Beginning in 1923, fire scouts periodically manned Saddle Mountain Lookout tower, keeping a lonely summer watch for forest fires. Once satellites usurped the task, the Forest Service established hiking trails to some historic Lookouts.
The trail ascends Saddle Mountain to a rocky knob above the tree line. The knob was chosen as a Forest Service fire lookout because of the panoramic view of the surrounding peaks and valleys, also making it a fantastic alpine hike.
Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
Difficulty: C1 strenuous
Elevation gained: 650m (2143′)
Key Elevations: Parking: 2980m/5500′, Summit: 2330m/7643′
Distance: 5.3km one way
Time: 2-2.5 hours one-way
Season: June to October
Access: Cumbersome with a drive to a somewhat remote place plus a ferry. Lookout Road 2WD low clearance.
Map: 82K/4 Nakusp
Drive: From Nakusp, travel southwest on Highway 6 toward Burton for 21 km. Take the Arrow Park cable ferry across the lake, making note of return crossing times. Zero your odometer once off the ferry.
0.0km. Turn right and follow the good 2-WD Saddle Mountain Road.
9.0km. Turn left onto Lookout Road, marked with a brown, wooden signpost, and follow the rough 2WD road for 8 km to the Branch 75 fork.
17km. Park to the side, as the road is well-used. The trailhead is 20m further up the road.
Trail: The first part of the trail winds through moist, mature cedar/hemlock forests, typical of the area, which, with its substantial rainfall and fertile soils, is often called BC’s interior rain forest. Under the tall trees’ dense canopy, shade-loving plants flourish: mosses, Devil’s club, thimbleberry, lady fern, foamflower, and ginger.
On approaching the old helicopter landing pad, more spruce and balsam trees indicate a transition to the subalpine zone. The underbrush also changes, with an abundance of wild rhododendron and huckleberry. The trail climbs to large rock bluffs from which views of the valley far below and the destination Lookout high above are seen. From here, trees become smaller and more sparse until they cease growing completely below the Lookout.
Just over halfway to the top, there is an old cabin. From there, the final ascent crisscrosses the open meadows below the knob. Patches of stunted trees grow here and there; evidence of marmot, deer, grizzly and black bear abounds in the burrows, tree rubs, and digs in the ground. Near the knob at the top, the trail heads up the right-hand side of the slope. It becomes obscured by some large rocks near the top, leaving hikers to climb amongst the boulders to reach the bottom of the knob, where the trail again becomes obvious as it crosses in front of the knob.
From the bottom, left-hand side of the knob, a short path leads up a steep slope to the Lookout. The views are spectacular here in all directions. The Monashee Mountains stretch out on the west side of Arrow Lake and the Selkirks on the east. Mosquito Lake is nestled in the hills to the northwest, while Whatshan Lake peaks from its valley to the southwest. Check out the features of the Lookout, including the giant compass inside and the names of past fire lookout scouts carved into the stone, dating back to the 1930s (see if you can find the backwards N). Enjoy the vista and feel the history before beginning your descent.