Hirz Mountain Lookout
The McCloud River Wintu tribe held Hirz Mountain in reverence and had a name for it in their own language. But it was a white miner, Henry Hirz, who gave the mountain its modern name. Hirz was a gold miner who lived on Hirz Creek in the 1860s and was one of the earliest white men in the McCloud River country. When the lookout was built, it was originally a structure that sat on the ground. The mountain was a strategic location for detecting fires because it had a direct view into the headwaters of the McCloud River and most of its tributaries. In 1937, the Forest Service and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) rebuilt the Hirz Mountain Lookout cabin and included a garage and outhouse.
Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Site mix
| Cabins | 1 |
Site guide
1 site. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.
| Site | Surface | People / vehicles |
|---|---|---|
| 001 | Gravel | 4 / 4 |
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
| Pets | Allowed |
| Fees | If the reservation was made through recreation.gov please call 1-877-444-6777 to make a refund request. Refunds must be requested no later than 14 days before your scheduled arrival date for a full refund (excluding recreation.gov fee’s). |
There are two twin beds offering sleeping space for two people. There is a picnic table below the lookout and a composting toilet in a separate building. Cabinets and dressers are available for storage. Visitors will find cleaning supplies for tidying up the cabin when they leave. The lookout has no cooking facilities, linens, bedding, water or electricity. Visitors must bring enough water for the length of their stay, as well as garbage bags to pack out their trash. Appropriate footwear is recommended for the hike up to the lookout. Other items to consider include food, a cell phone, cook stove, matches, a cooler with ice, personal items, first aid kit, flashlights or lanterns and extra batteries. A California campfire permit is required for the use of a portable gas stove, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel for cooking
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Weather by month
Getting there
From Redding, California, take Interstate 5 north approximately 20 miles to Gilman Road, exit 698. Turn right and follow Gilman Road approximately 5 miles to road 35N04. Turn left on the road 35N04. This steep, rocky, dirt road is not recommended for low clearance passenger vehicles. Travel approximately 5 miles to the locked gate.
| Nearest town | Redding, California |
| Coordinates | 40.9136° N, 122.2625° W · Directions ↗ |
Good to know
- Coming here is not for the faint of heart.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedShf Rx
26 mi from the campground
- PrescribedFive-6 Rx
36 mi from the campground
- PrescribedFive-7 Rx
38 mi from the campground
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.
Supplies & services
| RV sales & service | Cousin Gary RV Center ↗ | 18.4 mi |
| Outdoor gear | Ted Fay Fly Shop ↗ | 20.6 mi |
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 24.2 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
Explore
Worth a stop
- 3 miDekkas Rock Day Use Area ↗Day use
- 3.5 miHirz Bay Public Boat Ramp ↗Boat launch
- 3.6 mi
Trails nearby
- 1.2 miSamwell Cave0.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 3 miHirz Bay1.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 3.8 miDekkas2.5 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
This campground sits inside Shasta-Trinity National Forest.
- inShasta-Trinity National Forest ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 2,715,499 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
Natural features
This lookout tower sits atop Hirz Mountain at an elevation of 3,540 feet, offering 360-degree views of Mt. Shasta's snow-laced peak to the north, Mt. Lassen to the southeast and the gray limestone exposures of Hirz Mountain itself. The narrow blue-green ribbon of the McCloud River Arm winds past the east side of Hirz Mountain, extending north and south as far as the eye can see. Visitors to Hirz Mountain Lookout are advised to use caution, as rattlesnakes and bears frequent
Recreation
The main recreational activities at Hirz Mountain Lookout are sightseeing and stargazing, and this is an ideal setting for those with a passion for photography. Visitors may want to bring binoculars to go birding and wildlife watching. There are also opportunities to hike, mountain bike and hunt in the area.
Guidebooks for California
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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 Hirz Mountain Lookout?
Sites at Hirz Mountain 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 Hirz Mountain Lookout?
If the reservation was made through recreation.gov please call 1-877-444-6777 to make a refund request. Refunds must be requested no later than 14 days before your scheduled arrival date for a full refund (excluding recreation.gov fee’s).
Source: Recreation.gov
What time is check-in at Hirz Mountain Lookout?
Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.
Source: Recreation.gov
How many sites does Hirz Mountain Lookout have?
1 site, including 1 cabin.
Source: Recreation.gov
Are pets allowed at Hirz Mountain Lookout?
Yes, pets are allowed at Hirz Mountain Lookout. Leash rules apply.
Source: Recreation.gov
What is there to do at Hirz Mountain Lookout?
The main recreational activities at Hirz Mountain Lookout are sightseeing and stargazing, and this is an ideal setting for those with a passion for photography. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.
Source: Recreation
What is the nearest town to Hirz Mountain Lookout?
Redding, California.
Source: Getting there
What if Hirz Mountain Lookout is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Ellery Creek (1.1 mi), Pine Point (1.2 mi), and Mccloud Bridge (1.9 mi, first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby