Spyglass Ground House

Spyglass Lookout Ground House is located on Spyglass Peak, in the heart of the Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests, approximately 2.5 miles east and slightly south of the Magee Historic Site as the crow flies. The site is listed on the National Historic Lookout Register. It was first used as a patrol point in 1911 and by the 1920s supported a tower and housing for forest fire lookouts; it remained operational until the mid- to late 60s and was abandoned in the 1970s. Current structures include a 53-foot tower support structure (the hipped roof L-4 cab having been removed in 2014), a 1930s gable roofed ground house used as a residence for lookouts when the site was operational, and a 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps constructed outhouse. Extensive restoration of the ground house for use as a recreation rental cabin began in 2012 and was completed in 2019. The ground house measures 14 by 14 feet and offers a dry cabin camping experience for four guests; there is no water or electricity. Two new single mattresses and one bedframe provide sleeping accommodations for two, with one mattress on the floor, and additional guests may need to provide their own sleeping pads or cots. Inside are a kitchen table and chairs, a Jotul woodstove, a wood box, and a storage cabinet with basic dishes and eating utensils; there is no refrigerator or cooking stove. Outside the cabin is a picnic table and fire pit, and the outdoor pit toilet is located about 150 feet from the cabin and is supplied with biodegradable toilet paper. Visitors should bring plenty of water for drinking and washing up, sleeping bags, matches or a lighter, newspaper, garbage bags, a flashlight, an ice chest for food storage, battery or propane lanterns, a propane cook stove, dish soap, towels and wash cloths, toiletries, insect repellent, a first aid kit, extra toilet paper just in case, and warm clothes. The cabin provides access to several non-motorized hiking trails and a popular fishing stream for day excursions in the surrounding area. The trailhead for Fearn Creek (Trail #407) is about 1 1/2 miles from the cabin and the upper trailhead for Halsey Creek (Trail #451) is about 2 miles from the site. Within 8 to 10 miles of the cabin are trailheads for Boundary Peak (Trail #325), the lower end of Halsey Creek Trail, and the lower end of Little Elk Creek (Trail #32), as well as Tepee Creek, a favorite fly fishing stream with a westslope cutthroat trout fishery. Slightly further, but still within range of a day outing, the Independence Creek National Recreation Trail (Trail #22) offers opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding and motorcycle riding. Spyglass Peak is situated at 5,190 feet in elevation and is surrounded by the Coeur d'Alene Mountains. From vantage points near the cabin, vistas of ridgetops, forested slopes, and drainages of the North Fork Coeur d'Alene River and its tributaries extend as far as the eye can see. Wildlife in the area includes moose, elk, whitetail deer, mule deer, wolf, black bear, mountain lion, fisher, ground squirrels, grouse and goshawks, as well as other birds and many small mammals.