Lookout rental · U.S. Forest Service · Willamette National Forest · Westfir, OR

Warner Mountain Lookout

Warner Mountain Lookout is the winter wonderland destination for avid winter sports enthusiasts looking for a challenge. This replica of an old cupola-style lookout sits on a high vantage point of Warner Ridge at an altitude of 5,300 feet in the Willamette National Forest approximately 75 miles southeast of Eugene, Oregon. The lookout can only be accessed by skis, snowmobiles or snowshoes, a distance of 2-10 miles. Conditions on the mountain change rapidly. You need to be evaluating conditions and weather throughout your stay. Sudden storms and high winds may make skiing and driving conditions difficult.

Lookout rentalReservable · Recreation.gov1 site
Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Tire tracks on a flat snow covered road flanked by snow covered conifers with a snow covered lookout tower and gray-blue sky in the background.snowy lookout in the distance with fogA tall lookout stands in the snow with stairs.View from the Lookout with trees and hills and blue sky.
Photos courtesy of USFS · Recreation.gov
1fire
active
Rx Cold Springs (prescribed burn) · 16 mi away · 158 acres
Interagency incident data as of 2026-10-16
Incident details ↓

Site mix

Fire lookouts1
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.

SiteShadePeople / vehiclesPets
001None4 / 1No

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 1:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

The 14x14-ft. cabin sits atop a 40-foot tower and is surrounded by a catwalk. The cabin accommodates 4 people and is furnished with one double bed that comfortably sleeps two, a table and chairs, propane stoves for heating and cooking, cookware, dishes, and a broom and dust pan. Propane is provided. Cell service may be available from the tower depending on your service provider. There is a vault toilet nearby. No water or electricity is provided. Guests typically melt snow for their supply of water for drinking, cooking and washing. A large pot is provided for this purpose. Items such as bedding, extra mattresses, flashlights, matches, extra toilet paper, first aid supplies, trash bags, dish soap, and towels are not reliably available after mid-season. Guests are expected to pack out their trash and clean the cabin before leaving. Absolutely no pets are allowed.

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

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Warner Mountain Lookout30°40°50°60°70°January: 6.23 inches of precipitation, 1.3 inches of snowFebruary: 4.57 inches of precipitation, 1.3 inches of snowMarch: 5.01 inches of precipitation, 0.6 inches of snowApril: 4.26 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowMay: 3.23 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 1.95 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 0.53 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.56 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.58 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 3.63 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowNovember: 6.66 inches of precipitation, 0.3 inches of snowDecember: 7.54 inches of precipitation, 1.6 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 37.6°F averageFebruary: 40.7°F averageMarch: 44.3°F averageApril: 48.3°F averageMay: 54.2°F averageJune: 59.1°F averageJuly: 65.4°F averageAugust: 65.5°F averageSeptember: 60.7°F averageOctober: 51.3°F averageNovember: 42.1°F averageDecember: 37.0°F average0 in2 in4 in6 in8 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Oakridge Fish Hatchery, 14 miles from the campground at 1,275 feet, station USC00356213 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 46 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 5 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

From Eugene, Oregon, take I-5 south to the exit for Highway 58 East. Drive east 34 miles on Highway 58 through Oakridge. Continue on Highway 58 about 1 to 1.5 miles east of Oakridge. Turn right towards Hills Creek Reservoir on Kitson Springs Road and proceed 0.2 mile to Forest Service Road (FSR) 21.

Nearest townWestfir, Oregon
Coordinates43.5434° N, 122.3664° W · Directions ↗

Good to know

  • This is a very remote location; the road to the lookout is not plowed or maintained for winter travel.
  • Experience in cross-country skiing or snowshoe travel is highly recommended.

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Rx Cold Springs

    16 mi from the campground · 158 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

RV sales & serviceOregon West RV ↗41.6 mi
Outdoor gearCabela's ↗49.9 mi

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

Explore

Worth a stop

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 1.4 mi
    Young'S Rock ↗
    4.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.6 mi
    Moon Point
    1.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.7 mi
    Youngs Rock Tie
    0.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

Trailheads within three miles

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 →

Umpqua National Forest begins about 2.6 miles away, and it is the closest of these.

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.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Natural features

The lookout towers over forest cover of noble fir, mountain hemlock and silver fir at the crest of Warner Mountain. The lookout is close to Middle Fork Willamette River - Moon Point Trail Area, with a diverse habitat ranging from meadows to rocky cliffs and dotted with high-elevation conifers. Willamette National Forest offers prime habitat for such species as Roosevelt elk, black bears, bald eagles, black tail deer and bobcats, among other wildlife.

Recreation

Winter recreationists can enjoy cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling on the terrain in the nearby Middle Fork Willamette River - Moon Point Trail Area. Reaching the cabin on the 10-mile access road is part of the snow sport fun. Visitors might also catch a glimpse of any number of wildlife that lives in the area.

Guidebooks for Oregon

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

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Warner Mountain Lookout?

Sites at Warner Mountain 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 Warner Mountain Lookout?

Check-in 1:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Warner Mountain Lookout have?

1 site, including 1 lookout.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is there cell service at Warner Mountain Lookout?

FCC coverage maps show AT&T 4G LTE at the campground point. Terrain changes that from one site to the next.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

What is there to do at Warner Mountain Lookout?

Winter recreationists can enjoy cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling on the terrain in the nearby Middle Fork Willamette River - Moon Point Trail Area. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Warner Mountain Lookout?

Westfir, Oregon.

Source: Getting there

What if Warner Mountain Lookout is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Campers Flat (3.7 mi), Sacandaga (3.8 mi, partly first-come), and Secret (4.2 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby