Lookout rental · U.S. Forest Service · Kootenai National Forest · Libby, MT

Meadow Peak Lookout

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 current lookout was built in 1957 as a 10' L-4 style for $6299.

Lookout rentalReservable · Recreation.gov 1 site Dark sky 24 ft maxPets okFires ok

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗

Photos courtesy of KNF · Recreation.gov

Site mix

Fire lookouts

This lookout is booked as a single unit on Recreation.gov. The booking page shows which dates are open and how far ahead they release. How the booking window works

Site guide

1 site. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

Site	Surface	Water / sewer	People / vehicles	Fires	Rating
Meadow Peak Lookout	Gravel	No / No	4 / 2	Yes	Standard

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.

Amenities & rules

Max vehicle length	24 ft
Pets	Allowed
Campfires	Allowed, subject to restrictions
Dark sky	7.7 miles from Lost Trail National Wildlife Refuge, a certified International Dark Sky Sanctuary

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.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →

The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Libby 32 SSE, 13 miles from the campground at 3,440 feet, station USC00245020 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 22 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 93 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

From Libby follow Highway 2 East for approximately 40 miles. Near mile post 80, take a left onto Meadow Peak Lookout Road 511. Follow road 511 for approximately 8.7 miles to the lookout. Road 511 is a gravel forest road that is STEEP, NARROW with SHARP ROCKS and LOOSE MATERIAL.

Nearest town	Libby, Montana
Coordinates	48.0797° N, 114.9891° W · Directions ↗

Supplies & services

Outdoor gear	REI ↗	32 mi
RV sales & service	Bish's RV ↗	32.7 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →

under 0.1 mi
Barnum Creek B Spur
0.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
1 mi
Slimmer Creek
1.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
4 mi
Barnum Creek
1.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Kootenai National Forest.

in
Kootenai National Forest ↗
National Forest · Forest Service · 2,622,202 acres
6.1 mi
Lost Trail National Wildlife Refuge ↗
National Wildlife Refuge · Fish and Wildlife Service · 8,907 acres

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

Other campgrounds nearby

FS · MT

Mcgregor Lake Campground

Partly reservable5.2 mi

FS · MT

Pleasant Valley Campground

First-come14.2 mi

FS · MT

Sylvan Lake Campground

First-come17.5 mi

FS · MT

Fishtrap Lake Campground

First-come18 mi

Cabin and lookout rentals nearby

FS · MT

Bend Guard Station

Cabin rental12.566042020161134 mi

FS · MT

Fairview Ranger Station

Cabin rental19.11981467708586 mi

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.

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.

Guidebooks for Montana

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Best Tent Camping: Montana
Vicky Soderberg and Ken Soderberg, 2017
Find at Bookshop.org
Moon Montana, Wyoming and Idaho Camping
Becky Lomax, 2015
Find at Bookshop.org
Camping Montana
Kenneth L. Graham, 2019
Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Meadow Peak Lookout?

Sites at Meadow Peak Lookout are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Meadow Peak Lookout?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Meadow Peak Lookout have?

1 site, including 1 lookout.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Meadow Peak Lookout?

The longest site here provides 24 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.

Source: Will my RV fit

Are pets allowed at Meadow Peak Lookout?

Yes, pets are allowed at Meadow Peak Lookout. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Meadow Peak Lookout?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is Meadow Peak Lookout good for stargazing?

Lost Trail National Wildlife Refuge, a certified International Dark Sky Sanctuary, is 7.7 miles away. Skies that dark carry for miles; a moonless night here should show the Milky Way.

Source: DarkSky International

What is there to do at Meadow Peak Lookout?

Hikers can find places to explore around the lookout, and the surrounding Libby Area offers more than 400 miles of summer use trails. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Meadow Peak Lookout?

Libby, Montana.

Source: Getting there

What if Meadow Peak Lookout is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Mcgregor Lake Campground (5.2 mi, partly first-come), Pleasant Valley Campground (14.2 mi, first-come), and Sylvan Lake Campground (17.5 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby