Gem Peak Lookout Rental

Wonderful lookout, will be back

Great lookout! Need good tires to get all the way up there. The lookout is open to the public, so if you're there for a few days, expect visitors. Lots of flies during the day but they subside before sunset. No sign of rodents. Lots of hooks (compared to other lookouts) to hang lights, jackets, etc. Someone has left a 2 burner propane stove and minimal cooking supplies up there for people to use. Another pro is that the beds are on the opposite side of where the sun comes up, so you don't get roasted first thing in the morning.

What a beautiful and clean lookout! We enjoyed cooking delicious meals, picking huckleberries till our backs ached, and shopping in Thompson Falls. Due to the previous reviews, I was well prepared to be overrun by flies when we arrived at the lookout. I’m happy to report we had zero issues with flies or bugs (even when there was no wind).

The road to the lookout is well-marked, and the directions are easy to follow. The final 2.5 mi (after the Warming Hut) is pretty rough. I took a Ford Edge and made sure to take it slow. All tires survived the weekend! Service at the lookout will come and go (Verizon and AT&T) as our phones bounced back and forth between Montana and Idaho towers.

Stop by Rode Haus Coffee in Trout Creek for a drink and yummy snack!

The lookout tower was nice and the location was great. When I arrived the inside of the lookout had hundreds of flies buzzing around. I had several nights reserved and thought about leaving. Another one in the group left. I decided to stay. I spent several hours killing and cleaning out the flies. As the evening cooled down the seemed to subside. The next morning as it warmed back up the flies were back again. At that point I decided to leave and left several nights of reservations unused.
I saw in the comments others people had arrived at the lookout and immediately left because of the flies. I don't know how they were getting in or hatching in there. Maybe this does not occur year round.
It is nice to have the facility available and I would like to see it stay that way. It would be nice if the issue was addressed. I would like users to be aware of my experience and have a back up plan available.

This experience exceeded our expectations. The lookout was very clean, and had amazing views of the mountains. We were blessed with a beautiful sunset and sunrise. Watched a storm roll thru then were able to enjoy gazing at the stars planets and Milky Way late into the night. Will definitely be renting a lookout again!

A cancellation allowed us to reserve this lookout. This lookout deserves the designation "Gem" because it truly was. It was the largest of any towers we have stayed in and having been recently refurbished (new paint job, very clean inside the tower), it immediately jumped to #1 locations that we have stayed in... Even the vault toilet was exceptionally clean (although two grandsons spent a bout 20 minutes making it cleaner) so the stay at Gem Peak was exceptional. The tower was complete with cookstove, pots/pans, cleaning supplies, etc. Kudos to the Forest Service, or whoever provided that. Hopefully all visitors will leave it as clean as they find it. Access from Trout Creek was no problem with good roads. The last part of the road might benefit from high clearance. Great lookout, great views, great experience. Certainly worthy of a return visit!

lookout has great views, is clean and in good condition. the last 2 mi to gain access to the tower are pretty horrid. the road needs to be graded.

Clean, beautiful tower with amazing views.

Great place, easy access from idaho side via the state line route by idaho point. Plenty of wood, though we brought extra. The wood stove was small, but more than up to the task of heating the small space.

A good solid lookout that's well cared for by the Cabinet Ranger District. There's hardly any vibration when walking around the catwalk or inside the cab making it a good platform for photography. The only thing I missed seeing was some cabinet space. There's not a single one, except for the base of the fire finder and it was already filled up with stuff. It might be a good idea to bring a camp table. There is room for one.

It was over an hour's drive from Noxon, so be prepared for that. But the roads were good and well signed, making it difficult to get lost. There was plenty of firewood for the wood stove but you have to carry it up three flights of stairs. Also, there was no axe for splitting, so don't forget to bring one. The stove heated the cab in a jiffy but there seemed to be a crack in the welding near the top far right corner that leaked smoke when the stove door was open. All in all, the positive aspects of Gem Point far outweigh the minor, negative ones, making it a trip you won't soon forget.