Sep 8, 2022

Three Historic Fire Lookout Tower Hikes near Mt. Rainier

Washington state has plenty of amazing lookout towers, several of which you can hike to, step inside (during open hours), and even rent for a night under the stars. It can be quite a challenge to reserve one as the demand is high, but there is plenty of epic, lookout splendor to go around if you're willing to hike to the high point!

For a very long time, wildfires have been common across Washington state and lookout towers were often used for spotting fires long before they swallowed entire forests. What an interesting 9-5 job it would be to work in a lookout tower just keeping an eye out for smoke and fire! Never a dull moment and never a dull sunset, I'm sure!

Here are three of Washington's fire lookout tower hikes near Mt. Rainier that I have loved so far:

Kelly Butte Lookout Tower

(3.4 miles roundtrip/ 1100 feet elevation gain)

This fire lookout is a less popular option (less busy) so if you'd like to avoid the crowds, this one is for you! I did this hike with my friend Dana as a sunset hike and it did not disappoint! Some things to note: the parking lot at the trailhead is more of a small dirt pullout and wouldn't accommodate more than 5-7 vehicles. The road to the trailhead is primarily miles of rocky, dusty forest service road with plenty of potholes- a high clearance vehicle is recommended (as of early Fall 2022) due to a few washouts. On a weeknight sunset hike, we had the lookout all to ourselves and only saw one other pair of pioneer gals hiking down as we were ascending.

If you are considering a sunset hike, make sure you bring strong headlamps, an extra back-up flashlight, and plenty of layers as the mountain air cools off quickly at night. I do not recommend counting on your cell phone flashlight since it could drain your battery quickly and might not be usable in case of emergency. Bring a buddy if you're afraid of the dark itself like I am!

Mount Fremont Lookout Tower

(5.6 miles roundtrip/ 1200 feet elevation gain)

The Mt. Fremont Fire Lookout is located near Sunrise by Mt Rainier and the trailhead begins in the parking lot of the Sunrise Day Lodge. This lookout hike is most accessible for people with low clearance vehicles since the road to the trailhead is completely paved, and there is a large parking lot since it’s near the lodge, however, it is the trailhead for several hikes and the parking lot fills up very early in the morning on weekends. This is also one of the most well-known and busy lookout towers, so it can be challenging to get photos at the top. Mt. Rainier is stunning and on full display right in front of you at this lookout tower.

Marmots are popular on this trail so don’t be surprised if you spot one like we did! Much of this trail is exposed to the sun so it can be a very hot hike on a sunny day. Getting there early in the morning can help you beat the crowds and not get scorched by the sun! You will truly be in complete awe of Mt. Rainier in front of you while standing at this lookout tower.

Suntop Mountain Lookout Tower

( 1.2 miles round trip/ 473 feet elevation gain)

This is an absolute gem of a place and I would sure like to keep it that way! You’ll note that it is a shorter hike (1.2 miles) up a wide dirt road (but can be stretched into a longer hike if you start lower down the mountain). There isn’t much of a parking lot, but there is parking on the side of the road leading up to the lookout tower. A group of volunteers recently renovated the gravel trail from the road to the lookout building itself. There are a few picnic tables near the lookout tower for a sunset happy hour or picnic lunch/dinner with family or a special someone. It has incredible views of Mt. Rainier and there are often several photographers that arrive at sunset to capture Mt. Rainier as the sun goes down. I cannot say enough about this hike, sunsets here truly are the wispy, and mystical cotton candy skies of your dreams!