Up Up Lookout

Beautiful lookout!

Up Up Lookout is awesome! It takes a while to get up there on the road, but that filters out a lot of potential visitors. We did have a couple of dirt bikes come up the hiking trail in the morning but they didn't stay long. Beautiful views, lots of huckleberries, and a cool, well-maintained lookout. One of the coolest things we've done on vacation.

Up Up Lookout was beautiful. Well worth the planning to take a trip to it.

The road up/down when following the directions given is an easy one. We did it in a Kia Soul with no issues. A more capable vehicle could make the trip quicker but I would plan an hour drive each way if you have something more standard. If or when we do it again we wouldn't plan anything other than staying up at the lookout. The drive time to other activities ate into our days more than we would have liked.

We cooked great meals over the fire pit, and enjoyed the 360 degree views from the lookout. If you have any fear of heights the first few times up can be a bit nerve wracking, especially unlocking and lifting the hatch. However, the cabin is very sturdy even with solid winds. The bucket lift is great for reducing hauling. The place is well stocked, and a few fine folk have left additional items. We didn't encounter any large wildlife, but there were signs of bears and wolves on the nearby trails.

On a Saturday we had 5 visitors to the lookout while we were there. I'm not sure if they knew it was a reservation, or were hoping nobody would be there. A few came up some hiking trails, another group parked before the gate and hiked the rest of the way. Don't be surprised if you have guests visiting. On the weekend we also ran into a few OHV's on the way up.

Thanks for having such a cool experience available. If you stay be sure to clean up, and take care of the place.

What a phenomenal experience. The view from the tower is out of this world. The room was clean and comfy and the information provided was appreciated and helpful.

Some things to consider:
-I wouldn’t recommend doing the road in something without good ground clearance (preferably something like a Jeep Wrangler or Subaru Forester or pickup). All the reviews raved about the road, so we made the mistake of choosing our more comfortable car (which made it a little rough/interesting). The first few miles and the last few miles are great. Middle would be fine if you don’t make the same mistake we did lol.
-The stone steps up to the lookout tower are wobbly and the one piece of railing remaining is useless (the railing in the photo is not there).
- Bathroom… if you don’t want to go down the 60 steps of the tower, the wobbly stone steps, and then walk a wee bit to the outhouse, I would recommend bringing a bucket. We did and it made the world of difference, especially for my mom and I (the kids would have been fine either way).

So, if you are fit, have great balance, have no fear of heights, and a strong bladder, this place is definitely for you. We are really only 1 of those things and we would still do it again.

The directions to the lookout worked great. The road up (17 miles of dirt road), wasn’t bad. If you have a fear of heights (as I do) this lookout will either cure or kill you. The first time up the stairs (60) was a killer and then the last set of steps being the steepest was where I had to stand hands free to enter the code and push open the trap door. Tough stuff but I survived. After about 4 times up and down the steps we got used to it; just concentrate on your feet. The steps up were enough to wear you out but the rocky path before the steps was also a challenge. It’s a LONG way to the outhouse, just FYI. We didn’t need the propane heater or the lights, it was so warm. Whoever was up there before us did not completely put out the fire near the picnic table so we used some of our water on that. 🤨. Good views. Saw no wildlife to speak of. Would do it again.
The hand sanitizer was greatly appreciated. We used the rope & bucket for lowering some things when we left.

Beautiful but terrifying! This lookout sways more than most in the wind. We were the first visitors of the year and the heater was broken - the lookout is of course uninsulated, so this was a bit nerve wracking since it was so cold. We had cell service and were trying to figure out how to fix the heater with no luck. The last guest book entries of 2023 mentioned the broken heater too. On our second day, it started snowing quite a bit - luckily we somehow figured out how to fix the heater (someone had unplugged the electrode that ignited the pilot light...why on earth would someone do that?!). The rest of the stay was a little better with heat, but still pretty chilly. We spent most of the trip stuck inside with storms outside, so can't comment on hiking in the area.

We saw a moose and a bobcat on the drive up. This lookout has no cooking supplies or games but decent cleaning supplies.

DON'T TRUST GOOGLE MAPS FOR DIRECTIONS! We followed the directions provided on this page (under "Getting Here") and it was super easy and straightforward - there are even signs on the forest roads leading up to the lookout to point you in the correct direction. The dirt road is well-maintained, and while it's a long drive, its easy and beautiful. The lookout itself is incredible -- super clean and tidy, with absolutely amazing views all around. No water or cooking supplies, so plan accordingly, but there are gas lights and a heater inside to keep you warm and well-lit. There's decent cell service there too, if that's a need you have. We had a blast, and would definitely recommend this spot to anyone!!

Beautiful and so peaceful! We spent the first night of our reservation car camping lost on an impassable FS road. Memories were made, to say the least. DO NOT follow Google directions (multiple logs in the book of people getting lost from those directions)! Google will take you to Up Up/Deer Creek Loop Road, resulting in a locked gated road. All the other roads in that area eventually become overgrown and too narrow to pass. TAKE exit 26 Ward Peak off the interstate. Unfortunately, the exit is only on the Eastbound side, so if you’re coming from Missoula, you’ll have to pass the exit and backtrack on the Eastbound side of the interstate. Upon taking Exit 26, it’s impossible to get lost because there are signs all the way to the lookout!

We decorated the lookout with lights to make it extra cozy at night. There’s a nice picnic area below the lookout, which is great for doing your cooking. It’s a pretty steep walk up to the lookout, and I wasn’t about to drag my cooking stuff up there, haha

This was lookout #12 for me, and I can’t wait to return!

We didn’t end up making it to the lookout tower. We followed the directions google suggested when I clicked on the directions within the email I received. So as such, I don’t believe my rating should matter to anyone. I do recommend calling the number associated with the tower in advance to get the correct directions. The cell service in the area is terrific and the area is breathtaking.

The Up Up Lookout is well equipped, clean, comfortable, and has absolutely spectacular views. A fantastic experience.