Hager Mountain Lookout

Beautiful destination, not an easy 4 mi hike up with 2000 elevation gain. Combine it with Summer lake hot spring!

Although the trail is difficult, and sometimes the snow conditions were very icy or windswept, the trail overall is pretty well marked with blue diamonds, orange poles & signs. Be sure to prepare for HIGH WINDS and low visibility on stormy days in the final 1.5 miles or so when you are on an exposed ridge and then out of the trees approaching the lookout. We found it helpful to travel with an avalanche shovel since we had to dig out the woodshed, outhouse, and steps up to the lookout & its door on our arrival. (There are a shovel & other tools in the woodshed and in a drawer in the lookout.)
Note: Be ready to SPLIT & CHOP your own wood and kindling. The wood in the woodshed isn't chopped.
The lookout wasn't as clean this time as it was last year when we visited: disappointed that previous parties had left trash (broken takeout containers, bags), food (2 cans of beets and more), multiple empty glass jars, multiple tubes of old sunblock, multiple containers of cooking oil, did not sweep up the floor, did not wipe off stove. Also disappointed that someone dragged in unchopped large pieces of wood to the lookout and left those inside- when a sign specifically says to NOT CHOP WOOD in / on the lookout. We cleaned a lot before leaving to break this trend & for good karma. :) NO ONE WANTS YOUR FOOD- WHICH IS JUST TRASH TO THE NEXT PARTY. ALSO YOUR TRASH IS IN FACT TRASH & YOU SHOULD TAKE IT HOME WITH YOU!
MICE!!! Be ready for MICE!!!! We used the mousetraps to kill 4 mice: leaving food & trash just encourages mice. This lookout deserves better care since it's in a wonderful spot. The location is VERY windy, bring your earplugs. There are wonderful views on a clear day and you'll enjoy peaceful solitude. On our previous visits we explored the surrounding zone and had a lot of fun. This time we spent most of our time indoors due to a fierce storm and 40+mph winds, but were cozy and warm. We will return despite the mice since this is a unique wintertime opportunity!

This was my and my husband's 4th trip up to Hager since 2018 and had our friends join us. We had never seen mice or as much of their feces as there was on this visit. It was pretty gross, all over the stove, table/counter tops, window sills, mattresses. We flipped the mattresses to use them and flipped them back when we left. According to the log up there the occupants before us caught 3 mice. We didn't see any mouse activity until our last night and ended up catching 2 of them. The Osborn mounting table in the middle seemed to be a safe island for food, as well as hanging food/garbage. Really tough snow-shoe hike up breaking trail the entire way, took my husband and I a little over 5 hours to get to cabin with arctic-like conditions at the top. We lost the trail about .25-.3 mile in (right at the cutout between the logs and before you cross FS road) because the new trail marker they put up indicating a right turn was gone. Tree markers in the last .25 mile are almost impossible to see and you rely mainly on the orange poles which aren't placed very frequently and are often covered in snow/ice. No problems with propane or firewood availability, bring your own TP. The previous reviewer mentioned they had trouble with the oven's pilot light; when following the directions to push the knob in for 10 seconds then light, we had the same issue - what worked was pushing the knob in for 30 seconds, pilot light stayed lit and oven worked. Also had to a replace a lantern mantel. Snow had also blown into the lookout through the south window, there were towels stuffed in the window frame and snow piled up and on the table. Bring your own TP as there was none left. I highly recommend someone bringing disinfectant wipes, I would had I known how bad the mouse poop was. Someone may want to pack up a couple extra replacement mantels as well. Love this lookout but it needs more care, this is the worst condition we've seen it in since before they fixed the leaking windows in 2019.

Could not get the oven to work. Pilot light would light then go out again immediately, no matter what I tried.

We're so glad we packed light! We were the first visitors to the lookout in ten days and ended up breaking trail the entire way up through a foot plus of fresh snow (at the bottom) and far more at the top. The climb took us 3 hours and 40 mins, with minimal breaks due to the cold -- our 9 year dog was a real trouper. Snowshoes or skis are a must in mid-winter, and if you live at sea level like we do, don't underestimate the impact the elevation will have on your energy level/mood.

A quick note re: snow piling up in the woodshed and outhouse. We noticed that the visitors after us speculated in their review that the doors had possibly been left open. We discovered on our second day at the lookout that strong winds at the summit actually blow the snow inside both buildings -- through the slats in the woodshed and through the air vent in the outhouse, so in a storm you'll have to regularly clear them out. FYI there's a good shovel inside the woodshed that *might* be hidden by a drift of snow when you get there -- it'll make those tasks way easier. Anyhow, we had a memorable & cozy time and hopefully when we return we'll actually catch some views! A real gem of a spot.

One last note -- I believe that FR 28 gets plowed fairly regularly, but it didn't get plowed during our two-night stay, so we ended up driving out in ten inches of new snow. Just keep that in mind if you have a low-clearance vehicle.

My husband and I trekked up to Hager Mountain Lookout on 12/30/21. We have been up there two other times; once in late November, another in early February. We have never seen this much snow on the trail or up at the lookout before. We’ve taken our snowshoes with us before and ended up leaving them in the car, this time snowshoes were required. There’s anywhere from 16 to 36 inches of snow on the trail as of 1/1/2022. Some day hikers had broken the trail about halfway up and we had to break trail for the 2 mile uphill slog. The day we hiked up it was windy at the top with blowing snow. From the main trailhead it took us 4 hours and 15 minutes to reach the lookout, the trek down only took 2 hours. If you’re headed up to the lookout be prepared for a lot of snow and to have to break trail as the forecast is calling for more snow out there this week. In the more "open" areas there aren't as many trail markers, especially at the top, we lost the trail the last 1/4 mile. Lots of snow to melt for water though! We had to shovel snow out of the bathroom and the woodshed when we got there; it looked as though both doors had been left open during a snow storm. Trekking down to the vault toilet is always an adventure in the cold, especially when the winds are howling. HWY 31 had many spots of ice on the way to Silver Lake from La Pine, E Bay Rd/NF 28 was clear until Cowboy Dinner Tree where it turns to packed snow, but our Prius made it just fine without chains and a skilled driver. No issues with propane or firewood availability. Lookout stays nice and warm but there are some air leaks from the windows when the winds are blowing just right. Recommend bringing your own toilet paper, enjoy freezing your anus when going to the bathroom :)

Lots of games, puzzles and cookware/utensils on site. Beautiful views. Very rural. An awesome set up. This was my first fire lookout and I’m very impressed/hyped for my next trip! BRING LOTS OF WATER!

Beautiful and remote location with great views! Parking pull-off was easy to find since road was snow-free. It’s about 9 miles from Silver Lake, maybe 30 minutes at most in good weather and with a clear dry road. Road is paved all the way there. Trail was extremely well-marked with blazes, poles and 2 wooden signs. Intermittent patches of snow in 3rd mile before all snow to lookout in final mile (our trip was late March.) Lookout has more supplies than listed online: some kitchenware, batteries, tools, matches, dish washing supplies and cleaning supplies. There is a sink that drains water so dealing with your gray water is easy. There are 2 propane lights which work although we did have to read the instructions carefully on how to light them. There were also 2 battery-powered lanterns. We got good cell phone service. We phoned ranger station in advance and they were helpful. Winds are very strong at lookout. 3 bunks for sleeping but not much seating, no chairs. Many books and games left at the lookout- unfortunately some trash and leftover food from prior visitors too. (No one wants your food- except the mice. We packed out all the trash and old food we could carry.) We very much enjoyed our visit.

Husband and I spent 2 nights at Hager, this was our second trip up. We were blessed with beautiful weather (as opposed to the 50mph wind gusts during our Nov ‘17 trip). Windows have either been replaced or resealed since our first stay as there wasn’t cold air leaking in from the windows this time - much appreciated. No propane issues, plenty of firewood. Certainly lots of dog hair on mattresses, even the top bunk mattress somehow. Enjoyed our stay, will come back for a 3rd trip in the future. Thank you USFS for offering your lookouts in the off season!

Let me start off by saying don't miss a chance to eat at Cowboy Dinner Tree while you're in the area. We stayed at a cabin there the night before we headed up Hager. It was amazing. It's a good thing I had been in the gym prepping for this. I don't think we used the official trail but more of a forest service road. We followed our phones directions up until the truck couldn't safely make it any farther and then walked about 2-2.5 miles up. The path/road was easy to follow although there were no markers. It was grueling the last mile and we stopped frequently to catch our breath. When we got there the party before us hadn't left any chopped would or kindling. So we rested a bit and then chopped would and hauled it up. The fire was lovely and kept the lookout more than toasty, we actually slept with the window open. A couple suggestions, take a sheet to cover the mattress, they're old and sketchy but totally usable. Bring slippers for inside the cabin otherwise you'll be in a constant state of drying your socks off because of snow that gets tracked in. Bring a good camera or a newer phone with a quality camera. The views are worth every bit of the struggle. This is a trip that will set your soul on fire and I can't overstate how gorgeous the views are. The sky was clear at night and we could see every single star. Epic.