Hi Mountain Lookout on the Los Padres National Forest is a bird watcher’s mecca, specifically the rare California condor. The first lookout on the site went into service in 1926, and was replaced in 1961 by the durable CL-100 steel cab with catwalk and flat roof on a 10’ concrete block base.

No longer used for fire detection but located within a condor sanctuary, the lookout was adopted by Morro Coast Audubon Society in cooperation with several other groups. Fully restored, the structure now has solar power lights, a pump and propane stove and refrigerator and is used by volunteers and staff supporting the “Condor Watch at Hi Mountain.”