Granite Butte Lookout

Great cabin. Amazing views. The periodic hiker was charming. The endless string of individuals and their families on four-wheelers equipped with American flags who set up impromptu block parties at all hours and were insulted and incredulous when they were told my family had rented the cabin for the weekend and they were unable to access the cabin--not so much fun. Several even told me that if they really wanted to that they could come up at any time to see the cabin and my family didn't have any ability to stop them. Needless to say, we left a few days early. I don't think there is much the forest service can do about it other than remove the notion of privacy and the cabin being a quiet area from the list of cabin amenities. In truth, worst forest service cabin I've ever stayed at, but unfortunately nothing to do with the cabin. I would never stay there again and would ultimately not recommend.

Stunning views!

My husband and I had a great time at Granite Butte Fire tower. It was quite chilly when we arrived - but the wood was ready to go and we had the fire burning within a few minutes. This is a once in a lifetime experience!

Well provided and well stocked.

Always a fun time. The wood stove has deteriorated significantly since our last stay in March 2020. The firebricks are falling apart which seems to prevent the stove both holding heat and drafting consistently. It took quite a while to heat things up. Also, the massive pile of quilts which were in situ last winter had vanished, which was sad.

The entire experience was memorable and adventurous. The structure has been soundly kept and maintained, the wood stove warmed the place splendidly, and with many items already in place (e.g propane stove, axe, etc) made ease of what little to pack. I also liked that a supply of would was already in the LO and down below and a tradition of prior occupants restocking the wood supply for the next. I/we can’t wait for our next visit! Thank you to all who have helped to maintain this living structure of historic value. Cheers, Kai, Kir, and Lucky

I love fire lookouts, and have frequently visited another one that's harder to access. Granite Butte was a great experience to share with family members that can't make the hike into more remote lookouts. Gorgeous views, dry firewood, clean bathroom. It is as windy as everyone said. Access road was very dry and drive-able in mid-June after an average to above-average snow year.

Now for the bad: I've lived in Montana my entire life and never experienced something like this outdoors. Sometime Friday night, someone intentionally felled about five trees over the access road. A small grey pickup truck without a topper came up to the lookout that night at about 9 PM, we waved and got no response. We figured they just lived nearby and came up for the cell service with a view, but in retrospect it could've been the chainsaw chimp seeing if anyone was up there. Luckily we had a pocket saw and there were able-bodied people in the group. But whoever did this should consider what would happen if a cabin resident had a health emergency, or if they were elderly and couldn't get out. Drive-up cabins are more likely to be used by folks who don't have the means to clear a road or hike multiple miles. I can't imagine what would make an anonymous prank like this seem worth it. If nothing else, it's a waste of good firewood, now those trees will rot. This was an incredibly senseless and disappointing move, and I very much hope it doesn't happen to anyone else. That said, if you're up there and see someone acting weird, consider taking down their plate. The only part of this story that matches my experience with Montanans is that a local family had noticed the trees on Saturday morning and were on their way with a chainsaw as we finished with the last tree. More good people than bad out there. I hope that whoever cut those trees comes to appreciate nature and other people. Or gets the **** out of Montana and never comes back.

We had a grand and stormy time at the lookout. There is a lot of wind on this high exposed ridge along the CDT. We had plenty of gales out of the west, rain, low clouds and limited visibility. We also had a few windows of blue sky, enough to hike from the tower, and views in to the Scapegoat section of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex. At night lights from Helena, Great Falls and Missoula were visible. Granite Butte LO is accessible by vehicle in the summer, and it sits right on the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, so expect visitors, especially on nice days. ATVs like to get to this exposed ridge for the views. There are many backpackers hiking the CDT. They are thrilled to meet folks, and love the sight of this grand structure. Generous folks have left some amenities to help make the place comfortable, but the bedding should be removed. If you like to hike, check out these one way routes in the area: Summit Granite Butte (@ 1 mile from the LO), drop down below Granite Butte to the Marsh Creek Road (2 miles), from the LO to Stemple Pass on the CDT (4 miles); set up a shuttle to hike Stemple Pass to Flesher Pass (11 miles), Flesher Pass to Rogers Pass over Anaconda Hill (13 miles), Rogers Pass to Lewis & Clark Pass & summit Green Mtn. (12 miles), Lewis & Clark Pass & down Alice Creek (a 10 mile loop) or set out to the base of Pyramid Peak In the Scapegoat (10 miles). The surrounding meadows are loaded with wildflowers. Enjoy this beautiful place, and take care of it for the future.

Be prepared for weather (wind, ice, etc.). The structure vibrates in high wind, but we were convinced it would not collapse during our stay!