FirefinderFire lookouts of the US

Fire lookout · Lewis and Clark County, Montana

Granite Butte Lookout

A Continental Divide lookout on the Helena National Forest, rebuilt in 1962 (per two of three sources), one of only four lookouts left on that forest, now a rental.

Visit & stay

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

Getting there
It is accessible by vehicle, but be forewarned, the road is rough towards the end and high-clearance vehicles are recommended.

Rules

  • Clean the cabin before leaving

Overview The Granite Butte Lookout is located at 7,587 feet above sea level atop the Continental Divide of North America. The 15' by 15' lookout cabin sits atop a 20' tall wooden tower that was first built in 1932. The structure was rebuilt in 1962 and has been recently renovated. This tower was listed on the national register of historic lookouts in 2008 and offers guests a glimpse into the life of a Forest Service Lookout. Located near Lincoln, MT the lookout offers direct access to the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail which stretches along the back bone of the continent from Canada to Mexico. It is accessible by vehicle, but be forewarned, the road is rough towards the end and high-clearance vehicles are recommended. The lookout has the basic amenities including a bed, auxiliary cots, tables, chairs, dishes, cutlery, and a woodstove are provided, but guests should prepare to bring their own bedding, water, and propane. Recreation The Continental Divide Trail passes right by the lookout tower and offers guests access to as many miles as they care to hike, bike, or ride on horseback. There are several other trails for guests to explore within a 1/2 hour drive. The cabin also offers winter recreation opportunities with cross-country skiing opportunities out the back door and nearby access to over 200 miles of groomed snowmobile trails. Facilities The lookout is furnished with one twin bed with a mattress and three twin cots. The lookout can accommodate a maximum of four people. The lookout is equipped with a table, chairs, woodstove, propane cook stove, propane powered lanterns, silverware and dishes. An axe and splitting maul are available for splitting wood and firewood will usually be stacked at the base of the tower, but it is not guaranteed. The lookout does not have electricity or indoor plumbing. A vault toilet is on-site near the lookout. Guests will need to bring their own water for drinking and washing. Guests are advised to bring sleeping bags, linens, towels, dish soap, matches, propane, garbage bags and other personal effects. All garbage must be packed out and guests are expected to clean the cabin before leaving. A broom and cleaning supplies are provided. Natural Features The lookout is located atop a grassy ridge directly on the Continental Divide. The area around the cabin offers spectacular views, abundant wildflowers, high elevation white bark pine stands, open meadows, and large rock outcroppings. There are lower elevation conifer stands and streams located nearby as well. Wildlife in the area abounds; including the more common elk, mule and white-tailed deer, squirrel, black bear, and a variety of birds. The more elusive grizzly bear, badger, wolverine, mountain lion, and lynx can be found here as well. Nearby Attractions The nearby town of Lincoln offers restaurants, bars, art galleries, a sculpture park, and many events that are put on in the community throughout the summer. Visitors can also access the scenic Blackfoot River and Copper Creek from town and the nearby area.

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. Open to the public as a Recreation.gov rental; access road rough toward the end, high-clearance vehicle recommended

Can you climb it?
Yes
Road to the top?
Yes, you can drive up
Trail
Directly on the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, which passes by the tower
Staffing
Not staffed (as of 2026)

Facts

Status
Standing
Type
Cab on a tower15x15 ft R-6 flat cab on a treated wood tower (original 1932 structure was an L-4 cab on a 20-foot tower)The designs: L-4, R-6
Built of
Wood
Height
40 ft (12.2 m)
Elevation
6,887 ft (2,099 m)
Agency
U.S. Forest Service, Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, Lincoln Ranger District
Land
Federal land
Location
Lewis and Clark County, Montana
Coordinates
46.86301, −112.46477
This entry
VerifiedResearched, then checked independently. Updated 19 Oct 2026.
Firefinder id
us-mt-granite-butte

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 3.9 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. 1932 BuiltNHLR and Recreation.gov both date the first lookout, an L-4 cab on a 20-foot tower, to 1932Sources: nhlr.org, recreation.gov
  2. 1934 Builtfirelookout.com instead dates the original L-4 tower's construction to 1934, disagreeing with the other two sourcesSource: firelookout.com
  3. No record between 1934 and 1954
  4. 1954 Replaced by a new structurefirelookout.com says the present 20-foot treated-timber tower with R-6 flat cab was built in 1954Source: firelookout.com
  5. 1962 Built'Built' field on NHLR detail pageSource: NHLR register entry
  6. 1962 Replaced by a new structureNHLR and Recreation.gov instead date the current 15x15 ft R-6 flat cab on a treated wood tower to 1962Sources: nhlr.org, recreation.gov
  7. No record between 1962 and 2008
  8. 2008 Condition assessmentLookout was assessed; the small flat-top cab had been written off for disposal but new interest made saving it look promising.Source: firelookout.org
  9. 2008 Added to the National Historic Lookout RegisterAdded to the National Historic Lookout Register October 15, 2008Source: nhlr.org
  10. 2009 AlteredFirefinder table loaned to the lookout and preparations made to ready the flat-top cab for staffing.Sources: firelookout.org, firelookout.org
  11. 2012 EventFFLA restoration grant of $500 for restoration to prepare the lookout for possible addition to the rental program.Source: firelookout.org
  12. 2012 RestoredRestoration work began with Montana Wilderness Association and National Smokejumper Association volunteers.Sources: firelookout.org, firelookout.org
  13. 2013 RestoredPhase two of restoration neared completion; custom-made furniture was installed, funded mainly by FFLA grants.Source: firelookout.org
  14. 2016 Opened as a rentalAdded to the Recreation Rental program in 2016, per firelookout.comSource: firelookout.com
  15. 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.

