Arid Peak Lookout

Brought a large group of friends and family up to Arid Peak and it did not disappoint! There were several flat spots near the fire pit to set up tents since the lookout realistically only sleeps 2-3 comfortably. Lots of little extras were available from past hikers such as propane and a hand saw. The smaller water jugs may need replacement so we hauled the 6 gallon monster up from the spring which was no easy feat but we did feel very accomplished afterwards! We used the longer hike from Slate Creek Divide as our access but was just as beautiful and scenic as the other hike is described.

Smoke impacted our views but we had an epic full blood moon as our reward for smoky skies! A great weekend with great company in a beautiful north Idaho location away from the hustle and bustle of fishing and hunting season along the St Joe River- we had a great time and can’t wait to come back!

Be aware that water is not easy to come by out here and the stairs to the lookout are steep! Come prepared and you will have an excellent time.

Stunning views at the Arid Peak Lookout - my family had a wonderful time! There were several items provided in the Lookout, not all of which were mentioned in my confirmation email, such as a fold out cot that slept one person. Some items were things are left by other hikers, such as paper bowls, propane canisters, dish soap, bug spray, etc. It is definitely a very steep climb back from the spring where we collected water - plan to only do it once! Such a fun and unique experience for us.

We are lookout nerds trying to document the current history of Idaho's lookouts. This means we stay at lookouts regularly, and Arid Peak did not disappoint!

Access:
The FS instructions are accurate and easy to follow. The road to the trailhead is all good forest service roads. Once you hit the trail, the first 1.5 miles are the hardest, with the most elevation gain. Once that is behind you, the next half of the trek is very easy.

Accommodations:
There is more outside at this lookout than most. A nice large firepit area, some room to roam, well-marked paths, and an outhouse. A spring is nearby, but it is a steep 1/2-mile trail. For our two-night visit I think it was easiest to just hike in the water we required.

The stairs to the lookout are a little steeper than some others I have been to, and it's hard to fit through the trap door with your backpack on if you are a big guy like me. The catwalk felt slightly narrower than some, but it is fully enclosed with chicken wire, so you don't have to worry as much about a small child or dog slipping between the railing.

Inside we found a food storage box, a desk, a bookshelf, two beds, a table, a wood stove, a stand for the alidade, and some chairs. There were two cooking stoves and lots of propane left by other guests. Though it's common for lookout visitors to leave items behind for future visitors, you can never fully count on items like plasticware, toilet paper, propane, etc., to be there. Always best to hike it yourself if you know you require it.

Arid has thicker mattresses than most lookouts, though I still preferred to sleep on my blow-up backpacking air mattress for extra support.

As always, I recommend taking some time to look through the log books and journal entries.

5 Stars and a big thanks to the FS and everyone that keeps the trails and the tower maintained.

Wonderful lookout & the hike in was beautiful! Lookout was clean & comfortable

This was a great first trip for myself and my son to a fire lookout! Hike in was great and per other trail users, is mostly uphill the first 1.5 miles. The beginning of the hike is through luscious huckleberry bushes so we made a lot of noise and didn't see any bears although I'm sure they're around the area. Bugs were at a minimum which was great. Air quality was great; no disturbances from forest fires. Temperature was very warm but cooled down nice at night. We saw a mom and her one young deer at dusk at the lookout. We heard them first, saw their eyes in our headlamp reflection, and watched them walk through camp. They didn't appear to be skittish. We also had a small bird of prey (kestrel maybe?) almost land next to us on the railing of the lookout in the morning. Had a small garter snake cross the trail in front of us, saw multiple little chipmunks and squirrels, and 1 beautiful little red bird I've not identified but it may be a crossbill. We attempted to hike to the water source/spring once we got to the lookout and unpacked. However we hiked about 0.54 miles (was supposed to be about 0.5 miles down) and the trail was growing less traversed/more wild and once we came to an old tree downed in the trail we decided to head back to the lookout since it was getting dark and we had only hiked down with the jugs and water purifier. Would like to know if the spring/water source is still there?!? Overall a great experience. Hike is not too strenuous and easily done at a slower pace for non-conditioned hikers (like me!). Would probably not take little kids to the lookout as it could be a safety hazard once up in the lookout; railings are good but it would make me nervous to have little kids around it.

This was one of the most romantic trips I've taken with my wife. We didn't mind getting a little sweaty hiking up the trail to the lookout. Especially looking on back the experience. Most of the elevation gain is in the first mile along a hillside of huckleberries. We did see 2 black bears, 1 along the trail and one who was checking us out at the lookout. The views were great. The best views were at night laying down, turning your head and seeing stars or lightning in all directions. The lookout was very clean and had all the basics. We loved experiencing a bit of western history. The solitude and peace really made it magical.
Thank you USFS and volunteers who keep this place up.

P.S. The spring water is very very cold and refreshing. Bring a water container and life straw for the way up

Love this place.

Great hike to tower. Water is a challenge but all around a great trip.

Beautiful weather and beautiful views!!

Nice scenery and wild flowers. Someone built a very neat stone fire pit and pathways. Lookout is in a isolated area so be sure to have supplies/gas before arriving in Avery.