FirefinderFire lookouts of the US

Fire lookout · Shoshone County, Idaho

Spyglass Lookout

Also known as Spyglass Ground House, Spyglass Peak

Spyglass's 1950 lookout tower collapsed and was removed in 2014; the separate 1943 ground house was restored by 2019 and is now the rental.

Visit & stay

You can rent this lookout for overnight stays through recreation.gov.

Sleeps
Up to 4 people

Rules

  • No water or electricity on site

Overview Spyglass Lookout Ground House is located on Spyglass Peak, in the heart of the Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests. It's approximately 2.5 miles east and slightly south, as the crow flies, of the Magee Historic Site. The Spyglass Lookout site is listed on the National Historic Lookout Register. It was first used as a patrol point in 1911 and by the 1920s supported a tower and housing for forest fire lookouts. It was an operational lookout until the mid- to late 60s and then abandoned in the 1970s. Current structures on the site include a 53-foot tower support structure (the hipped roof L-4 cab having been removed in 2014), a 1930s gable roofed ground house used as a residence for lookouts when the site was operational, and a 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed outhouse. Extensive restoration of the ground house for use as a recreation rental cabin began in 2012 and was completed in 2019. Recreation The cabin provides access to several non-motorized hiking trails and a popular fishing stream for day excursions in the surrounding area. The trailhead for Fearn Creek (Trail #407) is about 1 1/2 miles from the cabin and the upper trailhead for Halsey Creek (Trail #451) is about 2 miles from the site. Within 8-10 miles of the cabin are trailheads for Boundary Peak (Trail #325), the lower end of Halsey Creek Trail, and the lower end of Little Elk Creek (Trail #32). Also within this range is Tepee Creek, a favorite fly fishing stream with a westslope cutthroat trout fishery. Slightly further, but still within range of a day outing is Independence Creek National Recreation Trail (Trail #22). This trail offers opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and motorcycle riding. Facilities The ground house measures 14 x 14 feet and offers a dry cabin camping experience for 4 guests; there is no water or electricity. There are two new single mattresses and one bedframe to provide sleeping accommodations for two, with one mattress on the floor. Additional guests may need to provide their own sleeping pads or cots. There are kitchen table and chairs, a Jotul woodstove, wood box, and storage cabinet with basic dishes and eating utensils. There is no refrigerator or cooking stove. Outside the cabin is a picnic table and fire pit. The outdoor pit toilet is located about 150 feet from the cabin and is supplied with biodegradable toilet paper. Visitors should bring plenty of water for drinking and washing up, sleeping bags, matches or lighter, newspaper, garbage bags, flashlight, an ice chest for food storage, battery or propane lanterns, a propane cook stove, dish soap, towels and wash cloth, toiletries, insect repellent, first aid kit, extra toilet paper (just in case), and warm clothes. Natural Features Spyglass Peak is situated at 5,190 feet in elevation and is surrounded by the Coeur d' Alene Mountains. From vantage points near the cabin, vistas of ridgetops, forested slopes, and drainages of the North Fork Coeur d'Alene River and tibutaries extend as far as the eye can see. Wildlife in the area include moose, elk, whitetail deer, mule deer, wolf, black bear, mountain lion, fisher, ground squirrels, grouse, and goshawks, as well as other birds and many small mammals. Nearby Attractions Fishing streams, non-motorized hiking trails, motorcycle trail, Magee Historic Site

Book on recreation.gov

Rental details from recreation.gov, checked 19 Oct 2026. Rules, fees and seasons change, so confirm on the booking page before you go. Data source: ridb.recreation.gov

Access

Open to the public. Ground house available via Forest Service recreation rental program (recreation.gov); combination lock for gate and cabin.

Can you climb it?
No
Road to the top?
No, you have to hike
Trail
Rental ground house, not the historic tower structure, which is a ruin and should not be climbed.
Staffing
Unknown

Facts

Status
Standing
Type
Cab on a towerL-4The designs: L-4, Region 6 timber towers (CT, TT)
Built of
Wood
Built
1922
Height
7 ft (2.1 m)
Elevation
5,318 ft (1,621 m)
Agency
U.S. Forest Service
Land
Federal land
Location
Shoshone County, Idaho
Coordinates
47.84167, −116.19694
This entry
VerifiedResearched, then checked independently. Updated 19 Oct 2026.
Firefinder id
us-id-spyglass

View from the cab

What you see from the cab: every ridge out to about 93 miles, the named peaks in sight, and other fire lookouts within view, worked out from terrain data in your browser.

Downloads about 4.5 MB of terrain data the first time.

Or see what it could see on the map: the ground in its line of sight.

