Granite Butte Lookout

Beautiful! Great huck picking along road. Expect visitors!

Incredible opportunity, with some of the best imaginable views possible. We loved it and would stay at another one in a heartbeat. I understand some of the people who stayed before us absolutely left the place a mess, which is a shame, much thanks to the people who stayed right before us and spent a lot of time cleaning up the place and making it look wonderful. Please everyone who stays there, take care of this treasure of a place!

If you’re looking for solitude and quiet this may not be the place for you. The lookout itself is fine. What I think would be helpful is an option of a sign to attach to the gate at the bottom of the stairs indicating that the lookout is rented and that privacy should be respected. If you want to visit with all the sightseers coming up you could leave the sign down. We felt like animals in a zoo at times. (You could make and bring your own).
Also, I highly recommend bringing earplugs. The wind blows so hard at times that you can’t sleep due to the creaking, squeaking, grinding, tapping, and various noises the building makes.
The views are great though. And the lookout is well stocked. That last mile and a half is pretty rough.

I was very pleased with my stay at Granite Butte Lookout. Site conditions were harsh due to strong winds throughout my visit, but this was clearly explained during the booking process so there were no surprises.

I parked at Stemple Pass and hiked up Marsh Creek Road. The road is very steep and exposed in places. Trail access from Stemple Pass was challenging because of blowdown, but the obstruction was not far from the trailhead and it was easy to divert to the road and continue to the lookout.

The summit offers breathtaking 360-degree views with spectacular sunrise and sunset scenery. The lookout itself is a unique place to spend the night and provides an unforgettable mountain-top experience.

Overall, a memorable and rewarding stay with incredible views.

This was a super cool experience ! The drive up via temple pass road isn’t too bad, and the view from the lookout is beautiful. The wind was definitely very intense, probably close to 60mph the day we got there and through the night. The sunrise view from here was incredible!
The lookout is pretty well stocked with wood, lanterns, and other items. The only issue was that both of the cots aren’t very usable, (one is broken and the other is on the verge of breaking and the fabric has become very thin), it would be really nice if those could be replaced. I would recommend bringing a fuel canister to use the cooking stove, and some kindling to make it easier to start the fire in the wood stove. Overall, I would recommend granite butte lookout but be prepared for the wind!

The views were amazing! And all the entries in the log books were right, the wind never stops. We unfortunately were in a high wind warning and the winds were too much and we ended up leaving early. Obviously there is nothing you can do about weather! I did clean up the lookout, people are messy. We played cards, would you rather and watched the weather roll by. It was a great experience and can’t wait to do it again!

We parked at Stemple Pass trailhead and snowshoed up. The views were amazing. The wind was no joke, but inside the cabin it was nice and cozy.

We did not bring our dog but I’m glad we didn’t because there is no way she would have been able to maneuver the last flight of stairs. They were way too steep (more like a ladder where you need both hands on the rails going up and down).

We parked at Stemple Pass trailhead and snowshoed up. The views were amazing. The wind was no joke, but inside the cabin it was nice and cozy.

We did not bring our dog but I’m glad we didn’t because there is no way she would have been able to maneuver the last flight of stairs. They were way too steep (more like a ladder where you need both hands on the rails going up and down).

I have stayed here in late June and now February, and both were wonderful and windy . It takes some care to remove and replacing the shutter boards, as the wind could catch them, but so worth it for the outstanding 360 views. We had a pretty easy ski in and out with enough snow coverage - only windy on the last mile to the LO.

I have stayed here in late June and now February, and both were wonderful and windy . It takes some care to remove and replacing the shutter boards, as the wind could catch them, but so worth it for the outstanding 360 views. We had a pretty easy ski in and out with enough snow coverage - only windy on the last mile to the LO.