Clear Lake Cabin Lookout
Clear Lake Cabin Lookout is situated on the southern slope of Mt. Hood, providing spectacular panorama views of snow-covered treetops, alpine lakes and rugged Cascade peaks. It also provides access to a variety of recreational opportunities, including fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing, as well as winter sports. From December 1st through April 30th, and during winter driving conditions, the lookout can only be accessed by skiing, snowmobiling or snowshoeing 3.5 miles one way from a parking area at Skyline Sno-park. Winter driving conditions can occur in early fall and persist late into the spring.
Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Site mix
| Cabins | 1 |
Site guide
1 site. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.
| Site | Shade | People / vehicles |
|---|---|---|
| 001 | Partial | 4 / 10 |
Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 12:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.
Amenities & rules
| Fees | The lookout is available during winter months, from Nov. 1 to May 31. The maximum length stay is seven consecutive nights. Fees are used for the maintenance and preservation of the lookout. |
The cabin is atop a 40-foot tower and is surrounded by a wooden catwalk. The 14-by-14 room is furnished with a small bed, a wood stove for heating and a table and chairs. It has a propane cook stove and solar-powered lights. There is no water on-site. An outhouse with vault toilets is located on the ground, as well as a shed stocked with firewood. A rope and pulley system is available to transport gear, as well as firewood, up and down the tower with ease. Guests will need to bring their own water for drinking, cooking and cleaning purposes, as well as their own bedding, food and clothing, towels, toilet paper, among other necessities. Garbage bags are also not supplied and guests will need to carry out all trash and clean the facility prior to leaving.
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Weather by month
Getting there
Access begins at the junction of Highway 26 and Forest Service Road 42, 12 miles south of Government Camp, Oregon, at the Skyline Sno-Park. Between 12/1 and 04/30, guests must park at the Sno-Park and ski, snowshoe or snowmobile to the facility.
| Coordinates | 45.1565° N, 121.7185° W · Directions ↗ |
Fire nearby
- PrescribedStone Ck/Clackamas Guard Station Rx - West
4 mi from the campground
- WildfireGrasshopper
12 mi from the campground · 93,972 acres · 98% contained
- PrescribedGoat Stew Rx - West
13 mi from the campground
- WildfireAustin
14 mi from the campground · 12,888 acres · 98% contained
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.
Supplies & services
| Outdoor gear | Valians Sports ↗ | 10.3 mi |
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 32 mi |
| RV sales & service | Adventure Trading RV ↗ | 43.5 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
Explore
Worth a stop
- 10.5 miMirror Lake Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 11.8 miUmbrella/Sahalie Falls Trailhead ↗Trailhead
Trails nearby
- under 0.1 mi4200-240 Spur Snow1.9 mi trail
- 1.2 mi2660 Road Snow2.6 mi trail
- 1.2 mi4290 Road Snow2.5 mi trail
- 1.3 mi5800-230 Spur Snow0.5 mi trail
- 1.5 mi4280 Road Snow ↗5.1 mi trail
- 1.5 mi5800 Road Snow ↗18.4 mi trail
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
This campground sits inside Mt. Hood National Forest.
- inMt. Hood National Forest ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 1,060,160 acres
- 7.8 miSalmon-Huckleberry Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 62,139 acres
- 8.1 miMount Hood Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 64,742 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
Cabin and lookout rentals nearby
On the National Register nearby
- Silcox HutBuilding · Timberline Lodge · 13 mi
Natural features
The tower sits on Clear Lake Butte, a 4,454-foot gently sloped hillside covered with fir trees, on the south side of Mt. Hood. Of the nine peaks in Oregon's Cascade Mountain Range, Mt. Hood stands the tallest, at 11,239 feet. It is thickly forested and capped with glaciers and snow. The lookout tower is perched on the mountainside, near the northwest corner of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. It is one of three Forest Service watchtowers on Mt. Hood and it is still used to spot fires during summertime each year. Originally 100 feet tall when it was built in 1932, the tower was replaced with the current 40-foot building in 1962. It overlooks Clear Lake and Timothy Lake in the distance. A variety of wildlife make its home in the area.
Recreation
The surrounding area is popular among winter sports enthusiasts, as it offers access to miles of great cross country skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling. A ski tour is available around the spring-fed Little Crater Lake. Fishing is available in the various mountain lakes and streams, however, many may be frozen.
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 Clear Lake Cabin Lookout?
Sites at Clear Lake Cabin Lookout are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.
Source: Recreation.gov
How much does it cost to camp at Clear Lake Cabin Lookout?
The lookout is available during winter months, from Nov. 1 to May 31. The maximum length stay is seven consecutive nights.
Source: Recreation.gov
What time is check-in at Clear Lake Cabin Lookout?
Check-in 12:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.
Source: Recreation.gov
How many sites does Clear Lake Cabin Lookout have?
1 site, including 1 cabin.
Source: Recreation.gov
What is there to do at Clear Lake Cabin Lookout?
The surrounding area is popular among winter sports enthusiasts, as it offers access to miles of great cross country skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.
Source: Recreation
What if Clear Lake Cabin Lookout is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Little Crater Lake (1.4 mi), Clear Lake (1.9 mi), and North Arm Campground (2.8 mi, partly first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby