6° | -22° | 44° | 10 of 10 |
| December | 21° | 0° | -19° | 33° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Big Creek Lakes Campground · USDA Forest Service · 8 mi · 60 sites
- Hog Park Campground · USDA Forest Service · 9 mi · 50 sites
- Encampment River Campground · Bureau of Land Management · 12 mi
- Town of Encampment RV Park · City, County & Regional Parks · 13 mi · 9 sites
- Pickeroon Campground · USDA Forest Service · 15 mi
All public campgrounds in Wyoming · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-07-18. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.