Mission Lookout
US 1473, MT 68

Lookout Details

Registry Numbers US 1473, MT 68 (view other lookouts in United States, Montana)
Date Registered December 30, 2020
Nominated by Kyle Stetler
Location Swan Lake Ranger District
Lake County, Montana
Coordinates N 47° 53.635' W 113° 52.470' (view using Google Maps)
N 47° 53' 38" W 113° 52' 28"
N 47.893915° W 113.874497°
Elevation 3,700 ft (1,128 m)
Built 1959
Administered by US Forest Service-Flathead National Forest
Available for Rental Yes, learn more

Description

Mission Lookout sits at 3.700 feet above Swan Lake and offers views of the Swan Valley and Mission Mountains. Many fire lookouts began their life as a simple structure: a firefinder on a mountain peak, a tall tree to climb, or even a slightly more comfortable crows' nest structure, such as Mission Mountain Lookout was, at least for part of its close to 100-year life. A 25' platform tower was built in 1921, with a cabin for living quarters built in the 1930's along with a newer, 35' wooden platform. The present tower, a 41' treated timber with R-6 flat cab, built in 1959, is still used for emergencies, and is also on the rental program. The caption on one photo reads: "Mrs Art Halverson being helped down from first Mission Lookout Swan District By R.H. Gatiss." The other picture of the same structure is a pen and ink drawing from a 1923 photo, from Early Days in the Forest Service, Vol. 4. The last three are photographs of the 1959 structure that sits on the peak today.

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