Granite Butte Lookout

Granite Butte Lookout stands on the Continental Divide in the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, Lewis and Clark County, Montana, at an elevation the National Historic Lookout Register puts at 6,887 feet and Recreation.gov at 7,587 feet.1,2 It's one of only four lookouts still remaining on the Helena side of the forest.1

The first structure on the site was an L-4 cab on a 20-foot tower, which the National Historic Lookout Register and Recreation.gov both date to 1932.1,2 Sources disagree on what came next: firelookout.com instead describes the original tower as a 1934 L-4 build, and says it was replaced in 1954 by a 20-foot treated-timber tower with an R-6 flat cab.3 The National Historic Lookout Register and Recreation.gov instead say the present 15-by-15-foot R-6 flat cab, on a treated wood tower, was built in 1962.1,2 Given that two of the three sources agree on 1932 and 1962, those are the dates used here, but the one-source discrepancy is worth noting for anyone checking the record further.

Firelookout.com states the lookout was staffed into the 1990s, though neither of the other two sources gives an end date for staffing.3 It was added to the National Historic Lookout Register on October 15, 2008.1

Granite Butte is still standing today and open to the public as a rental, added to the Recreation Rental program in 2016 according to firelookout.com.3 The current cabin, recently renovated, sits on a grassy ridge directly on the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, which passes right by the tower.2 It sleeps up to four on a twin bed and three cots, with a table, chairs, a woodstove and a propane cook stove, but no electricity or indoor plumbing; a vault toilet stands nearby.2 The access road is described as rough toward the end, with a high-clearance vehicle recommended, and the surrounding ridge offers both summer wildflower meadows and, in winter, cross-country skiing and access to groomed snowmobile trails.2

  1. Granite Butte Lookout, National Historic Lookout Register, http://nhlr.org/lookouts/us/mt/granite-butte-lookout/ (accessed 2026-10-04). ↩
  2. Granite Butte Lookout, Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, Recreation.gov, https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/253491 (accessed 2026-10-04). ↩
  3. Granite Butte Fire Lookout Tower, firelookout.com (Rex Kamstra), https://www.firelookout.com/mt/granitebutte.html (accessed 2026-10-04). ↩

Photos

Photo of Granite Butte Lookout
Photo: National Historic Lookout Register (nhlr.org) · All rights reserved · source
Granite Butte in 1939
Granite Butte in 1939 (1939)Photo: the U.S. Forest Service, Gary Weber, Luke Channer, and Bobbijean Buster, via firelookout.com · source
Granite Butte in 1944
Granite Butte in 1944 (1944)Photo: the U.S. Forest Service, Gary Weber, Luke Channer, and Bobbijean Buster, via firelookout.com · source
Granite Butte in 1954
Granite Butte in 1954 (1954)Photo: the U.S. Forest Service, Gary Weber, Luke Channer, and Bobbijean Buster, via firelookout.com · source
Granite Butte in 1996
Granite Butte in 1996 (1996)Photo: the U.S. Forest Service, Gary Weber, Luke Channer, and Bobbijean Buster, via firelookout.com · source
Granite Butte in 2014
Granite Butte in 2014 (2014)Photo: the U.S. Forest Service, Gary Weber, Luke Channer, and Bobbijean Buster, via firelookout.com · source
Granite Butte in 2016
Granite Butte in 2016 (2016)Photo: the U.S. Forest Service, Gary Weber, Luke Channer, and Bobbijean Buster, 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.

Where sources disagree

We show disagreements between sources instead of quietly picking one. If you know which is right, please tell us.

  • Sources disagree on the year it was built.

    • NHLR: 1962
    • firelookout.com -- Rex Kamstra's Forest Fire Lookout Page: 1934
    • recreation.gov: 1962

    Sources give different build years. Often one counts the first lookout on the site and another the structure there now.

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, 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. 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
  7. OpenStreetMap -- fire lookout structures Gave us: links © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL 1.0. (c) OpenStreetMap contributors. · retrieved 4 Oct 2026
  8. FOREST LOOKOUTS -- western US (Ron Kemnow's weebly sites) Gave us: height, 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, status, agency, access, staffing, 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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