Green Ridge Lookout

Green Ridge Lookout is perched on a ridge more than 2,000 feet above the Metolius River, offering guests a unique lodging experience in Deschutes National Forest. The 20-foot tall fire lookout, with unmatched views of Mt. Jefferson and the Metolius River basin, was built in the 1960s. It is available early May through June and mid-September through mid-November; during the summer months the lookout is staffed with Forest Service volunteers who help with forest fire detection. The R6 style cab sits on a two-story tower hugging the side of Green Ridge. From the parking area, a short boardwalk leads to the lower 20x20-foot wooden deck, and a one-story flight of steps leads to the catwalk of the upper deck surrounding the cabin. The one-room cabin is furnished with a futon, a table and two chairs, and is equipped with a propane refrigerator, an overhead light, a propane wall heater, and a four-burner propane stove and oven. There is no water available at the site, so guests must bring water for drinking, cooking and washing, along with food, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, towels, cookware, dish soap, matches, toilet paper and garbage bags. Although lighting is available, bringing an additional light source is recommended. Fishing and hiking top the list of recreational activities in the area. For anglers, the Metolius River offers a stunning setting for fly-fishing; its clear, cold waters support rainbow trout, whitefish, bull trout and kokanee salmon. For day hikers and backpackers, the area offers a wide variety of scenic terrain, ranging from riverside trails to routes through subalpine forests, with several pleasant day hikes along the Metolius River and to the top of Black Butte. Lake Billy Chinook, approximately ten miles away, offers boating and fishing. Guests are treated to views of snow-capped mountain peaks and dense forests of Douglas-fir, cedar and ponderosa pine that stretch out to the horizon. Mount Jefferson, the most prominent peak in view, is a stratovolcano that reaches an elevation of 10,497 feet, the second highest mountain in Oregon. The scenic Metolius River flows through the basin beneath the tower; its headwaters are at Metolius Springs at the base of nearby Black Butte, a 6,436-foot cinder cone, and the clear, cold river flows north from the springs through diverse coniferous forest and a landscape of volcanic activity.