Surveyors Lookout

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Surveyors Lookout

About this campsite

Overview

Located near the Mallard-Larkins Pioneer Area Attractions, Surveyors Lookout is perched atop a 30 foot tower, providing phenomenal views of Snow Peak and the surrounding mountains. The cabin is listed on the National Historic Register for Lookouts and offers visitors a unique camping experience in the Idaho Panhandle National Forest.

The original pole structure lookout was built in 1931 as part of a network of lookouts used to spot fires in the Upper St. Joe Country. The original lookout was replaced with the current treated timber structure in 1964.

Access to the lookout is via a rugged single-lane road with pullouts, and is not recommended for low clearance vehicles. Road may be slick when wet.

Recreation

The Mallard-Larkins Pioneer Area straddles the divide between the Little North Fork Clearwater River basins and the North Fork Clearwater River. This beautiful area attracts hikers and some technical rock climbers. Hunting and trout fishing are offered in designated areas.

From the lookout, there is access to Scribner Falls Trail #106 and nearby access to Surveyor's Ridge Trail #40, Horseshoe Loop Trail #141, and Northbound Creek Trail #111.

A scenic drive through the upper St. Joe country is an excellent way to take in the sights leading up to the lookout.

Facilities

Surveyors Lookout can accommodate up to four guests. Furnishings include a propane cook stove, heater and lights. A twin bed and two extra mattresses are provided, along with a chest with some drawers. A refrigerator is also available, but it is very small and unreliable. It is recommended that guests bring a cooler with ice as backup. Cooking pots and utensils are included.

No drinking water is available; guests should bring plenty of their own. An alternate option is to collect water from a spring located 1.4 miles down the access road. This water is non-potable and must be boiled or treated before consuming.

Items to pack include food, bedding, a first aid kit, dish soap, towels, toiletries and binoculars. If planning to collect water from a stream, water containers are needed. Guests are advised to bring warm clothes and blankets for cold evenings. Although a heater is provided, the lookout is not insulated so it remains cold.

Natural Features

Surveyors Lookout is located atop Surveyors Ridge at an elevation of 6,000 feet. The 30 foot tower overlooks the spectacular Mallard-Larkins Pioneer Area, which straddles the divide between the Little North Fork Clearwater River basins and the North Fork Clearwater River. Snow Peak, Middle Sister and Mallard Peak Lookouts are still standing and can be seen from Surveyors.

Nearby Attractions

Avery is the nearest town for conveniences.

Location

SURVEYORS LOOKOUT•ID

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Weather Forecast

via Open-Meteo

MON🌤️

11° / 2°

💧 1%

TODAY☁️

9° / 3°

💧 8%

WED🌦️

10° / 2°

💧 44%

THU🌧️

7° / 2°

💧 7%

FRI🌧️

6° / 2°

💧 20%

Common questions about SURVEYORS LOOKOUT

Is SURVEYORS LOOKOUT free to camp at?

Yes. SURVEYORS LOOKOUT in ID is a free camp, so there is no nightly fee to stay. There is no booking system for it, so plan on first in, best dressed, especially on long weekends. We hold no facilities list for it, so go in self sufficient with your own water and a way to deal with rubbish.

Can you book SURVEYORS LOOKOUT online?

We hold no online booking link for SURVEYORS LOOKOUT, so it is not bookable through this page. For sites like this, turning up early in the day is the surest way to get a spot, particularly in peak season. If a managing authority takes bookings by phone, their number is the fastest way to confirm a site.

Where is SURVEYORS LOOKOUT?

SURVEYORS LOOKOUT sits in ID. The map on this page shows the exact spot, and the coordinates travel straight into your navigation app. Check road conditions before you set out if you are towing, since access tracks can change with the weather.

Nearby Campsites

within 50km

12.8 km away

Beaver Creek A-Frame Cabin (ID)

Overview Beaver Creek A-Frame is located on the St. Joe Ranger District of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests in the heart of the Bitterroot Mountains. It is only a few miles from the St. Joe Wild and Scenic River and the historic Red Ives Ranger Station. The area is well known for its abundance of outdoor activities, such as site seeing, hiking, ATV/UTVing, fishing, and hunting. There is no cell service in the area. Recreation ATVing, UTVing, hiking, hunting, fishing, berry picking, site seeing. Facilities Beaver Creek A-Frame is a rustic cabin. The cabin is furnished with only a picnic table and woodstove. It is 1900 sq. ft with an upstairs, 2 decks, and covered outside cooking area. There is a small creek in close proximity as well as a vault toilet. The cabin can fit eight people. Natural Features Beaver Creek A-Frame is located on the Beaver Creek Drainage which is heavily forested, rugged, and remote. Nearby Attractions Historic Red Ives Ranger Station, St. Joe Wild and Scenic River, Mallard Larkins Pioneer Area, Snow Peak WMA. Closest towns with amenities are St. Regis, MT (approx 39 miles) and Avery, ID (approx 40 miles). There are also many miles of nonmotorized and motorized trails in the area.

