North Santiam Travel Corridor

Gold Butte Lookout Rental Information

Gold Butte Lookout

Photos in and around Gold Butte Lookout Close To... Opal Creek Wilderness and Scenic Area Trail Area Elk Lake Campground West Cascades Scenic Byway Detroit Lake Opal Creek Wilderness Bull of the Woods Wilderness (Mt. Hood National Forest) For more information... Overview of WNF Lookouts Contact the Detroit Ranger District More contact information

Elevation: 4618 ft.
Built: 1934,hip roof L-4
How to get there: Driving directions from Salem, Oregon
Trail: About 1 mile difficult hike
Staffing: not staffed
Rental status: available by reservation

Perched on the summit of Gold Butte, Gold Butte Lookout offers breathtaking views of the Cascade Range, including nearby Mt. Jefferson, Three Fingered Jack, Mt. Hood, the Three Sisters, and Bull of the Woods Wilderness Area.

Views from Gold Butte Lookout to Three Fingered Jack and to Mt. Jefferson

History

The hip roof L-4 ground structure with a catwalk was constructed in 1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corp as part of an extensive ground based “fixed-point” fire detection system. Eight years later, the Forest Service constructed a cabin just north of the lookout. During World War II, the lookout and cabin served as part of Aircraft Warning System station in defense of the nation against air attack. It was staffed around the clock, usually by a husband and wife team, who reported all passing aircraft within sight or sound to a central filter center.

The fire lookout and cabin were abandoned in the 1960’s and scheduled to be burned. The cabin was burned but the efforts of the Pacific Crest Trust Fund saved the lookout. This group raised money and provided volunteer labor to rehabilitate the structure, continuing their work until the late 1980's.

In 1991, Gold Butte Lookout was evaluated as eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, and is listed in the National Lookout Register.

In 1996, the late Ron Johnson, a retired Forest Service dispatcher and then Director of the Oregon Chapter of the Forest Fire Lookout Association, encouraged the Forest Service to form a partnership with Sand Mountain Society to rehabilitate and maintain the fire lookout. A partnership was formed and restoration began in 1999.

Thanks to Sand Mountain Society’s dedication and hard work, the lookout has a new lease on life. Gold Butte Lookout opened as a recreation rental to the public on June 29, 2007 to help ensure its long term preservation and maintenance.

Directions from Salem Oregon

• From Salem travel 50 miles on Highway 22 to Detroit.
• Turn onto Forest Service Road (FSR) 46-Breitenbush Road and proceed about 4 miles to FSR 4696.
• Turn left onto FSR 4696 and drive about 3/4 of a mile to FSR 4697.
• Turn left onto FSR 4697 and travel about 5 miles to the saddle. Turn right onto FSR 451 and proceed to the first right (FSR 453). Road is gated here.

• On FSR 453, lookout renters may drive beyond the locked gate and continue approximately ½ mile to the parking area located at the second green gate. From the parking area, it is about a ½ mile difficult hike to the lookout. (Day visitors will need to park along Road 451 and hike about 1 mile from the locked gate to the lookout.)

Note: The last two miles of road access is rough gravel and dirt with 10% grade, and is not maintained for low clearance vehicles.

If the rental is occupied, please respect the privacy of the occupants.