Spending a couple nights in the Lookout Tower was a fantastic and truly unique experience. Beautiful views. Peaceful solitude, yet still had cell phone coverage. Awesome fire pit & campground area below. You'll need a vehicle with good ground clearance and while 4 wheel drive wasn't necessary, I would recommend it to be sure you can make it to the tower. The stairs are not for the faint of heart, so if you're afraid of heights, you might want to rethink it. My only real complaint was the mattresses....they could use an upgrade. Other than that, it was soooo cool being up in the tower!....wish I could have snagged a couple more days there. Went in August 2019...it was warm, but not as hot as I thought it was going to be. Saw a lot of birds. Read of tales of mountain lions in the guest book, but didn't see anything (although I thought I heard something early on morning). The vault toilet was fine....it is what it is. I did not see any bugs/earwigs in the tower, as some had complained about before. Took my little 13lb Chihuahua...he had a great time chasing lizards....although I kept him close, in case there were any predators lurking. Put a harness on the dog and carried him up into the tower....he liked the views. The deck was nice, seemed sturdy.....the railing was sturdy, although I wouldn't lean too hard against it...ha! And there was wire mesh attached so the dog didn't jump/fall out. Overall, it was just a really great experience and I wouldn't hesitate to go back.