14.9 km away

Spruce Tree Campground

Campground: Spruce Tree Campground.

15.0 km away

Line Creek Stock Campground

Overview The Line Creek Stock Camp is located 87 miles from St. Maries Idaho up the St. Joe River on Forest Highway 50. It is at 3800 feet elevation and on the designated Wild and Scenic St. Joe River. The campground includes 7 pull-through camping units (5 available for stock reservations), facilities for stock animals, firepits and vault toilets. Recreation Catch and release fishing is a primary activity in the upper St. Joe River. The campground is ideally situated for stock riding. The terrain is steep with over 100 miles of non-motorized and 60 miles of multiple use trail. These can be traveled for day rides and/ or packins. Day hikes and backpacking opportunities are also enjoyed. Many of the trails are accessed directly out of the campground. The St. Joe River Trail 48 winds along beside the St. Joe River for 18 miles to its endpoint at Heller Campground. The Line Creek Stock Camp is also ideally situated for driving for pleasure with primitive roads to travel: to Heller Campground and Montana, to the Surveyors Lookout and other sites along Forest Road 201, to the Snow Peak trailhead and up into Gold Creek and over Gold Pass towards St. Regis Montana. There are three rental opportunities in the area: Red Ives Ranger cabin, Beaver Creek A-frame and Surveyors Lookout. There are four other campgrounds in the close vicinity. Facilities There is day and overnight use with vault toilets. There are 7 campsites with fire rings. Six sites have feed bunks and two sites have highline poles. One site has a corral. More corrals and picnic tables are planned in the next two seasons (2024 and 2025). Stock water is available at the river. Natural Features The Line Creek Stock Camp sits alongside the St. Joe Wild and Scenic River with convenient access to river. There is a day use area with a pool deep enough for swimming and fishing with a small beach. It is within steep forested terrain with a large open area just downstream. The upper St. Joe is a recommended wilderness area with trail access. Nearby Attractions The historic Red Ives Ranger Station and museum is one mile downsteam of the campground. Several trailheads take off directly from the campground but there are many others accessing other areas that are within a short drive. Forest Highway 50 and Forest Road 218 follow along the St. Joe River, providing excellent access for rafting in the spring, floating later in the summer and fishing. There is an outfitter that provides whitewater raft trips in the spring and early summer. There is also a fishing outfitter 5 miles up the St. Joe River trail as well as hunting outfitters in the area. St. Regis Montana is 41 miles away on a combination of paved and well graded gravel roads. (summer 2024 this route will be closed with other access being more primitive). The gateway town of Avery Idaho is about 40 miles downstream and has a small store with gas and fast food, a restaurant with pizza, chicken and beer, a fly fisherman shop with fishing supplies, souvenirs, deli sandwiches and ice cream.

15.4 km away

RED IVES CABIN

Overview Red Ives Cabin is a popular location in the Idaho Panhandle National Forests. It served as the Ranger Station for the Red Ives Ranger District of the St. Joe National Forest from the 1930s to 1984. Attractions include its location on the St. Joe Wild and Scenic River. It is located 86 miles southeast of St. Maries, Idaho on Forest Road 218. The Cabin requires an entry key code to get in. Contact St. Joe Ranger District for instructions if you have a reservation at 208 245 2531. Recreation Red Ives offers several recreation opportunities from hiking and OHV use to world-class fishing and wildlife spotting. The St. Joe River also offers opportunities in floating and kayaking. Facilities The cabin features two bedrooms (one queen, two sets of bunkbeds and one queen size futon), kitchen, living room, bathroom and covered front porch; propane stove/oven and refrigerator; hot water, flush toilet and shower/tub. Battery lanterns are provided for lights, however visitors are recommended to bring additional battery operated lights. A gas log fireplace provides heat. Absolutely no pets. Natural Features The facility is set alongside the St. Joe National Wild and Scenic River. The terrain is mountainous with steep drainages and heavily forested mountain sides. Nearby Attractions Avery is the nearest town for conveniences.