Cougar Peak Lookout

Our second visit here. The cabin is comfortably furnished with the basics for a great experience. Most comfortable mattress of any lookout bed we've experienced. One opening window on each side allowed for rapid cooling. Locks worked adequately. Diary writers have mentioned flat tires. The forest service road is indeed long and at times rocky, however for two years in a row we've had no trouble & I think driving slowly is the key for avoiding tire damage. We witnessed the largest hatch of aphid-like insects I've ever seen that had us either indoors w/windows closed for a good part of one day, or enjoying time below the cabin where the insects were not in swarms. We enjoy the solitude of Cougar Peak LO going to bed when dark & rising when daylight arrives, hence no problem with night-time insects that others have mentioned. Saw mule deer, grouse, ground squirrels, chipmunks, western tanagers & other small birds. Interesting to see the vegetation changes in three years (?) since the fire. Many burned trees remain standing, shrubs coming in lushly. Thanks USFS for making this cabin available & thank you previous users for keeping it clean & in good repair.

My husband and I had a lovely time on Cougar Peak. That some windows opened was very nice. Also appreciated the small screened low vent on the north side to allow great air circulation. The mattress was the most comfortable of any lookout ones we've experienced. Too warm to use the woodstove. Sunsets & rises were lovely. Hiking trail towards Graves Peak was very enjoyable. But mostly we enjoyed settling into watching the change of light throughout the day and getting out all our maps to better understand the country. The second day we also washed as many windows as we could before running out of toweling; they were in good need of cleaning. A lovely experience; directions were spot on and combo locks functioned easily. Thank you.

Sooooo beautiful at Cougar Peak! We saw a meteor shower, as well as colorful sunrises and sunsets. If you go, definitely hike out to Graves Peak and Vermillion Pass! You can hike beyond the pass to Mt. Headley or Slide Rock Mtn trail, if you are feeling motivated. The area did burn last fall in the Thorne Creek fire, but is still absolutely gorgeous.

The forest service gate is approx. 2 miles below the lookout, but that didn't keep a big group of people from hiking up to the lookout while I was up there...... just something to be aware of!

The lookout itself was very clean and very well taken care of - great job, USFS folks! There is a new vault toilet near the lookout, which is a very nice improvement! No screens on the windows to the lookout, so lots of flies if the windows were opened.

It's fairly difficult to score a reservation for this lookout, so I was grateful that it worked out!

The Forest Service put in some nice new furniture and the lookout is in great shape. It was very clean when we arrived. Thanks to all who help make this experience happen.

The lookout was beautiful and comfy. We really enjoyed our stay.

(This comment has been passed on to the Lolo National Forest.)

A large wildfire came close to wiping out this lookout in 2018 (I think the year is correct.) A significant amount of burned area can be seen from the lookout. There is an excellent opportunity for the Forest Service to educate the public with a small booklet or info sheet in the lookout regarding this wildfire.

I have stayed here several times over the past 10 years or so and have enjoyed it immensely. It has significant nostalgia for me since I staffed this lookout during the summer of 1966. I am very grateful that the Forest Service has maintained these facilities for public use.

Great spot and I like that there is a gate on the way up.

We loved the rock art, haven't seen that at the other lookouts we've visited. A stay at Cougar Peak is a good lesson on how quickly life returns after a fire. The lookout itself was cleaner and in better repair that others we have stayed. Now that renting lookouts has been 'discovered,' it would be a good idea to require an IQ test to those wanting to rent them.