History

Then and now

  1. 1911 EventFirst used as a fire patrol point.Source: recreation.gov
  2. 1922 Built20-ft platform tower, log cabin, and barn erected.Sources: nhlr.org, idahofirelookouts.com
  3. 1930 Replaced by a new structure50-ft pole tower with 7x7-ft cab replaced the 1922 tower.Sources: nhlr.org, idahofirelookouts.com
  4. 1943 MovedGable-roof L-4 cabin moved from McDonald Peak to serve as ground living quarters; later used for storage.Sources: firelookout.com, idahofirelookouts.com
  5. 1950 Built53-ft treated-timber tower with standard 1936-model L-4 cab built; this is the structure most commonly pictured.Source: nhlr.org
  6. No record between 1950 and 1978
  7. 1978 Last staffedLast staffed year, on emergency-staffed status.Sources: nhlr.org, idahofirelookouts.com
  8. No record between 1978 and 2011
  9. 2011 Added to the National Historic Lookout RegisterDate registered per NHLR detail page: January 13, 2011Source: NHLR register entry
  10. 2011 EventLutherhaven Ministries was awarded a 20,000 dollar grant for the restoration project, but late snowmelt prevented work from starting.Source: firelookout.org
  11. 2012 Condition assessmentInitial assessment made of the 53-foot tower.Source: firelookout.org
  12. 2012 EventFFLA restoration grant of $500 for the restoration project, a partnership of the North Idaho-Montana Chapter, Lutherhaven Ministries and the Idaho Panhandle NFs.Source: firelookout.org
  13. 2012 RestoredRestoration work began on the ground cabin; tower left as a standing ruin.Source: firelookout.com
  14. 2014 DestroyedTower cab partially collapsed in July 2014, necessitating emergency removal.Sources: firelookout.com, recreation.gov
  15. 2014 RestoredWork on the ground house continued but was suspended for safety until the cab was lifted off the nearby tower; project closed for the season.Source: firelookout.org
  16. 2015 FireGround house was wrapped as protection from nearby fires.Source: firelookout.org
  17. 2016 EventForest Service declined to rebuild the removed cab; salvage of parts began in November but the cab proved far worse than expected, with little usable.Source: firelookout.org
  18. 2017 RestoredGround house work resumed after a three-year pause with significant progress; painting and interior finishing remained.Source: firelookout.org
  19. 2019 Opened as a rentalRestored ground house lookout entered the Forest Service cabin rental program.Source: firelookout.org
  20. 2019 RestoredGround house restoration completed; opened as recreation rental.Sources: idahofirelookouts.com, recreation.gov
  21. TodayStandingIt still stands, as far as our sources know.

Old maps of this spot

USGS topographic maps from the years a lookout stood may show it, often as a small symbol labelled “Lookout”. See the old topo maps around it on the Firefinder map, or find every scanned sheet of this spot on USGS TopoView (click the spot there to list them, with dates and downloads).

Story

Researched 4 Oct 2026, fact-checked.

Spyglass Peak, in the Coeur d'Alene National Forest, has watched for fire since 1911, when it was first used as a patrol point.1 By the 1920s the Forest Service had built it up: a 20-foot platform tower, a log cabin, and a barn went up in 1922, and in 1930 those were replaced by a 50-foot pole tower with a 7-by-7-foot cab.2,3 In 1943 a gable-roofed L-4 cabin was moved in from another site, McDonald Peak, to serve as living quarters on the ground; it was later used for storage and its support structure still stands today.3,1 The lookout tower most people picture at Spyglass came in 1950: a 53-foot timber tower fitted with an L-4 cab built to the Forest Service's standard 1936 design.1

Lookouts staffed Spyglass for decades. Recorded personnel include John Fertakis in 1946, the Wayne McCormick family in 1951, George Wilson in 1959, and Bob and Kris Anderson, who staffed the site from 1972 to 1976.2,3 The tower's full-time staffing ended by the late 1960s, and it was shifted to emergency-staffed status in 1978, the last year it was staffed at all.1,4

The 1950 tower did not survive intact. After being left standing but unused for years, restoration work began on the separate ground cabin in 2012 while the tower itself was left as a ruin; in July 2014 the tower's cab partially collapsed and had to be removed in an emergency operation, leaving only the 53-foot support structure.2,4 The ground house restoration was completed in 2019.4

Today Spyglass's ground house, not the tower, is what visitors can stay in. It is fully restored and offered through the Forest Service's recreation rental program, sleeping up to four guests, with a wood stove and a combination-locked gate and cabin for access.4 The site also still has a 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps-built outhouse.4 Access is public via recreation.gov booking; the old tower structure itself should not be climbed.

