A camp lookout was established at Keller Butte in 1932. In 1933, the first Civilian Conservation Corp camp for the district was opened with 75 men who worked on building the Cache Creek Road, a new road from Cache Creek summit to Park City, and a road from the summit to the new lookout tour atop Keller Butte. In 1935, an 80′ 3-legged wooden tower with 7×7 cab and accompanying L-4 ground house for living quarters was constructed.

The Colville Examiner in 1943 reported that many teachers were staffing lookouts on the Colville National Forest and Miss Josephine Volger was stationed on Keller. The present 67′ steel live-in tower, built in 1964, is staffed every summer.

A plaque at Keller Butte commemorates fire lookout Ramona Peone, who spent 40+ years manning both Johnny George and Keller Butte lookouts. Her obituary from 2015 in the Grand Coulee Star talks of the details of her fire lookout life.

The Chuweah Creek fire, started July 12, 2021 by lightning, burned across the north shore of Buffalo Lake and across Keller Butte Road north of the lookout. The fire was eventually contained at 36,000+ acres.