Diamond Butte Lookout

Nice place to spend Christmas. We had some snow and lows in the teens with gusty winds at times, but also some clear skies during the day and night. The propane heater is great - we kept it set to 1 (out of 5 total) and stayed toasty warm.

Our family loved our stay.
We will book it again!

Our family loved our stay.
We will book it again!

This is, hands down, the NICEST lookout we have ever stayed in. Propane fridge/freezer, cooking and heating stoves, lighting...very comfortable. And don't let the pictures fool you - the views are amazing.
A couple of notes:
It can get very muddy, and I'm not talking fun splashy mud. This is some kind of alien technology built to encumber human movement.
Don't plan on driving up when there's snow on the ground. We made it up to the cattle guard and hiked in the rest of the way because of knee-deep snow over the road.
Turn the main propane line on that to the right of the downstairs door as you are walking up. It'll save you a trip.
Follow the directions on the fridge to a T and everything works great.
Keep an eye out for gypsum crystals and fossilized wood. Theyre everywhere.
Theres a cool thermal vent just down the hill at the right hand side of the stairs. Hot mud.
The visitor logs are in the drawers in the table.

Have fun! We loved it!

This is, hands down, the NICEST lookout we have ever stayed in. Propane fridge/freezer, cooking and heating stoves, lighting...very comfortable. And don't let the pictures fool you - the views are amazing.
A couple of notes:
It can get very muddy, and I'm not talking fun splashy mud. This is some kind of alien technology built to encumber human movement.
Don't plan on driving up when there's snow on the ground. We made it up to the cattle guard and hiked in the rest of the way because of knee-deep snow over the road.
Turn the main propane line on that to the right of the downstairs door as you are walking up. It'll save you a trip.
Follow the directions on the fridge to a T and everything works great.
Keep an eye out for gypsum crystals and fossilized wood. Theyre everywhere.
Theres a cool thermal vent just down the hill at the right hand side of the stairs. Hot mud.
The visitor logs are in the drawers in the table.

Have fun! We loved it!

Great stay. Our visit was May 2-5, not hunting season, so very quiet. Only saw a few cars pass the entire time we were there. Follow the Forest Service directions not any Google or Waze. We came from Colorado and made the mistake of thinking we had found a quicker way, but were rudely surprised by a bridge closure near Broadus causing a backtrack of an hour. The scenery was more dramatic than we expected. Like being on a Colorado fourteener. Mountain ranges in the distance. Pronghorns grazing. There was quite a bit of wind but that's too be expected at the top of a ridge. Great hiking around. We had brought our ebikes along and had wonderful roads to ourselves. One day a lone antelope raced alongside my husband husband. What a sight. Another afternoon a quick moving rain storm treated us to a double rainbow that we could almost touch it was so close. The accomodations were clean and well cared for considering the amount of use the lookout appears to receive as noted in the logs. If you hike across the meadows watch out for ticks. Spray before you hike, and check for ticks on return. It was warm enough that we did not need the heater, but nice to see it there. Also a propane refrigerator and stove. This is a special place. We hope others that rent it will also appreciate it and treat it with respect. Thanks Forest Service for keeping these available for all to enjoy.

Great stay. Our visit was May 2-5, not hunting season, so very quiet. Only saw a few cars pass the entire time we were there. Follow the Forest Service directions not any Google or Waze. We came from Colorado and made the mistake of thinking we had found a quicker way, but were rudely surprised by a bridge closure near Broadus causing a backtrack of an hour. The scenery was more dramatic than we expected. Like being on a Colorado fourteener. Mountain ranges in the distance. Pronghorns grazing. There was quite a bit of wind but that's too be expected at the top of a ridge. Great hiking around. We had brought our ebikes along and had wonderful roads to ourselves. One day a lone antelope raced alongside my husband husband. What a sight. Another afternoon a quick moving rain storm treated us to a double rainbow that we could almost touch it was so close. The accomodations were clean and well cared for considering the amount of use the lookout appears to receive as noted in the logs. If you hike across the meadows watch out for ticks. Spray before you hike, and check for ticks on return. It was warm enough that we did not need the heater, but nice to see it there. Also a propane refrigerator and stove. This is a special place. We hope others that rent it will also appreciate it and treat it with respect. Thanks Forest Service for keeping these available for all to enjoy.

Absolutely divine. The wagon is a great help getting things up the hill. The views are insane. What a peaceful place. Lookout is clean and conscientious. Can’t wait to get back!

Absolutely divine. The wagon is a great help getting things up the hill. The views are insane. What a peaceful place. Lookout is clean and conscientious. Can’t wait to get back!

Wow! Where do I even begin? Awesome views, awesome features and awesome design.

When you get there get the key from the lookout so you can get the cart in the bottom portion of the building to haul your gear up that hill. You will want to put the heavy items in the front of the cart or else you will be doing wheelies. Please do not overload as the cart has been replaced or repaired twice over the years but who know how fast that happens. It is also faster and safer going up and down with 2-3 small loads than one big one.

Flip the switch at the bottom of the fridge when you first get there so the fridge starts getting cold. The Forest Service wants all valves turned off between visitors. The freezer with get cold first so put items in there as the fridge portion took about an hour or so to get cold.

Forest Service or future visitors please bring a new hardback blank book for use as a journal or even a thick notebook so people can continue to leave notes about their visit. Some stories and tips and pretty interesting and funny. I am also amazed at some of the artwork people do.

There were no signs of mice upstairs but evidence of some below but there are traps down there.

Full cell phone service & 4G LTE for Verizon. There is a tower 6 miles east. To be able to have that in the middle of nowhere was surprising.

Keep the heater are level one or two as it will burn you up. Super efficient.

Keep the door closed to limit flies or you will be "Lord Of The Flies".

Please note the vault toilet is available for public use so don't leave your super comfy 2 ply there. It will get used or taken especially during hunting season.

This is the NICEST Forest Service cabin/lookout I have ever stayed at. Why can the Ashland Forest District have these cabins/lookouts with power from electricity or propane but others have none at all? Is it the funding or the people running the district?

Thank you Ashland Forest Service!