FOREST LOOKOUTS
  • IDAHO
  • ADAMS COUNTY
    • Bacon Hill
    • Council Mountain
    • Crooked River Peak
    • Granite Mountain
    • Horse Mountain
    • Indian (Mica)
    • Jackley
    • Kinney Point
    • Lick Creek Point
    • Lockwood Point
    • Peck Mountain
    • Pollock Mountain
    • Smith Mountain
  • BANNOCK COUNTY
    • Chinks Peak
    • Scout Mountain
    • Sedgewick Peak
  • BEAR LAKE COUNTY
    • Meade Peak
  • BENEWAH COUNTY
    • Beaver Mountain
    • Beaver Ridge
    • Carpenter Mountain
    • Charles Butte
    • Davis Point
    • East Dennis
    • Emida Peak
    • Engle Mountain
    • John Point
    • Lindstrom Peak
    • Nakarna Mountain
    • Pettis Point
    • Reeds Baldy
    • Rochat Peak
    • St. Joe Baldy
    • Squaw Hump
    • Sunset Mountain
    • Tyson Peak
    • West Dennis
    • Willow Peak
  • BINGHAM COUNTY
    • East Butte
  • BLAINE COUNTY
    • Bald Mountain
    • Bell Mountain
    • Red Hill
  • BOISE COUNTY
    • Bald Mountain
    • Bull Trout Point
    • Deadwood
    • Dry Buck Mountain
    • Hawley Mountain
    • Jackson Peak
    • Jackson Peak
    • Observation Peak
    • Packer John
    • Picket Mountain
    • Pilot Peak
    • Red Mountain
    • Scott Mountain
    • Shaffer Butte
    • Stevens Point
    • Sunset Mountain
    • Thorn Creek Butte
    • Warm Springs Point
  • BONNER COUNTY
    • Antelope Mountain
    • Atlasta
    • Barton Hump
    • Bear Creek
    • Bee Top Mountain
    • Benning
    • Big Meadows
    • Binarch Mountain
    • Blacktail Mountain
    • Blacktail Mountain
    • Blanchard
    • Blue Mountain
    • Bottle Bay
    • Boulder Mountain
    • Bugle Ridge
    • Butler
    • Cape Horn Peak
    • Caribou (Association)
    • Caribou Hill
    • Clagstone
    • Cottonwood Point
    • Cuban Hill
    • Delyle Ridge
    • East Fork Peak
    • Elk Ridge
    • Elmira Peak
    • Experimental
    • Experimental Spur
    • Faset Peak
    • Gisborne Mountain
    • Gold Peak
    • Granite Mountain
    • Grouse Mountain
    • Honey Mountain
    • Hoodoo
    • Howe Mountain
    • Huckleberry Mountain
    • Jasper Mountain
    • Johnson Peak
    • Lakeview
    • Lakeview
    • Lightning Mountain
    • Lightning Peak
    • Little Blacktail
    • Little Grass
    • Long Mountain
    • Lost Creek Ridge
    • Lunch Peak
    • Moose Mountain
    • Mount Pend Oreille
    • Newport Hill
    • Nickleplate Mountain
    • Packsaddle Mountain
    • Plowboy Mountain
    • Poirier Tree Farm
    • Prater Mountain
    • Quartz Mountain
    • Rapid Lightning
    • Reeder Mountain
    • Roberts mountain
    • Round Top Mountain
    • Sandpoint Baldy
    • Scotchman Peak
    • Scout Point
    • Shaffer Peak
    • Smith Mountain
    • Spruce Divide
    • Stone Johnny
    • Strawberry Mountain
    • Sundance Mountain
    • Tola P:oint
    • Trestle Peak
    • Trout Peak
    • Uleda Point
    • Watson Mountain
    • Whitetail Butte
  • BONNEVILLE COUNTY
    • Black Mountain
  • BOUNDARY COUNTY
    • Bald Eagle
    • Bear Point
    • Bethlehem Mountain
    • Black Mountain
    • Blue Joe
    • Bonners Ferry R.S.
