Awesome lookout with epic views. Be sure to look north as we saw a northern lights show for 5 straight hours!

Awesome lookout with epic views. Be sure to look north as we saw a northern lights show for 5 straight hours!

Awesome lookout with epic views. Be sure to look north as we saw a northern lights show for 5 straight hours!

Great views into Canada and Northern Idaho and Montana. The trail is actually closer to 1/2 mile from the end of road past the gate if you choose to drive it there is a nice flat turnaround spot there. The road up to the gate is really rough and past the gate it gets narrower with the bushes lining the "road" doing there best to scratch your vehicle up. Without mud or snow this isn't a bad go for a jeep or narrow 4x4, we made it slow in our Ford Explorer praying we didn't get a blowout in one of the tires. The forest service really should do some road maintenance at least to the gate and lay some new gravel down. There is an option of taking a longer trail from one of the pullout or just walk from the gate area. We only encountered 2 people who had hiked up when they left there mountain bikes at the gate to walk the bad road up. Views are great from the cabin and the outhouse isn't in bad shape. There is a great trail that heads down the NE side of Garver mountain, just look for the "water" signs until you get on the path. Only wildlife we saw were birds, squirrels, deer, and a jackrabbit.

Great views into Canada and Northern Idaho and Montana. The trail is actually closer to 1/2 mile from the end of road past the gate if you choose to drive it there is a nice flat turnaround spot there. The road up to the gate is really rough and past the gate it gets narrower with the bushes lining the "road" doing there best to scratch your vehicle up. Without mud or snow this isn't a bad go for a jeep or narrow 4x4, we made it slow in our Ford Explorer praying we didn't get a blowout in one of the tires. The forest service really should do some road maintenance at least to the gate and lay some new gravel down. There is an option of taking a longer trail from one of the pullout or just walk from the gate area. We only encountered 2 people who had hiked up when they left there mountain bikes at the gate to walk the bad road up. Views are great from the cabin and the outhouse isn't in bad shape. There is a great trail that heads down the NE side of Garver mountain, just look for the "water" signs until you get on the path. Only wildlife we saw were birds, squirrels, deer, and a jackrabbit.

Great views into Canada and Northern Idaho and Montana. The trail is actually closer to 1/2 mile from the end of road past the gate if you choose to drive it there is a nice flat turnaround spot there. The road up to the gate is really rough and past the gate it gets narrower with the bushes lining the "road" doing there best to scratch your vehicle up. Without mud or snow this isn't a bad go for a jeep or narrow 4x4, we made it slow in our Ford Explorer praying we didn't get a blowout in one of the tires. The forest service really should do some road maintenance at least to the gate and lay some new gravel down. There is an option of taking a longer trail from one of the pullout or just walk from the gate area. We only encountered 2 people who had hiked up when they left there mountain bikes at the gate to walk the bad road up. Views are great from the cabin and the outhouse isn't in bad shape. There is a great trail that heads down the NE side of Garver mountain, just look for the "water" signs until you get on the path. Only wildlife we saw were birds, squirrels, deer, and a jackrabbit.

The gate was closed and locked. We tried our code but it didn't open the gate. We stayed the last day of the season so we weren't sure if they locked the gate prematurely. We hiked anyways and was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was only about a two mile hike from the gate to the lookout - not 3+ miles. The leaky roof needs to be addressed otherwise the lookout won't last. There's tarps to cover the soaked bed so that was a good work around. The views are impressive! Our ATT phones would slowly send and receive texts and pictures. No surfing the web though. The wood stove was the first I've ever used - one door for the ashes, lift the top to load wood (small pieces) and one big door for the cooking oven. Yes, you could cook a pan of lasagna or we heated pre-made breakfast burritos. I imagine a pan on top would boil water.

The gate was closed and locked. We tried our code but it didn't open the gate. We stayed the last day of the season so we weren't sure if they locked the gate prematurely. We hiked anyways and was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was only about a two mile hike from the gate to the lookout - not 3+ miles. The leaky roof needs to be addressed otherwise the lookout won't last. There's tarps to cover the soaked bed so that was a good work around. The views are impressive! Our ATT phones would slowly send and receive texts and pictures. No surfing the web though. The wood stove was the first I've ever used - one door for the ashes, lift the top to load wood (small pieces) and one big door for the cooking oven. Yes, you could cook a pan of lasagna or we heated pre-made breakfast burritos. I imagine a pan on top would boil water.

The gate was closed and locked. We tried our code but it didn't open the gate. We stayed the last day of the season so we weren't sure if they locked the gate prematurely. We hiked anyways and was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was only about a two mile hike from the gate to the lookout - not 3+ miles. The leaky roof needs to be addressed otherwise the lookout won't last. There's tarps to cover the soaked bed so that was a good work around. The views are impressive! Our ATT phones would slowly send and receive texts and pictures. No surfing the web though. The wood stove was the first I've ever used - one door for the ashes, lift the top to load wood (small pieces) and one big door for the cooking oven. Yes, you could cook a pan of lasagna or we heated pre-made breakfast burritos. I imagine a pan on top would boil water.

It was an amazing experience and I'm grateful for the State parks and rec to allow us to rent them. Only complaint was leaking roof.