Calimus Butte has been active each summer since 1931, first by fire guards of the Klamath Tribe and then by the Winema National Forest after it was established in 1961. Constructed in 1930, it was a hub of reservation fire activity by 1932 with four crank-type phone lines converging on the lookout.

Prior to that, in 1922, a guard cabin was constructed a couple hundred feet north of the summit, this being the hub. The Klamath Indian Agency operated the lookout until about two years prior to the Termination act of 1961.The lookouts on the reservation were operated by the Klamath District of the Oregon Department of Forestry. A large portion of forest was retained by the tribes, this known as the Indian Forest.

Calimus was located on this forest and was until the mid-70;s was an Oregon Dept. of Forestry lookout. When the forest was sold to the US Government in the mid-70's it became part of the Winema National Forest. It is one of only eight cupola lookouts standing in Oregon and one of three still staffed.