Big Hole Lookout
The numbers that decide it
Recreation.gov publishes no site-level detail for this campground, so we cannot say what length of rig it takes. Call the managing office before committing to it in a large vehicle.
Site-level detail from Recreation.gov, checked 2026-08-05. Where a field says “not published”, the agency has not published it — it does not mean zero.
Big Hole Lookout
The historic Big Hole Lookout was rehabilitated and added to the Lolo National Forest cabin rental program in 2021. Reservations are required through Recreation.gov . The hike up to Big Hole Lookout is a moderate three-mile hike one-way, the lookout can accommodate up to four people. A brief history Big Hole Lookout was built in 1930 for what was originally called the Cabinet National Forest. It is a ‘Grange Hall’-type lookout: a structure built atop a short talus foundation. This type of lookout predates the standard design seen in most other areas, and due to the difficulty in its construction, is quite rare. In fact, Big Hole Lookout is one of only two lookouts of its kind on the Lolo that remain intact! It saw its last use as a fire lookout in 1972, and although afterward abandoned, was determined eligible for placement on the National Register of Historic places (NRHP) in 1984. It has been rehabilitated through a series of Passport in Time volunteer projects which finished in 2017.
Before you go
Season
June 10 – October 14
Reservations
Reservations accepted
Fees
$45/night
Scenic drives that pass close
Make it a night on a better road
Byway plans the drive in — real stops, real weather, nothing invented.