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Lolo National Forest › Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District › Montana
› Sanders County
› Plains
› Cougar Peak Lookout
› Campsite #1
Campsite #1 at Cougar Peak Lookout, MT
$45
Cabin Site #1
| 4 people | |
| 10 ft | Back-In |
| 2 | good |
6/27
Campsite #1 Features: Back-In parking, Cabin Site
Campsite Reviews (16)
5.0 out of 5
| 5 star | | 88% |
| 4 star | | 13% |
| 3 star | | 0% |
| 2 star | | 0% |
| 1 star | | 0% |
@JesseR22371651 · Camped on Sep 23, 2025 at Campsite #1
Had a great time! The the area is mostly fire damaged trees, but great views into the valley and a nice hike right from the lookout area. The drive up is never-ending though. Rock punctured a tire on the way down. Just a heads up to be prepared when out and about.
Some Coverage
@HannahP1AD8E51 · Camped on Sep 14, 2025 at Campsite #1
The 14 mile road is totally fine if you have good tires. Took about an hour to do. Lookout is so cute, really cozy for two people. Cell service (AT&T) is great up there. There was plenty of firewood uptop. And do the little hike to grave peak. It was beautiful!
Excellent
@DavidN9135851 · Camped on Aug 12, 2025 at Campsite #1
The watchtower itself was wonderful. Beautiful views, a full sized bed, a wood stove we didn't need to use, and others had left some camp chairs and cleaning supplies. The vault toilet was a little walk away, but it was a beautiful walk and it was clean. The 14 miles of gravel and shale-covered roads were slow and a bit intimidating amd took about 75 minutes to drive. High clearance is helpful, but maybe not necessary. Good tires are a must. The elevation was glorious, and although it was a 95+ degree day in Thompson Falls, it was about 80 at the watchtower. A great experience!
Excellent
@nicolesA845DC3 · Camped on Sep 27, 2024 at Campsite #1
We had a great time! The step closest to the building was broken. Also the vent on the side of the lookout wouldnt stay closed for us. Overall it was a great getaway. The views were stunning!! We cleaned up the place & left our chopped wood in the lookout. Looking forward to coming back in the future. (Google maps kept trying to send us down the wrong road, luckily we knew to not trust it)
Good
@KateB7910079 · Camped on Aug 13, 2024 at Campsite #1
We had an awesome overnight stay at Cougar Peak! Hiked a ways out the ridge toward Graves Peak and took tons of photos of the blooming fireweed and the sunset. Too cloudy to see either stars or Northern Lights or Perseid meteor showers at night, but still so beautiful. We brought BLTs and huckleberry pie to eat.. yum. Lookout was super clean, and I brought my cordless vacuum to leave it better than we found it. LOL New outhouse is very clean and well stocked with TP. Thank you for a wonderful experience!
Good
@VictoriaW12824 · Camped on Jul 20, 2024 at Campsite #1
Hot, hot weekend. Lots of flies and smoke. Still, the grandsons had a great time and thats what mattered. The cots were very comfy and appreciated. The road up is long and a high clearance vehicle would be a good idea.
Good
@FrancesC333452 · Camped on Aug 15, 2023 at Campsite #1
Our second visit here. The cabin is comfortably furnished with the basics for a great experience. Most comfortable mattress of any lookout bed we've experienced. One opening window on each side allowed for rapid cooling. Locks worked adequately. Diary writers have mentioned flat tires. The forest service road is indeed long and at times rocky, however for two years in a row we've had no trouble & I think driving slowly is the key for avoiding tire damage. We witnessed the largest hatch of aphid-like insects I've ever seen that had us either indoors w/windows closed for a good part of one day, or enjoying time below the cabin where the insects were not in swarms. We enjoy the solitude of Cougar Peak LO going to bed when dark & rising when daylight arrives, hence no problem with night-time insects that others have mentioned. Saw mule deer, grouse, ground squirrels, chipmunks, western tanagers & other small birds. Interesting to see the vegetation changes in three years (?) since the fire. Many burned trees remain standing, shrubs coming in lushly. Thanks USFS for making this cabin available & thank you previous users for keeping it clean & in good repair.
