USDA Forest Service · Idaho
Lookout Butte Lookout
USDA Forest Service · Idaho, United States
- Sites
- 1
- Season
- July 25 to September 12
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Elevation
- 6,673 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile none · AT&T none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Lake
- Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests
- Nearest town
- KOOSKIA
- Address
- Fenn Ranger Station, 831 Selway Rd , KOOSKIA, ID, 83539
- Phone
- 208-926-4258
- Activities
- Camping, Hiking, Historic Sites
1 numbered sites are mapped one by one - open the site map to pick yours.
About
Overview
Lookout Butte has a history that spans nearly 80 years and has been home to three lookout towers. The first, built in 1923, was 45 feet tall with just a platform on which to stand. A cabin was put on the tower a couple years later. In 1935, a 50-foot tower was constructed. A new tower was built beside the old one in 1962, and this is currently available for rent.
The current 60-foot wooden tower offers panoramic views and the perfect setting for enjoying the area's tranquility and natural beauty. Guests can enjoy the scenery from the exterior catwalk or from inside the single-room cabin.
Recreation
Several primitive roads in the area are open to mountain biking and off-road vehicles. Other activities in the area include hiking through second-growth forest and birding.
Facilities
The lookout has room for up to four people and comes with two twin beds with foam mattresses and two cots. Other amenities include a propane stove and oven, a table and chairs, a broom, a bucket and a mop.
A pit toilet sits downhill to the south of the lookout, and there's a campfire ring near the base. Guests should be prepared to haul supplies up five flights of stairs.
Guests are required to bring their own drinking water. Other recommended supplies include food, sleeping bags or bedding, coolers, cookware and utensils, dishes, warm clothing and rain gear, flashlights, extra batteries, first aid kit, matches, toilet paper, garbage bags and the combination for the lookout and gate. Click here for more information about this lookout.
Natural Features
The lookout sits at 5,869 feet in elevation with breathtaking views of the Selway Crags in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness area, the Seven Devils Mountain Range, Coolwater Ridge, Pilot Knob Lookout and the Lochsa and Selway River drainages.
Nearby Attractions
Guests can take a sightseeing drive from Lowell to Selway Falls and back. This 42-mile drive offers opportunities to appreciate the pristine beauty of the Selway River, a Wild and Scenic River, as well as picturesque Selway Falls.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 14° | -11° | 35° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 27° | 14° | -9° | 40° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 35° | 20° | 7° | 51° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 37° | 23° | 9° | 60° | 11 of 11 |
| May | 48° | 28° | 19° | 69° | 11 of 11 |
| June | 62° | 38° | 27° | 80° | 8 of 11 |
| July | 75° | 49° | 33° | 87° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 74° | 49° | 39° | 85° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 63° | 40° | 29° | 79° | 3 of 11 |
| October | 49° | 27° | 4° | 67° | 9 of 10 |
| November | 36° | 19° | -10° | 57° | 10 of 10 |
| December | 24° | 9° | -5° | 37° | 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
- Windy Camp · USDA Forest Service · 4 mi
- Elkhorn Beach · Bureau of Land Management · 12 mi · 2 sites
- Rocky Bluff Campground · USDA Forest Service · 12 mi
- Van Creek Campground · USDA Forest Service · 13 mi
- Adams Ranger Station · USDA Forest Service · 14 mi · 1 sites
All public campgrounds in Idaho · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-02-25. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.