IRON MOUNTAIN
Camas County - Sawtooth National Forest - 2N-12E-5
1921: A District 5 style ground house erected.
November 1, 1922: "The high peaks of the Sawtooth range were decorated with white the result of a storm wave that precipitated rain in the valleys and foothills. On the Iron Mountain lookout 59 miles west of Hailey, four inches of snow were reported." (The Challis Messenger)
June 29, 1934: "Mr. and Mrs. Neil Platts are stationed at the Iron Mountain lookout for the season. Platts reports 21 as the lowest relative humidity reading recorded this year." (Twin Falls Daily News)
July 5, 1935: "Mr. and Mrs. Niel Platt arrived at the Iron Mountain lookout station Tuesday, where Mr. Platt will be the lookout during the fire season." (The Idaho Statesman)
October 11, 1938: "Mr. and Mrs. Clair Pond, who have had charge of Iron Mountain lookout on Soldier mountain this past season, have finished their work there and moved back to the Prairie Wednesday." (The Twin Falls News)
March 6, 1942: 84 acres withdrawn from the public domain for the lookout site.
October 18, 1960: "J.H. Seaver, Twin Falls, has been awarded the contract to build a two-story pumice block lookout at Iron mountain, according to Russell Lyons, engineer for the Sawtooth national forest.
The new lookout will have a storeroom on the ground floor with the lookout on the top floor. The lookout is located in Elmore county about 80 miles from Mountain Home.
Lyons said Seaver plans to start work on the lookout building as soon as possible, and if the weather remains good, Seaver hopes to have the building completed this fall." (Times-News)
1961: A R-4 modified R-6 lookout house erected over a cinder block first story.
May 18, 1964: After a review of the withdrawn area decreased to 40 acres.
July 10, 1986: "Jack Exon, fire management officer for the Fairfield Ranger District of the Sawtooth National Forest, is looking for someone who would like to volunteer their time this summer to man the district's Iron Mountain fire lookout tower.
'The lookout sits on top of the 9,694-foot Iron Mountain, approximately 12 air miles southeast of Featherville,' Exon said. 'Access to the lookout is by trail, through the use of motorcycles, foot, or horseback.'
Exon said the Forest Service will provide transportation to the lookout, via helicopter, for the person, or persons, volunteering to man the lookout." (The Times-News)
1989: The site once again re-evaluated and downsized the withdrawal to approximately 5 acres.
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1935 (EBL)
ON IRON MOUNTAIN, ONE OF THE HIGHEST PEAKS OF THE SOLDIER
MOUNTAINS, ON THE NORTHWEST END OF THIS RANGE, ABOUT 8 PACES
FROM THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE LOOKOUT HOUSE AND IN MAGNETIC
AZIMUTH 357 DEGREES.
TO REACH FROM FEATHERVILLE, TAKE ROAD UP THE SOUTH FORK BOISE
RIVER FOR APPROXIMATELY 13 MILES TO A NARROW BRIDGE ACROSS
THE RIVER, THENCE DOWN THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE RIVER TO
BEAVER CREEK, OR BY FORDING THE RIVER 1/2 MILE ABOVE THE
RANCH HOUSES OF MUGS HOWLAND, THENCE UP THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE
BEAVER CREEK TRAIL TO THE IRON MOUNTAIN LOOKOUT HOUSE. THE
TRAIL FOLLOWS THE TELEPHONE LINE. ABOUT A 5-HOUR HORSE PACK.