Fivemile Butte Lookout

We had an amazing trip! The lookout is in excellent condition (huge kudos to the guy who redid all of the woodwork, it looks fantastic). The new(ish) mattress is very comfortable and the lookout is well-stocked with pots/pans/plates, etc. Definitely bring water.
We had glorious weather and stunning views of Hood, Adams and Rainier. We stopped at the Barlow Sno Park on the way up to hike to Palmateer Point for a breathtaking view of Mt Hood, and had dinner at the divine Solera Brewery in Parkdale with another glorious view of the mountain. Overall a great experience. I wish the USFS hadn't increased the lookout rental price as much but it's still an otherworldly experience and worth it.

Always a great experience up here. As of 4/22/23: There is definitely fewer cooking utensils up here now. Basically just one chef’s knife. Would be great if someone could bring in a big spoon or spatula, old knives/forks/spoons to leave. There was plenty of tp (hasn’t always been the case) but it’s always a good idea to bring a leave a roll. Enjoy!

Always a great experience up here. As of 4/22/23: There is definitely fewer cooking utensils up here now. Basically just one chef’s knife. Would be great if someone could bring in a big spoon or spatula, old knives/forks/spoons to leave. There was plenty of tp (hasn’t always been the case) but it’s always a good idea to bring a leave a roll. Enjoy!

Awesome place!

Awesome place!

Floor grate needs a handle on top, but that is being addressed.

Floor grate needs a handle on top, but that is being addressed.

On Dec 14th, we snowshoed in from Billy Bob, it was exactly 3 mi from the sno-park to the lookout. The lookout was very clean and the wood was well stocked. The wood stove is really too big for the small building and we were cooked out a lot of the time. There was a couple of bowls, plates, mugs, forks and lots of pots. FYI, the wood shed was not very full and the wood marked "seasoned" will not last the rest of winter. A mouse did come visit us, and peeked in the window so beware of leaving food out/windows open. The views were amazing!

On Dec 14th, we snowshoed in from Billy Bob, it was exactly 3 mi from the sno-park to the lookout. The lookout was very clean and the wood was well stocked. The wood stove is really too big for the small building and we were cooked out a lot of the time. There was a couple of bowls, plates, mugs, forks and lots of pots. FYI, the wood shed was not very full and the wood marked "seasoned" will not last the rest of winter. A mouse did come visit us, and peeked in the window so beware of leaving food out/windows open. The views were amazing!

Our reservation dates were November 15-16, 2022. We got lucky with the snow and was able to drive in. It was an easy drive from the 8 mi mountain bike trailhead off of Forest Rd. 44. The gate was locked when we got there and the code for the tower worked on the gate too. The tower was really warm from the sun when we got there even though it was in the 30's outside. The gas to the propane stove had been turned off but we found the on/off valve and lit the pilot lights no problem! There are 3 pilot lights, two on the stovetop and one in the oven. There is a little vanity with a sink which is nice for doing dishes, the drain goes down a long pipe into a french drain (I'm guessing). We carried all of our gear up the stairs vs using the pulley basket. There's no angle/brake set up on the basket for leverage so it's not that easy to use. The solar light was working but the ambiance isn't very nice from it so we were glad we brought our own lantern and party lights. The bed was pretty comfy with the flannel sheets and down comforter we brought. The wood stove is big for the space and heats really well, we had to sleep with three of the windows open so we didn't overheat! There's a nice tea kettle, a few cooking pots (including a huge one for melting snow), cutting boards but no utensils. The hiking nearby is gorgeous! The 8 mi trail goes right by the cabin. So glad we didn't bring our dog though...those stairs! Especially the last flight, is super steep, he would not of been happy to go down them! We had such a lovely time, hope to go back again!