Mt. Baldy-buckhorn Ridge

In the middle of nowhere, positioned perfectly atop a mountain completely surrounded by forested peaks, this was an unbeatable camping experience. All the seclusion and views of a deep backpacking site with all the convince of car camping: a perfect pairing. Just make sure you have a car with decent clearance and legs willing to climb steep stairs.

Unfortunately we had to cancel the trip due to forward danger and air quality.

We had such a nice stay - the tower was comfortable and it was beautiful to look out at the surrounding mountains. The last few miles of the road to get up there were very rough but we took it slow. Probably difficult for low clearance and vehicles lacking AWD. Kitchen materials well-stocked and stove worked.

Nice lookout, last 3-4 mi of the 12 mi long road is rough, narrow, slow going. Need a locked gate on the road like most lookouts have. Nice beds, stove, fire pit, outhouse. Beautiful views.

Need new mattress. Remove excess utensils , pots and pans. Put lock on lookout door and keep trapdoor open (it’s way too heavy for most people to lift! This is great lookout and just needs some tlc. Thx

Need new mattress. Remove excess utensils , pots and pans. Put lock on lookout door and keep trapdoor open (it’s way too heavy for most people to lift! This is great lookout and just needs some tlc. Thx

terrible views, terrible weather

terrible views, terrible weather

2nd time staying at Baldy Buckhorn! I love the drive up there. We saw a rabbit, a few mulies, grouse, white tail deer, and lots of other birds. Beautiful sunset. Fast forward to our night.... HOLY MOLY! Biggest wind-storm Ive ever been in, in a tower. It rocked back and forth, shook us all night long! It was insane, and pretty scary! The wind howled through the glass pane windows! Was very glad when morning came---the wind still was blowing, but we had plans to head to Glacier, so we didnt stick around too long. The propane heat and stove were very much appreciated. We didnt get cold, and we were able to cook our hamburgers. It was awesome.
I was a tad disappointed that this tower was a bit dirty. Hadnt been swept or wiped down at all. As usual, we did leave it cleaner than we found it. Hope other guests will do better also. This is what keeps them operating, is everyone doing their share. Thanks FS for allowing us to stay! We love the LO's! XOXO

2nd time staying at Baldy Buckhorn! I love the drive up there. We saw a rabbit, a few mulies, grouse, white tail deer, and lots of other birds. Beautiful sunset. Fast forward to our night.... HOLY MOLY! Biggest wind-storm Ive ever been in, in a tower. It rocked back and forth, shook us all night long! It was insane, and pretty scary! The wind howled through the glass pane windows! Was very glad when morning came---the wind still was blowing, but we had plans to head to Glacier, so we didnt stick around too long. The propane heat and stove were very much appreciated. We didnt get cold, and we were able to cook our hamburgers. It was awesome.
I was a tad disappointed that this tower was a bit dirty. Hadnt been swept or wiped down at all. As usual, we did leave it cleaner than we found it. Hope other guests will do better also. This is what keeps them operating, is everyone doing their share. Thanks FS for allowing us to stay! We love the LO's! XOXO