  1. Spyglass Lookout, National Historic Lookout Register, http://nhlr.org/lookouts/us/id/spyglass-lookout/ (accessed 2026-10-04). ↩
  2. Spyglass Peak Fire Lookout Tower, Fire Lookout (firelookout.com), https://www.firelookout.com/id/spyglasspk.html (accessed 2026-10-04). ↩
  3. Spyglass Ground House, Idaho Fire Lookouts, https://www.idahofirelookouts.com/cda-region/spyglass-ground-house/ (accessed 2026-10-04). ↩
  4. Spyglass Lookout Ground House, Recreation.gov, https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/10007160 (accessed 2026-10-04). ↩

Photos

Photo of Spyglass Lookout
Photo: National Historic Lookout Register (nhlr.org) · All rights reserved · source
Photo of Spyglass Lookout
Photo: National Historic Lookout Register (nhlr.org) · All rights reserved · source
1920
1920 (1920)Photo: National Historic Lookout Register (nhlr.org) · All rights reserved · source
1930-1950
1930-1950 (1930)Photo: National Historic Lookout Register (nhlr.org) · All rights reserved · source
Circa 1950
Circa 1950 (1950)Photo: National Historic Lookout Register (nhlr.org) · All rights reserved · source
Spyglass Lookout in 2013.
Spyglass Lookout in 2013 (2013)Photo: Luke Channer., via National Historic Lookout Register (nhlr.org) · All rights reserved · source
Spyglass Lookout in 2013.
Spyglass Lookout in 2013 (2013)Photo: Luke Channer., via National Historic Lookout Register (nhlr.org) · All rights reserved · source
Observer residence in 2013.
Observer residence in 2013 (2013)Photo: Luke Channer., via National Historic Lookout Register (nhlr.org) · All rights reserved · source
Spyglass in 1920
Spyglass in 1920 (1920)Photo: Gary Weber and the Fire Lookout Museum, via firelookout.com · source
Spyglass Mtn. 1930-1950
Spyglass Mtn. 1930-1950 (1930)Photo: Gary Weber and the Fire Lookout Museum, via firelookout.com · source
Spyglass in 1932
Spyglass in 1932 (1932)Photo: Gary Weber and the Fire Lookout Museum, via firelookout.com · source
Spyglass in 1950
Spyglass in 1950 (1950)Photo: Gary Weber and the Fire Lookout Museum, via firelookout.com · source
Spyglass L.O.
Spyglass L.OPhoto: Gary Weber and the Fire Lookout Museum, via firelookout.com · source

Photos keep their own rights and are shown with credit. Is one of these yours? You can ask for a different credit or for removal.

Sources

  1. National Historic Lookout Register (NHLR) Gave us: name, location, county, elevation, what it is built of, register numbers, agency, dates, photos, links National Historic Lookout Register (nhlr.org) · All rights reserved (American Resources, Inc.); facts extracted only, no prose copied. · retrieved 4 Oct 2026
  2. Forest Fire Lookout Association (FFLA) - US lookout lists Gave us: type, status, register numbers, links Forest Fire Lookout Association (firelookout.org) · No licence stated; facts extracted only, no prose copied. · retrieved 8 Oct 2026
  3. Recreation Information Database (recreation.gov) Gave us: ownership, access, rental details, links Data source: ridb.recreation.gov · Public data from the US government · retrieved 19 Oct 2026
  4. Forest Fire Lookout Association: lookout rentals Gave us: rental details, links Forest Fire Lookout Association rentals list (firelookout.org) · No licence stated; facts extracted only (state, name, booking link, manager, closure note), no prose copied. The FFLA says it is not involved in managing any rental program. · retrieved 19 Oct 2026
  5. firelookout.com -- Rex Kamstra's Forest Fire Lookout Page Gave us: design, height, photos, links firelookout.com · No licence stated on the site; facts only (coordinates, elevation, built/destroyed years, design, agency). Photos mirrored with the site's stated credit. · retrieved 4 Oct 2026
  6. Idaho Fire Lookouts (idahofirelookouts.com) Gave us: photos, links idahofirelookouts.com · No licence stated; facts only (coordinates, status/built/destroyed year parsed from each entry's short excerpt). Thumbnail photos mirrored with credit per the project's photo policy. · retrieved 4 Oct 2026
  7. Forest Fire Lookout Association chapter reports Gave us: dates, links Forest Fire Lookout Association, chapter and restoration-grant reports (firelookout.org) · No licence stated; facts only (dates, names, the kind of work done). Every note is our own wording and every event links to the FFLA report it comes from. Positions are copied from the NHLR, FFLOS and FFLA records. · retrieved 8 Oct 2026
  8. FOREST LOOKOUTS -- western US (Ron Kemnow's weebly sites) Gave us: links Ron Kemnow's Forest Lookouts sites (westlookouts, californialookouts, idaholookouts, montanalookouts, oregonlookouts and washingtonlookouts .weebly.com) · No licence stated; facts only (county, land manager, status word, coordinates where the page's own map widget gives them, township-range-section, height and design hints, links). The site's own newspaper quotes, citations and narrative are not reproduced. · retrieved 8 Oct 2026
  9. Firefinder research Gave us: summary, design, agency, access, visiting details, dates, links, fact-check Firefinder research (sources cited in the story footnotes) · Our own research notes; each fact cites its source in the lookout's story

More about this lookout elsewhere

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