Skip to content

VISITING WASHINGTON'S RE-LOCATED LO SITES AND THEIR ORIGINS

  • Type 1 Re-Location

    Lookouts re-located to public ownership where they can be viewed.

  • Type 2 Re-Location

    Lookouts sold to and moved to private ownership. Permission usually needed to view the re-located lookouts.

  • Type 3 Re-Location

    Lookouts that were moved to be used in fire detection or service at another site.

  • Type 4 Re-location

    Intended re-locations that failed during the move.

  • HOME

    Posts containing history of several re-locations or of re-locations of several types.

Moses Mountain Lookout #3 Re-Located to Grizzly Mountain

Grizly Mountain LO ~ moved here from Moses Mountain in 1941

Lookout Site Regions:  Origin Site ~ North Central Washington, Re-Lo Site ~ North Central Washington

This is an example of a Type 3 Re-Location.  When the third lookout on Moses Mountain was replaced, it was moved to Grizzly Mountain to be used as the fire lookout there.  The lookout tower still exists on Grizzly Mtn and its replacement tower is still standing on Moses Mountain.  Both lookouts have been abandoned and are in poor shape.  Both are on the SLOW93 list.

The Moses Mountain description on Rex’s Forest Fire Lookout Page (www.firelookout.com) reads: “Started in 1914 with a crow’s nest tree platform lookout and accompanying cabin, a 30′ pole tower with a crude cab replaced the tree in 1923. In 1930, a 35′ steel tower was constructed. The present 123′ Aermotor steel tower, built in 1938, is the tallest lookout tower in the Pacific Northwest! It has been abandoned since the mid-1980’s. Evidence suggests the 1930 tower was moved to Grizzly Mtn. where it was built in 1941.” 

The corresponding Grizzly Peak Lookout description reads: “This 30′ steel tower with 7×7′ cab was built in 1941, and promptly abandoned in 1952. Since then, the accompanying ground cabin living quarters and the roof of the lookout have disappeared. The tower has found a new use as a support for several antennas. Recent evidence suggests this tower may have come from Moses Mtn. where an identical tower was removed in 1938.”

Both lookout sites are on the Colville Indian Reservation.  A Reservation Use Pass must be purchased from the Colville Nation to visit them.

Moses Mountain 3rd Lookout Moved to become the Grizzly Mountain Lookout

The 3rd Moses Mtn LO stands next to its taller replacement. (1938 BIA photo)
Both Lookouts were on the Colville Indian Reservation
The Moses Mountain 3rd lookout tower was moved to Grizzly Mountain and rebuilt there in 1941.

Our visit to Grizzly Mountain Lookout ~ 8/3/2019

The lookout access road was rocky and becoming overgrown. We walked the last mile.
Peggy walked up the short trail at the end of the lookout access road.

We could see the abandoned lookout above us from the road. This was our 77th visit to a lookout on the SLOW93 list.
The lookout had been abandoned for 67 years and was in bad shape. Some of the steps were missing. The ground living quarters were gone.
The Grizzly Mountain LO had views across many of the Colville Nation’s forested mountains.
The cabs’ roof, windows and much of the floor were gone.

Our visit to the ORIGIN SITE ON Moses Mountain  ~ 8/28/2017

We walked the last part of the road to the top of Moses Mountain. The 123′ high lookout tower was still there. This was our 47th visit to one of the standing lookouts on the SLOW93 list.
The Moses Mtn LO had been abandoned since 1986. Fires had burnt many of the trees on Moses Mtn.
The windows were gone from the 7’x7′ metal cab.
The first set of stairs had been removed to try to stop lookout chasers from climbing the tower. Many still do.
The only visible remains of the lookout that had been moved to Grizzly Mtn in 1941 were these steps and tower footing block. (Eric Willhite collection)
Click HERE to return to the Index List of Posts

Published June 13, 2021
Categorized as Type 3 Re-Location Tagged North Central WA, Origin Site visited, Re-Located Lookout Site visited, Re-Located Lookout there.

By hiker99ralph

I am a long time hiker and more recently have added lookout chasing to the hiking hobby. I served as a lookout fireman at the Hoodoo Lookout in the Blue Mountains in the summers of 1957 and 1958. I got away from lookouts after that until retiring when I started chasing lookouts.

View all of hiker99ralph's posts.

Post navigation

Previous post

Useful References

Next post

East Flattop LO Ground Level Re-Located To Be Used As A Storage Shed

  • WA Coast
  • Northwest WA
  • Mt Rainier
  • Southwest WA
  • South Central WA
  • Central WA
  • North Central WA
  • Northeast WA
  • Southeast WA
  • Idaho
  • Origin Site visited

    We have visited the Origin Site.

  • Origin Site permission required

    The Origin Site of the Re-Located Lookout is on private property or access is controlled for other reasons.  Permission is required to visit the Site.

  • Re-Located Lookout Site visited

    Peggy and I have visited the site that the Re-L0cated LO was moved to.

  • Re-Located Lookout there.

    The re-located lookout, or part of it, is still at the location it was moved to..

  • Re-Located Lookout gone.

    Nothing remains to be seen of the moved lookout at its re-located site.

  • Re-Lo Site permission required

    Re-Located Lookout Site is either on private or leased public property. Permission is required to visit the Site.

  • Summaries

    Tables and lists used to summarize information such as Categories and visit history,

Privacy Policy
Proudly powered by WordPress.