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Fire lookout · Flathead County, Montana

Meadow Peak Lookout

Current 1957 L-4 tower on Meadow Peak replaced two earlier lookouts dating to 1928; staffed until the 1990s, NHLR-listed in 2000, and now a Forest Service rental.

Visit & stay

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

Season
mid-June through late September
Getting there
High clearance 4 wheel drive vehicles with off-road tires are required.

Rules

  • Pack out all trash

Overview Meadow Peak Lookout sits atop its namesake mountain at an elevation of 6,710 feet in the Kootenai National Forest. The lookout has been used as an observation point for spotting forest fires for over 90 years.  On July 13, 1948 J.K. Pomajevic wrote, "hiked up to Meadow Peak on Trail 46, about a 6 mile walk from road to lookout. At this point there is a cabin with a cupola on top. It is connected to Bend Ranger Station by telephone". This phone line would have been approximately 14 miles long. The first lookout was a cupola cabin built in 1928, the second lookout was built in 1936 it was a 15' L-4 style lookout and the the current lookout was built in 1957 as a 10' L-4 style for $6299. Leonard Sheffield was the contractor and had 3 Forest Service employees to help with the build. The lookout was last staffed in the 1990's and was placed on the National Historic Lookout Register in 2000. The lookout is typically open from mid-June through late September. High clearance 4 wheel drive vehicles with off-road tires are required. Access to this lookout is along mountain roads with sections of loose sharp rocks and small boulders. This mountain hideaway offers some amenities, but guests should plan to pack in most of their own supplies. Cell service is available at the lookout. Recreation Hikers can find places to explore around the lookout, and the surrounding Libby Area offers more than 400 miles of summer use trails. The lookout offers an ideal vantage point for star gazing on clear nights. Facilities Lookouts are rustic in every sense of the word. They are remotely located and lack the conveniences of civilization such as running water, electricity or telephones. Lookouts are usually one room cabins built on top of towers, 40-60 feet from the ground. They are reached by climbing several steep stairs under the single room. They have windows on all four sides, providing a panoramic 360-degree view. These structures are usually very box-like and simply furnished, as the fire spotter used them for work rather than living quarters. Most likely they contain a center table for the alidade (a round instrument on a pedestal that aids in plotting the fire’s exact location on a map), wooden beds, and table and chair placed on an old linoleum floor. Some lookouts include a propane or wood stove. Lookouts are often surrounded by a catwalk, a deck-like addition built around the cabin affording extraordinary, unobstructed views. Meadow Peak lookout stands 10 feet tall and has a 225 square foot cabin, which is encircled by a catwalk. It sleeps four and comes furnished with two twin beds, both with mattresses. Other amenities include a two-burner propane cooktop (bring your own propane), table and chairs, fire extinguisher, cleaning supplies and some cooking utensils. An outhouse with vault toilet is located near the tower. A campfire ring is located outside, but firewood is not provided. Water and electricity are not available. Guests must bring enough for drinking, cooking and washing. Items such as cookware, bedding, lanterns or flashlights, matches, extra toilet paper, first aid supplies, trash bags, dish soap, towels and an ice chest are not available. Guests are expected to pack out their trash and clean the cabin before leaving. Natural Features The lookout is located in the Purcell Range of the Rocky Mountains and offers panoramic views of densely forested peaks, Cabinet Mountains Wilderness, Lower Thompson and McGregor Lakes. Kootenai National Forest supports populations of deer, elk, moose, grizzly and black bears, wolves and mountain lions (bear safety). A variety of smaller mammals and birds can also be found.

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. High-clearance 4WD recommended; rough mountain road with loose rock.

Can you climb it?
Yes
Road to the top?
Yes, you can drive up
Trail
Reached by rough 4WD road, not a maintained hiking trail.
Staffing
Not staffed (as of 1990s)

Facts

Status
Standing
Type
Cab on a towerL-4The designs: L-4, Cupola house
Built of
Wood
Built
1928
Height
10 ft (3.0 m)
Elevation
6,651 ft (2,027 m)
Agency
U.S. Forest Service (Kootenai National Forest)
Land
Federal land
Location
Flathead County, Montana
Coordinates
48.07960, −114.98927
This entry
VerifiedResearched, then checked independently. Updated 19 Oct 2026.
Firefinder id
us-mt-meadow-peak

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 4.3 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. 1928 BuiltFirst lookout: a cupola cabin.Source: recreation.gov
  2. 1936 Replaced by a new structureSecond lookout: a 15-foot L-4 tower.Sources: recreation.gov, firelookout.com
  3. No record between 1936 and 1957
  4. 1957 BuiltSource: firelookout.com -- Rex Kamstra's Forest Fire Lookout Page
  5. 1957 Replaced by a new structureCurrent 10-foot L-4 tower built by contractor Leonard Sheffield for about $6,299.Source: recreation.gov
  6. 1958 First staffedFirst staffed by Mr. and Mrs. Dave Griffith.Source: nhlr.org
  7. No record between 1958 and 1990
  8. 1990 Last staffedLast staffed in the 1990s per Recreation.gov; NHLR (surveyed circa 2000) says unstaffed for at least 10 years.Sources: recreation.gov, nhlr.org
  9. 2000 Added to the National Historic Lookout RegisterListed on the National Historic Lookout Register as US 344 on May 12, 2000.Source: nhlr.org
  10. No record between 2000 and 2015
  11. 2015 Condition assessmentCollaborative condition assessment with the Kootenai NF, which planned the restoration.Sources: nwmt-ffla.org, nwmt-ffla.org
  12. 2016 Condition assessmentCondition assessment (May), before the first phase.Sources: nwmt-ffla.org, nwmt-ffla.org
  13. 2016 RestoredPhase 1: tower bracing and supports replaced, shutters taken to the Regional Historic Preservation Shop, attic cleaned of pack-rat litter, header and soffit replaced.Sources: nwmt-ffla.org, nwmt-ffla.org
  14. 2017 RestoredPhase 2: ceiling boards, soffit, fascia and west wall below the windows replaced; new shutters painted; exterior scraped and painted.Sources: nwmt-ffla.org, nwmt-ffla.org
  15. 2018 RestoredPhase 3: shutters installed and painted, stairs rebuilt, other maintenance, ending the three-year project.Source: nwmt-ffla.org
  16. 2020 RestoredFinishing touches for the rental program: handrails extended to meet OSHA rules and a way to secure the shutters in winter.Sources: nwmt-ffla.org, nwmt-ffla.org
  17. 2021 AlteredSafety screen on the railing, windows made to open, and a privy vault installed.Sources: nwmt-ffla.org, nwmt-ffla.org
  18. 2021 Opened as a rentalThe Libby District added it to the Recreation.gov rental program (a 2022 NMLA newsletter says 2023).Sources: nwmt-ffla.org, nwmt-ffla.org
  19. 2022 RestoredFinal scraping and painting to make it look as it did in 1957, closing the project begun in 2015.Sources: nwmt-ffla.org, nwmt-ffla.org
  20. 2026 RestoredVolunteers repaired shutter hardware bent by high winds.Source: nwmt-ffla.org
  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.

Meadow Peak has carried a fire lookout in one form or another since 1928, when the Forest Service put up a simple cupola cabin on the summit, part of the Kootenai National Forest's early fire-detection network.1 A taller 15-foot L-4 tower replaced it in 1936, and the structure standing today, a 10-foot tower with a 225-square-foot L-4 cab and catwalk, went up in 1957, built by contractor Leonard Sheffield with help from three Forest Service employees for a reported $6,299.1,2 It went into service the following year, in 1958, with Mr. and Mrs. Dave Griffith as its first staff.2

The lookout was staffed into the 1990s before fire detection shifted away from fixed towers, and for a time afterward the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation kept it in service in cooperation with the Forest Service.1,2 By the time it was surveyed for the National Historic Lookout Register, it had already gone unstaffed for roughly a decade, though weathering and some vandalism were noted as less severe than feared.2 It was added to the register on May 12, 2000, as US 344.2

Meadow Peak was never destroyed or abandoned outright; it has simply outlived its working life as a fire-spotting post and found a second one as a rental. The Forest Service now rents the cabin through Recreation.gov, typically from mid-June through late September.1 Getting there is not casual: the route follows mountain roads with stretches of loose, sharp rock, and the agency recommends a high-clearance 4WD vehicle with off-road tires.1 Inside, the cabin sleeps four on two twin beds and comes with a propane cooktop, table and chairs, though guests must haul in their own water, bedding, and propane, since there is no running water or electricity.1 Cell service is reportedly available at the site, a rare amenity for a backcountry lookout.1

  1. Meadow Peak Lookout, Recreation.gov, https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/10103111 (accessed 2026-10-04). ↩
  2. Meadow Peak Lookout, National Historic Lookout Register, http://nhlr.org/lookouts/us/mt/meadow-peak-lookout/ (accessed 2026-10-04). ↩

Photos

Photo of Meadow Peak Lookout
Photo: National Historic Lookout Register (nhlr.org) · All rights reserved · source
Photo of Meadow Peak Lookout
Photo: National Historic Lookout Register (nhlr.org) · All rights reserved · source
Photo of Meadow Peak Lookout
Photo: National Historic Lookout Register (nhlr.org) · All rights reserved · source
Photo of Meadow Peak Lookout
Photo: National Historic Lookout Register (nhlr.org) · All rights reserved · source
Meadow Peak in 1998
Meadow Peak in 1998 (1998)Photo: the Fire Lookout Museum and Luke Channer, via firelookout.com · source
Meadow Peak in 2013
Meadow Peak in 2013 (2013)Photo: the Fire Lookout Museum and Luke Channer, 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, dates, 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. Northwest Montana Lookout Association Gave us: height, dates, links Northwest Montana Lookout Association (nwmt-ffla.org) · No licence stated; facts only (dates, names, dimensions, the kind of work done). Every note is our own wording and every event links to the NMLA page or PDF it comes from. Positions are copied from the NHLR and FFLA records (NMLA publishes none). · retrieved 8 Oct 2026
  7. 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
  8. Firefinder research Gave us: summary, design, height, 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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