OutReserve

Spyglass Ground House

Spyglass Ground House 4
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About Spyglass Ground House

Spyglass Lookout Ground House is located on Spyglass Peak, in the heart of the Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests. It's approximately 2.5 miles east and slightly south, as the crow flies, of the Magee Historic Site. The Spyglass Lookout site is listed on the National Historic Lookout Register. It was first used as a patrol point in 1911 and by the 1920s supported a tower and housing for forest fire lookouts. It was an operational lookout until the mid- to late 60s and then abandoned in the 1970s. Current structures on the site include a 53-foot tower support structure (the hipped roof L-4 cab having been removed in 2014), a 1930s gable roofed ground house used as a residence for lookouts when the site was operational, and a 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed outhouse. Extensive restoration of the ground house for use as a recreation rental cabin began in 2012 and was completed in 2019.

Number of accommodations: 1

Seasonal information

2026 (Current year)

2026 Season availability

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Currently closed - Opens on Jul 10

Spyglass Cabin, Loop:

Price not available
🏠 Cabin Unavailable

Site Details

Up to 4 guests
Shade
Surface: Gravel
Driveway entry: N/A
Campfire
Pet Friendly
View Site Details

Reviews (9)

What Guests Are Saying

The Spyglass Ground House is situated in a beautiful location and features a clean lookout with well-stocked dishware and screen windows, enhancing the overall experience. Guests appreciated the quiet atmosphere and enjoyed activities like Huckleberry picking and observing local wildlife. However, the main gate lock was problematic, especially for late arrivals, and some guests noted the presence of dog hair that required cleaning upon arrival.

Review Summary

4.4
9 reviews
5
44.4%
4
4
55.6%
5
3
0.0%
0
2
0.0%
0
1
0.0%
0

CHRISTOPHER W

Verified

September 9, 2025 β€’ Stayed at: Spyglass Cabin, Loop:

5

Well done, beautiful location. Had a fire burning to the east made it a little spooky but we did have cell service enough to make a call. Definitely not a car friendly road but small SUV is OK. Lock for main gate is horrible, if you show up after dark good luck getting that one open

Carl S

Verified

August 14, 2025 β€’ Stayed at: Spyglass Cabin, Loop:

4

We have to give the volunteers that brought this Ground house back, a great big Thank you excellent job. A few things could make the experience a 5 star by fixing the lock on the gate, I'm 5' 2" and I had to lay on the ground to see the lock to set the code. The gate doesn't do much good when people can go around it, we had visitors early in the morning not an ideal time. I guess I should be use to the dog hair on the bed and every where else when we get there, but I have to clean all the hair up before we can even put our stuff in the lookouts.

Sam H

Verified

July 22, 2025 β€’ Stayed at: Spyglass Cabin, Loop:

4

Very nice clean lookout. Loved the ability to open windows with screens on them. Nicely stocked with dishware too. Great Huckleberry picking!

Jennifer B

Verified

October 6, 2024 β€’ Stayed at: Spyglass Cabin, Loop:

4

The gate was a pain in the ass. Nice ground house. Very quiet. Lots of grouse came to visit and circled the house. Also, this place has the nost beautiful outhouse ever. It's great, also has a nice view.

Josh M

Verified

August 10, 2023 β€’ Stayed at: Spyglass Cabin, Loop:

4

Definitely took a ways to get to but the journey was what made this place special. Definitely wish that the lookout tower or a viewpoint was refinished since the views from the cabin were obstructed. But for the people that maintain this place thank you so much.

Daniel M

Verified

July 31, 2021 β€’ Stayed at: Spyglass Cabin, Loop:

4

I wish I could give 5 stars for the actual cabin, setting, and overall facility. Outstandingly clean and well maintained for a FS cabin. Clean pit toilet. Really one of the nicer FS cabins I've stayed in. Kudos to the volunteers who made this happen.

However, I wish I could give 1 star for the access experience. While the road up there is nothing special and could be easily undertaken by most vehicles, the gate and combination lock just after the final turn are an exercise in pure frustration. You can tell that many people simply give-up trying to open the gate, as evidenced by a short (but dangerous) Jeep track circumventing it. The gate combination is the same as the cabin, however, first you have to find the lock. It's in a cramped metal housing under the top of the gate post that necessitates basically lying on your back, like your crawling under a car, to even operate. Also, you'll also probably want a flashlight or something. Once you find the lock, it's operation is not intuitive. Do not try to align the numbers dead-center with the bottom of the lock. There is a faint line off-center indicating where to align the numbers. You'd probably never figure this out unless you got down on your back and looked at it with a flashlight. Once you manage to unlock it, you're now faced with a blacksmith's puzzle. The meatal housing around the lock makes removing it difficult, and reinstalling it even more so. Altogether, we probably spent around 20 minutes opening and closing the gate each time.

Amanda T

Verified

July 27, 2021 β€’ Stayed at: Spyglass Cabin, Loop:

5

My family and I had such a great time at spyglass peak. It was beautiful and peaceful! Lots of huckleberries too!

Amanda T

Verified

July 27, 2021 β€’ Stayed at: Spyglass Cabin, Loop:

5

So beautiful , and peaceful ! My girls (8 and 7) just loved it!

Mike B

Verified

October 1, 2020 β€’ Stayed at: Spyglass Cabin, Loop:

5

Great location and excellent facility condition, with huckleberries galore. Beware of ATV, motorcycle and UTV users showing up at all hours, gate not effective.

Location Spyglass Ground House

Address:
Spyglass Lookout Ground House
Smelterville, ID, 83868
United States

Latitude & Longitude: 47.8421 / -116.197

Elevation: 1583 feet

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Last updated: June 4, 2026

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Managed by USDA Forest Service