Good
@MikeM9721189 · Camped on Aug 2, 2023 at Campsite #1
long up hill drive but worth it, parking was tight at the look out but there is more at new restrooms. Overall a 5 star
Excellent
@FrancesC333452 · Camped on Aug 14, 2022 at Campsite #1
My husband and I had a lovely time on Cougar Peak. That some windows opened was very nice. Also appreciated the small screened low vent on the north side to allow great air circulation. The mattress was the most comfortable of any lookout ones we've experienced. Too warm to use the woodstove. Sunsets & rises were lovely. Hiking trail towards Graves Peak was very enjoyable. But mostly we enjoyed settling into watching the change of light throughout the day and getting out all our maps to better understand the country. The second day we also washed as many windows as we could before running out of toweling; they were in good need of cleaning. A lovely experience; directions were spot on and combo locks functioned easily. Thank you.
Good
@KateB7910079 · Camped on Aug 7, 2022 at Campsite #1
Sooooo beautiful at Cougar Peak! We saw a meteor shower, as well as colorful sunrises and sunsets. If you go, definitely hike out to Graves Peak and Vermillion Pass! You can hike beyond the pass to Mt. Headley or Slide Rock Mtn trail, if you are feeling motivated. The area did burn last fall in the Thorne Creek fire, but is still absolutely gorgeous.
The forest service gate is approx. 2 miles below the lookout, but that didn't keep a big group of people from hiking up to the lookout while I was up there...... just something to be aware of!
The lookout itself was very clean and very well taken care of - great job, USFS folks! There is a new vault toilet near the lookout, which is a very nice improvement! No screens on the windows to the lookout, so lots of flies if the windows were opened.
It's fairly difficult to score a reservation for this lookout, so I was grateful that it worked out!
The forest service gate is approx. 2 miles below the lookout, but that didn't keep a big group of people from hiking up to the lookout while I was up there...... just something to be aware of!
The lookout itself was very clean and very well taken care of - great job, USFS folks! There is a new vault toilet near the lookout, which is a very nice improvement! No screens on the windows to the lookout, so lots of flies if the windows were opened.
It's fairly difficult to score a reservation for this lookout, so I was grateful that it worked out!
Good
@ScottF5762481 · Camped on Jul 18, 2022 at Campsite #1
The Forest Service put in some nice new furniture and the lookout is in great shape. It was very clean when we arrived. Thanks to all who help make this experience happen.
Some Coverage
@AmandaB8644117 · Camped on Jun 27, 2022 at Campsite #1
The lookout was beautiful and comfy. We really enjoyed our stay.
Major Issues
@RobertK912 · Camped on Jul 21, 2020 at Campsite #1
(This comment has been passed on to the Lolo National Forest.)
A large wildfire came close to wiping out this lookout in 2018 (I think the year is correct.) A significant amount of burned area can be seen from the lookout. There is an excellent opportunity for the Forest Service to educate the public with a small booklet or info sheet in the lookout regarding this wildfire.
I have stayed here several times over the past 10 years or so and have enjoyed it immensely. It has significant nostalgia for me since I staffed this lookout during the summer of 1966. I am very grateful that the Forest Service has maintained these facilities for public use.
A large wildfire came close to wiping out this lookout in 2018 (I think the year is correct.) A significant amount of burned area can be seen from the lookout. There is an excellent opportunity for the Forest Service to educate the public with a small booklet or info sheet in the lookout regarding this wildfire.
I have stayed here several times over the past 10 years or so and have enjoyed it immensely. It has significant nostalgia for me since I staffed this lookout during the summer of 1966. I am very grateful that the Forest Service has maintained these facilities for public use.
Good
@LeeV898 · Camped on Jul 12, 2020 at Campsite #1
Great spot and I like that there is a gate on the way up.
Good
@SusanH869 · Camped on Aug 18, 2019 at Campsite #1
We loved the rock art, haven't seen that at the other lookouts we've visited. A stay at Cougar Peak is a good lesson on how quickly life returns after a fire. The lookout itself was cleaner and in better repair that others we have stayed. Now that renting lookouts has been 'discovered,' it would be a good idea to require an IQ test to those wanting to rent them.
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