Flag Point Lookout

Beautiful lookout and amazing view! The wood stove is small and has a hard time keeping the space warm during storms. The kitchen was great and had all utensils we needed! Will be back!!

In midwinter, starting from Billy Bob saves some elevation gain on the way to the lookout, but before the full snowpack forms and once it starts to melt again in the spring, coming by way of Friend will usually let you get quite a bit closer to the lookout.

In midwinter, starting from Billy Bob saves some elevation gain on the way to the lookout, but before the full snowpack forms and once it starts to melt again in the spring, coming by way of Friend will usually let you get quite a bit closer to the lookout.

This was our first time actually staying here, the previous visits were during the summer. This time of year we made the long roughly 11 mile (several signs along the way contradict each other as far as distance goes...) xc ski in from Billy Bob Snopark. We lucked out and the first 8 miles had just been groomed. The final 3 up to the lookout were mostly breaking trail as 6-8 inches of snow had fallen overnight! This was a huge undertaking and took us 6hrs to ski from start to finish. We started at 10:30am and got to the LO at 4:30pm. The lock was frozen shut which took a few minutes to troubleshoot, but we got it. The hatch was iced over thick and we had to get a piece of firewood to push against it and break it free. We stayed for 3 nights and have everything from snow to heavy rain, to freezing rain, to sun by the end! Everything in the LO works well, even has inside solar lights! The propane regulator does freeze easily so we had to warm it up to get the oven/stove going. The wood stove is old and is a bit finicky, but with the right damper position and door position we were able to keep it about 65-70 degrees inside, toasty! It gets a lot of downdrafts and spits smoke into the cabin the whole time, so we cracked a window most of the stay (we ran into the FS on the ski down and mentioned this). A majority of the wood in the shed is also pretty green which contributes to the problems getting the fire going. Overall this was a fun stay with great views! We will be back! It is a major undertaking, especially if the snow or weather is not perfect, so keep that in mind. *Also of note, as a courtesy to those coming after you please leave enough burnable wood for a nighttime fire. Arrival will likely be near dark in the freezing cold and high winds. We were left with zero wood that we could make a fire with (massive logs, no kindling at all) and we had to split wood after an entire day in the cold before we could attempt to make a fire.*

This was our first time actually staying here, the previous visits were during the summer. This time of year we made the long roughly 11 mile (several signs along the way contradict each other as far as distance goes...) xc ski in from Billy Bob Snopark. We lucked out and the first 8 miles had just been groomed. The final 3 up to the lookout were mostly breaking trail as 6-8 inches of snow had fallen overnight! This was a huge undertaking and took us 6hrs to ski from start to finish. We started at 10:30am and got to the LO at 4:30pm. The lock was frozen shut which took a few minutes to troubleshoot, but we got it. The hatch was iced over thick and we had to get a piece of firewood to push against it and break it free. We stayed for 3 nights and have everything from snow to heavy rain, to freezing rain, to sun by the end! Everything in the LO works well, even has inside solar lights! The propane regulator does freeze easily so we had to warm it up to get the oven/stove going. The wood stove is old and is a bit finicky, but with the right damper position and door position we were able to keep it about 65-70 degrees inside, toasty! It gets a lot of downdrafts and spits smoke into the cabin the whole time, so we cracked a window most of the stay (we ran into the FS on the ski down and mentioned this). A majority of the wood in the shed is also pretty green which contributes to the problems getting the fire going. Overall this was a fun stay with great views! We will be back! It is a major undertaking, especially if the snow or weather is not perfect, so keep that in mind. *Also of note, as a courtesy to those coming after you please leave enough burnable wood for a nighttime fire. Arrival will likely be near dark in the freezing cold and high winds. We were left with zero wood that we could make a fire with (massive logs, no kindling at all) and we had to split wood after an entire day in the cold before we could attempt to make a fire.*

A few notables. Billy Bob Sno Park is not always accessible. We got lucky that it was JUST plowed to it, but you might find yourself a long way away if you cannot get there. Second, the skin in is a long one, even for experience skiers, so plan on leaving no later than 8 AM, since you will almost invariably landing at dark, which complicates your experience. Third, the gate that you have to open to get into the LO was frozen shut. We had to work for 45 minutes to open said gate. In the wind, snow, cold. Not pleasant. So prepare for that. The bathroom is also very far away, so prepare for that trip every time from the LO up and down what coudl be VERY icy stairs and it is a long way up and down. The oven was not working and heating up the regulator didn't work. So prepare to eat/cook from the wood stove. The wood stove DOES NOT heat the LO that much, so bring tons of warm clothes and very warm bags. On the plus side, it was clean, had power for devices (BYO cords), and had ways to melt snow (pots), and a very tidy space. All to say, this is an amazing spot, but reading all the folks who drove there up until we got there, and 10 days passed between then and when we skied, I can see why folks generally have bailed on their reservations (though I suggest the FS work on that -- we got the last day open when we did it in Nov and yet it seems so cheap and easy that folks are reserving and have zero reason to cancel). All to say, it made for a memorable experience, but I would really encourage folks to think hard about this trip due to the length, start very early, and prepare for lots of surprises when you get there.

A few notables. Billy Bob Sno Park is not always accessible. We got lucky that it was JUST plowed to it, but you might find yourself a long way away if you cannot get there. Second, the skin in is a long one, even for experience skiers, so plan on leaving no later than 8 AM, since you will almost invariably landing at dark, which complicates your experience. Third, the gate that you have to open to get into the LO was frozen shut. We had to work for 45 minutes to open said gate. In the wind, snow, cold. Not pleasant. So prepare for that. The bathroom is also very far away, so prepare for that trip every time from the LO up and down what coudl be VERY icy stairs and it is a long way up and down. The oven was not working and heating up the regulator didn't work. So prepare to eat/cook from the wood stove. The wood stove DOES NOT heat the LO that much, so bring tons of warm clothes and very warm bags. On the plus side, it was clean, had power for devices (BYO cords), and had ways to melt snow (pots), and a very tidy space. All to say, this is an amazing spot, but reading all the folks who drove there up until we got there, and 10 days passed between then and when we skied, I can see why folks generally have bailed on their reservations (though I suggest the FS work on that -- we got the last day open when we did it in Nov and yet it seems so cheap and easy that folks are reserving and have zero reason to cancel). All to say, it made for a memorable experience, but I would really encourage folks to think hard about this trip due to the length, start very early, and prepare for lots of surprises when you get there.

Hiked in from Billy Bob, no winter equipment was required. The wood stove struggles to get enough oxygen and it will take a couple hours of persistence to warm up the interior of the lookout to around 60. And the grate/hatch at the top of the stairs was iced shut when we arrived and took quite a bit of effort to open… consider leaving it open for the next folks if ice/freezing rain is forecast. Otherwise a very epic trip and 10/10 would do again. Such a cool spot and worth every mile of the long hike in.

Hiked in from Billy Bob, no winter equipment was required. The wood stove struggles to get enough oxygen and it will take a couple hours of persistence to warm up the interior of the lookout to around 60. And the grate/hatch at the top of the stairs was iced shut when we arrived and took quite a bit of effort to open… consider leaving it open for the next folks if ice/freezing rain is forecast. Otherwise a very epic trip and 10/10 would do again. Such a cool spot and worth every mile of the long hike in.

Thisis a hard one to rate… I gave it 5 stars as the location was amazing and we were really looking forward to our stay.

We also had a one star experience as for some reason, the code we were given did not unlock the padlock. Whether it was frozen shut, or we were given the wrong code, we couldn’t get into the fire tower. We tried the padlock on both the tower and woodshed, and neither work. Because it was a weekend check in, there was no one to contact to help. We called recreation.gov, but they had no information to help beyond calling the ranger station. We ended up having to turn around and head home.

Hoping that next time we try to rent we will be successful!