Indian Ridge Lookout

We stayed in the lookout on a weeknight in the end of September. The drive to the lookout is on well maintained forest roads, passable by most vehicles. It had just snowed, and was forecasted to be cloudy, a bit snowy, and a low of 22*. We brought a propane buddy heater that was helpful while we were awake, and had warm sleeping bags, but the lookout was very cold. The skies cleared up in the night, and stars were beautiful and visible. We awakened to a glorious sunrise, and beautiful clear views. The sun eventually warmed up the inside of the lookout, and we spent a lazy day enjoying the lookout and exploring the ridge before reluctantly leaving that evening.
The lookout, outhouse, and surrounding area were super clean and well maintained. There were no critters, bugs, or leaks in the lookout. Here's the only downside to this lookout, however: it's popular. Since it's relatively easy to get to, folks just drive on up. We closed the gate at the entrance to the final spur road that leads to the lookout, and folks still opened it and drove up. Even on our snowy weekday, two vehicles came up and spent some time hanging out, and had intended to eat lunch there, but left due to the snow.

Stayed here for one night (Sunday-Monday). We only saw one truck come up that was there when we arrived, otherwise we were left alone. This is a very popular lookout for others to drive to and the gate is broken so you will probably have visitors if you’re staying multiple dates. I had decent cell coverage at the tower and the bathroom was very clean. The lookout was pretty much cleared out of anything and I did not see any rodent droppings at all. The fires were a bit close and the wind change had us a bit nervous but we woke up to clear skies and a gorgeous sunrise. I took away 1 star for the broken gate. I tried to make it look like it was locked but they need to fix it.

We had an amazing girls' night at the lookout! The view of the Three Sisters was front and center, and we could see all the way north to Mt Hood and south to Diamond Peak. This lookout easily makes it into my top 5 out of the 17 I've stayed in so far!

Just a friendly reminder to take note of the limited amenities provided and check if campfires are allowed. As this place is quite popular, it's possible that supplies like toilet paper and cleaning wipes may run out. Although we didn't encounter any bug issues, there were a few small holes in the screens that could be easily fixed with some 2" x 2" scrap screen and a needle and thread. Additionally, it's a good idea to bring some blue painter's tape in case the bugs are bothersome, as there were noticeable gaps in the door and a few other areas. Oh, and if you're up for it, bringing a new deck of cards would be greatly appreciated!

Lastly, it's worth mentioning that the cell service for AT&T was intermittent and not reliable. However, Verizon had steady and good service throughout our stay.

Overall, it was an unforgettable experience, and I highly recommend it for anyone seeking a memorable getaway.

The location is nothing short of spectacular - I took advantage of a surprising opportunity to book one night late in the season, and we had a wonderful time. The tower itself is lovely, but could use one new mattress - it was near useless. The broken gate that other reviewers mentioned is still broken (or, broken again).

I was at Indian ridge for a cold stormy evening. The lookout though beautiful needs some love. There are two twin size beds. One has a mattress the other doesn’t have much more than a mattrass pad topper. Very thin and uncomfortable. The Windows and doors do not have latches and though the instructions tell you to close all as you leave that is not possible except the door which has a latch on the outside but not the inside. The wind was so strong that every 15 min. guest would blow open both windows and the door. I tried putting a chair in front of the door and that wasn’t enough to keep it closed. This is a beautiful and extremely popular look out. Which rents for perfume rates ($75) compared to some others that have more features and rent for much less $40. Having doors and windows that close and stay closed seems a reasonable standard. I will say the morning sunrise is epic, make sure you are up about 45 min prior to sunrise for the full experience.

Clean, well put together little cabin! Just enough space. FYI, while this says it sleeps 4, it has 2 twin beds.

Best lookout experience yet. Screened windows were nice to have with all the flys and wasps… a screened door would be great also. Twin Beds were also very comfy!

We enjoyed a family holiday filled with spectacular views, sunsets, hikes, hot springs, and even some lighting strikes. The stars, Milky Way, and meteors were stunning at night. We explored Rebel Creek, our favorite parts of this hike were the bridge constructed from a huge fallen tree and the large variety of wildflowers. The large floating barges at Hidden Lake are always a blast; we cooked hot dogs while paddling around the lake. Before departing, we did a little maintenance on the tower and installed a bolt lock on the door to keep it from blowing open. A relaxing soak at Terwilliger Hot Spring was a nice stop on the way home.

We had an amazing stay at Indian Ridge Lookout. We were impressed with how clean and well-maintained the facility is, including the vault toilet. We enjoyed soaking in the hot springs and floating in Hidden Lake, as well as hiking around the ridge and exploring. Sunsets were incredible, and we slept peacefully during the quiet nights. One suggestion for future visitors: if someone can bring a ~2 foot bungee cord, the existing cord that holds the trap door open is worn and about to break, so a replacement would be handy to prevent having to open the trap door every time you go downstairs!

Bare bones lookout but in good condition. We had some visitors that came up and stayed for hours. There is no gate to stop non renters from showing up.