    • Browns mountain
    • Buck Mountain
    • Buckhorn Mountain
    • Burton Peak
    • Bussard Mountain
    • Camels Prairie
    • Canida Peak
    • Caribou Ridge
    • Cedar Ridge
    • Clifty Mountain
    • Continental Mountain
    • Cooks Peak
    • Copeland
    • Copper Mountain
    • Cutoff Peak
    • Deer Ridge
    • Dodge Peak
    • Early Ridge
    • Eddy Peak
    • Farnham Peak
    • Fisher Peak
    • French Ridge
    • Goat Mountain
    • Goblin Knob
    • Grass Mountain
    • Green Bonnet
    • Hall Mountain
    • Harrison Peak
    • Harvey (Mission)
    • Hogue Mountain
    • Horton Ridge
    • Hughes Ridge
    • Hunt Peak
    • Katka Peak
    • Little Snowy Top
    • Lookout Mountain
    • McCormick Ridge
    • Myrtle Peak
    • Queen Mountain
    • Roman Nose Peak
    • Sand Peak
    • Smith Peak
    • Solomon Mountain
    • Squawman Peak
    • Timber Ridge
    • Tungston Mountain
    • Twentymile Peak
    • Two Tail
    • Wall Mountain
    • West Fork
    • White Mountain
  • BUTTE COUNTY
    • Big Southern Butte
  • CAMAS COUNTY
    • Fairfield
    • Iron Mountain
    • Lick Creek
    • Paradise Peak
  • CANYON COUNTY
    • Big Tower
  • CASSIA COUNTY
    • Mt. Harrison
    • Pike Mountain
    • Trapper Peak
  • CLARK COUNTY
    • Lookout Butte
    • Lookout Point
  • CLEARWATER COUNTY
    • Aldermand Ridge
    • Angel Butte
    • Armstrong Peak
    • Balancing Rock
    • Bald Knob
    • Bald Mountain
    • Bar Point
    • Bear Butte
    • Beaver Butte
    • Benton Butte
    • Bertha Hill
    • Big Horn Point
    • Billings
    • Birch Ridge
    • Black Mountain
    • Blacklead Mountain
    • BM Hill
    • Boehls Butte
    • Brown's Creek #1
    • Brown's Creek #2
    • Browns Rock
    • Bruin Hill
    • Buck Butte
    • Cave Point
    • Chateau Rock
    • Clarke Mountain
    • Cold Spring
    • Cook Mountain
    • Crooked Fork
    • Dan Lee (Dewey)
    • Deadhorse
    • Doris Point
    • Dull Axe
    • Eagle Point
    • Elk Butte
    • Elk Mountain
    • Fly Hill
    • Gold Butte
    • Green Mountain
    • Hemlock Butte.
    • Horseshoe Lake
    • Huckleberry Butte
    • Jericho Mountain
    • Lean-to Ridge
    • Little Green Mountain
    • LUNDE PEAK
    • Orofino Creek
    • Osier Ridge
    • Pot Mountain
    • Scofield
    • Scurvy Mountain
    • Shanghai
    • Silver Butte
    • Stocking Meadows
    • The Nub
    • Township Butte
    • Wallow Mountain
    • Whiskey Butte
  • CUSTER COUNTY
    • Basin Butte
    • Big Soldier
    • Bowery Guard Station
    • Cape Horn Peak
    • Cottonwood Point
    • Cougar Creek
    • Custer
    • Deadwood Point
    • Estes Mountain
    • Feltham Creek Point
    • Greyhound Mountain
    • Grouse Creek Peak
    • Grouse Peak
    • Horton Peak
    • Iron Creek Point
    • Little Soldier Mountain
    • Lookout Mountain
    • Loon Creek Point
    • McGowan Peak
    • Meridian Peak
    • Mount Greylock
    • Pinyon Peak
    • Potaman Peak
    • Red Wing (Sheep)
    • Rookie Point
    • Ruffneck Peak
    • Sawtooth Valley
    • Sheep Mountain
    • Sherman Peak (Trap)
    • Sliderock Ridge
    • Summit Rock
    • Thompson (Iron)
    • Wildhorse
  • ELMORE COUNTY
    • Bennett Mountain
    • Cayuse Point
    • Danskin Peak
    • Grouse Creek Butte
    • HORSE HEAVEN (e)
    • House Mountain
    • Lava Mountain
    • Sheep Mountain
    • Steel Mountain
    • Swanholm
    • Trinity Peak
  • FREMONT COUNTY
    • Big Springs
    • Bishop Mountain
    • Elk Butte
    • High Point
    • Warm River Butte
  • GEM COUNTY
    • Squaw Butte
  • IDAHO COUNTY (A-L)
    • Anderson Butte
    • Ant Hill
    • Archer Point
    • Arctic Point
    • Austin Ridge
    • Bad Luck Point
    • Bailey Mountain
    • Bald Mountain (CNF)
    • Bally Mountain
    • Barren Hill
    • Bat Point
    • Battle Creek
    • Bear Mountain
    • Bear Pete
    • Bear Point
    • Bear Wallow
    • Beargrass
    • Beaver Jack
    • Beaver Ridge
    • Bell Point
    • Bemis Point
    • Big Burn Point
    • Big Creek (Patrol)
    • Big Creek Point
    • Big Hill
    • Big Hill (P)
    • Big Rock (62)
    • Big Sand
    • Black Butte
    • Blackhawk Mountain
    • Blacktail (Frisco)
    • Blacktail Butte
    • Blue Joint
    • Buffalo Hump
    • Burnt Knob
    • Burnt Knob
    • Burnt Strip
    • Butts Creek Point
    • Carey Dome
    • Castle Butte
    • Cedar Knob
    • Chair Point
    • Chicken Peak
    • Cold Mountain
    • Coolwater
    • Corral Hill
    • Cottonwood Butte
    • Cottonwood Butte
    • Cub Point
    • Diablo Mountain
    • Double Creek Ridge
    • Dry Diggins
    • Eakin Point
    • Elk Summit
    • Elkhorn Mountain
    • Falls Point
    • Fish Butte
    • Fish Creek
    • Fog Mountain
    • Freeman Peak
    • Gardiner Peak
    • Grave Butte
    • Grave Peak
    • Grave Point
    • Green Mountain
    • Grouse Ridge
    • Hard Butte
    • Harrington Mountain
    • Heavens Gate
    • Hells Half Acre Mountain
    • Hershey Point
    • Hida Point
    • High Spring
    • Highline
    • Indian Hill
    • Indian Post Office
    • Indian Ridge (Pettibone)
    • Iron Mountain
    • Jay Point
    • Jerry Johnson
    • John Day Mountain
    • Lake Creek Point
    • Lochsa Peak
    • Lone Pine
    • Lookout Butte
  • IDAHO COUNTY (M-W)
    • Magruder Mountain
    • Mammouth Mountain
    • Maple Lake
    • Marble Point
    • Marshall Point
    • Maxwell Point
    • McConnell Mountain
    • Meadow Creek
    • Meeker Ridge
    • Middle Butte
    • Mink Point
    • Moccasin Point
    • Mocus Point
    • Moe Peak
    • Mount Aura
    • Mount George
    • Mud Creek
    • Nelson (Mill Creek)
    • Nezperce Peak
    • Nolan Point
    • North Pole
    • Nut Basin
    • Old Man Point
    • Oregon Butte
    • Pettibone Ridge
    • Pilot Knob
    • Porters Mountain
    • Puzzle Point
    • Quartz Ridge
    • Ramey Ridge
    • Rock Rabbit Point
    • Rocky Point
    • Rocky Point
    • Roots Knob
    • Round Top Mountain
    • Salmon Mountain
    • Savage Ridge
    • Shearer Peak
    • SEABURG POINT
    • Sheep Hill
    • Sheepeater Mountain
    • Shissler Peak
    • Slate Point
    • Spot Mountain
    • Square Mountain
    • Squaw Peak (Wahoo)
    • Steamboat Peak
    • Stoddard Creek Point
    • Swet Lake
    • Three Prong
    • Tony Point
    • Twin Butte
    • Vance Mountain
    • VERMILLION PEAK
    • War Eagle
    • Weasel Point
    • Weitas Butte
    • Wolf Point
    • Wood Hump
    • Woodrat Mountain
    • Wounded Doe Ridge
    • Wylies Peak
  • KOOTENAI COUNTY
    • Bernard Peak
    • Boise Peak
    • Boundary Peak
    • Buckles
    • Burnt Cabin Knob
    • Canfield Butte
    • Carrill Peak
    • Cataract Peak
    • Cedar Mountain
    • Chilco North
    • Chilco South
    • Colt Mountain
    • Copper Mountain
    • Dudley Peak
    • Eagle Peak
    • Echo Peak
    • Elk Mountain
    • Frost Peak
    • Hamilton Mountain
    • Hemlock Mountain
    • Huckleberry Mountain
    • Hudlow Mountain
    • Jackknife Peak
    • Spades Mountain
    • Swan Peak
  • LATAH COUNTY
    • Bald Mountain
    • Ball Butte
    • Beals Butte
    • Boulder Mountain
    • Chambers Hill
    • East Gold Hill
    • Flynn Butte
    • Gold Hill
    • Mason Butte
    • McGary Butte
    • Mica Mountain
    • Mineral Mountain
    • Mission Mountain
    • Moscow Mountain (East)
    • Moscow Mountain (West)
    • Mount Margaret
    • Potato Hill
    • Preston Knob (ELO)
    • Prospect Peak
    • Rocky Point
    • Sand Creek
    • Sherwin Point
    • Three Tree Butte
    • Turnbow Point (Patrol)
    • West Emerald
    • West Gold Hill
    • West Twin
  • LEMHI COUNTY
    • Anderson Mountain
    • Alan Mountain
    • Baldy
    • Beartrap
    • Blackbird Mountain
    • Blue Nose
    • Corn Lake
    • Duck Creek Point
    • Flume Creek Point
    • Fly Creek Point
    • Gant Mountain
    • Granite Mountain
    • Haystack Mountain
    • Horse Heaven
    • Hot Springs
    • Indian Peak
    • Indian Point
    • Jureano Mountain
    • Lake Mountain
    • Long Tom
    • Martin Mountain
    • McEleny Mountain
    • Meyers Cove
    • Middle Fork Peak
    • Napolean Hill
    • Oreana
    • Poison Peak
    • Red Rock Mountain
    • Sagebrush
    • Sal Mountain
    • Sheep Mountain...
    • Sheepeater Point
    • Sheephorn Mountain
    • Skunk Camp
    • Sleeping Deer Mountain
    • Square Top
    • Squaw Peak
    • Stein Mountain
    • Stormy Peak
    • Sugarloaf
    • Swan Peak
    • Taylor Mountain
    • Twin Peaks
    • Ulysses Mountain
    • West Horse
    • White Goat
    • Woodtick Summit
  • LINCOLN COUNTY
    • Notch Butte
  • MADISON COUNTY
    • Lookout Mountain
  • MINIDOKA COUNTY
    • Kimama Butte
  • OWYHEE COUNTY
    • South Mountain
  • PAYETTE COUNTY
    • Sand Hollow
  • POWER COUNTY
    • Mosby Butte
  • SHOSHONE COUNTY
    • Adams Peak
    • Agatha Creek
    • Anthony Peak
    • Arid Peak
    • Avery Hill
    • Bad Tom
    • Bald Mountain..
    • Bathtub Mountain
    • Bearskull
    • Beaver Peak
    • Beaver Peak
    • Beetle Hump
    • Berge Peak
    • Bernier Point
    • Big Creek
    • Big Dick Point
    • Binocular Point
    • Black Peak
    • Blackjack Peak
    • Bumblebee Peak
    • Cedar Mountain
    • Cemetery Ridge
    • Conrad Peak
    • Cougar Peak..
    • Dunn Peak
    • Flash Peak
    • Freezeout Ridge (Mtn)
    • Grandmother Mountain
    • Grassy Mountain
    • Griffith Peak
    • Grizzly Mountain
    • Hoyt Mountain
    • Huckleberry Mountain
    • Hulliman Peak
    • Incline Ridge
    • Kellogg Peak
    • Lemonade Peak
    • Little Guard Peak
    • Little Joe Mountain
    • Mallard Peak
    • McDonald Peak
    • Middle Sister Mountain
    • North Snow Peak
    • Pine Point
    • Polaris Peak
    • Pulaski
    • Quarles Peak
    • Snow Peak
    • Spyglass Peak
    • Striped Peak
    • Sunset Peak
    • Surveyors Ridge
    • Taylor Peak
    • West Elk Peak
    • White Peak
  • TETON COUNTY
    • Garns Mountain
  • TWIN FALLS COUNTY
    • Castleford
    • Evans Ranch
    • Unnamed #1
    • Unnamed 2
  • VALLEY COUNTY
    • Acorn Butte
    • Artillary Dome
    • Bear Creek Point
    • Bear Valley Mountain
    • Bearskin
    • Big Baldy Mountain
    • Black Butte....
    • Black Mare
    • Boulder Mountain
    • Brundage
    • Center Mountain
    • Chilcoot Peak
    • Cougar Rock
    • Deer Creek Point
    • Duck Lake
    • Eagan Point
    • Eagle Rock
    • Eagle's Nest
    • East Mountain
    • Eureka Point
    • Fletcher Butte
    • Gold Fork
    • Gold Fork Rock
    • Gray's Peak (North)
    • Horse Mountain
    • Indian Ridge
    • Krassel Knob
    • Lightning Peak
    • Little Baldy
    • Log Mountain (Baldy)
    • Lookout Mountain
    • Lookout Peak
    • Meadow Creek
    • Miners Peak
    • Missouri Ridge
    • Morehead Mountain >
      • Work Party - 2015
    • No Business
    • Norton Ridge
    • Parks Peak
    • Pearl Creek Point
    • Pilot Peak
    • Point 7965
    • Rice Peak (Blue Point)
    • Rush Creek Point
    • Shellrock Peak
    • Short Creek
    • Silver Creek Point
    • Split Creek Point
    • Tailholt Peak
    • Teapot Dome
    • Thunderbolt Mountain
    • Tripod Peak
    • Two Point Peak
    • Whitehawk
    • Williams Peak.
  • WASHINGTON COUNTY
    • Cuddy Point
    • Sturgill Peak
  • New Page
IDAHO COUNTY

CASTLE BUTTE

Selway National Forest > Clearwater National Forest
36N-10E-28
1914:  This site established as an observation point.

1916:   A frame cabin with windows on all sides constructed.

1928:   A L-3, log cabin with cupola, built.   (Kresek)

August 18, 1934:   The McLendon butte fire combined with high winds and smoke conditions, the fire covering a large area and exact details were impossible to determine, as a result the Castle Butte lookout was withdrawn for safety reasons.   (The Missoulian)

1950:   The present L-4 cab on a 8-foot rock and cement foundation constructed.

1981:  "The point was first occupied as a full time seasonal lookout in 1914 when Middlefork District Ranger Joseph McGhee sent Wolford Renshaw and his brother Hubert, with their horses and camp outfit, from Number one R.S. to man the peak as lookout and smokechaser.
     In 1915 Castle Butte smokechasers Wolford Renshaw and Shelton McPherson cut and peeled logs for cabin sills at Castle.  In 1916 the lumber stored at Bald Mtn. was packed over and a cabin was built on the rock capped peak.  Though crude by later standards, this was the first observatory on the Fish Lake District and it did have windows on all sides so employees dubbed it "The House of Glass".  The cabin was in use until 1929 when it was replaced by the more up-to-date L-3 log lookout cabin with a cupola for the firefinder and observer.
     Harry Chenoweth and Russell Stadtman dismantled the "House of Glass" in 1929 and in its stead built a new L-3 type cabin.  The L-3 was designed with a lower room about twelve feet square which was used for living quarters.  The fire-finder was housed in a five or six foot square, glass-enclosed observatory that projected through the roof.  The lower walls of this cabin were built of logs cut a year earlier; gable ends, roof and cupola were built of lumber covered with shingles or shakes.
     The cabin was used each summer until 1950 when it was replaced by an L-4 type structure.
     In August of 1950, Howard Beebe, a carpenter from Weippe, with guard Bill O'Brien and one or two other helpers began work on the new lookout cabin.  It was erected on a 7' high understory of the stone that is so abundant on the peak.  The cabin was one of the several that had been pre-cut at the Pierce carpenter shop during the previous winter.  To make the building more sturdy, all lumber, including catwalk railings, were cut full length.  There was no splicing as in some of the earlier pack-in-type cabins.
     It was built along side the old cabin which was used as crew quarters until the new one was ready for occupancy.  Construction cost was $1711.00.  Logs salvaged from the old cabin were, over a period of years, sawed up for wood to stoke the lookout's cook stove.  Some time around 1970 the lookout was abandoned."  (Louis Hartig, 'Historic Facilities of the Lochsa Ranger District' - 1981)
Rex's Fire LOOKOUT PAGE
national historic lookout register
Picture