Gobblers Knob Fire Lookout

Gobblers Knob Fire Lookout is a two-level wooden fire lookout on a rocky outcrop above Lake George, at the north end of Mount Wow. Built in 1933, it is one of the park’s four remaining lookouts, and its exposed perch opens onto a broad Cascade panorama. Getting there takes commitment: the listed round trip is 11.2 miles with 2,585 feet of gain, and the usual estimate is six to seven hours. Other route measurements come out about a mile longer, so leave a full day rather than planning a tight return.

From the Dry Creek gate, the approach follows 3.8 miles of Westside Road to Round Pass. The road is closed to cars beyond the gate; hikers and bicyclists can use it, but bikes must stop when the route becomes trail. From Round Pass, a gentler 0.8-mile trail leads to Lake George. The final mile climbs steeply to the rocky lookout, with few level breaks. The lake drops out of view during that climb and opens below you again at the top.

Lake George sits below the lookout, with Mount Rainier and Tahoma Glacier dominating the view ahead. On a clear day, the 360-degree horizon can reach Mount St. Helens, Goat Rocks, Mount Adams, Mount Hood and the Olympics. For a photo that shows the drop, keep Lake George in the foreground beneath Rainier and Tahoma Glacier; the lake gives the broad mountain view a sense of scale.

The park built this lookout in 1933 as part of its backcountry fire-watch network. Watchers scanned for smoke and lightning, then reported what they saw by telephone. Aerial surveillance took over as the main way to spot fires after World War II, though the park’s remaining lookouts still serve occasionally in fire detection and ranger work. Gobblers Knob sits at the north end of Mount Wow; “Wow” means “goat.”

Westside Road to Dry Creek is typically open to vehicles from May through November; in winter, the road can be a snowshoe or cross-country-ski approach. Park south of the barricade because the road beyond is closed to vehicles and remains a rockfall hazard. The Dry Creek parking area is small. There is no food service on the route; a toilet is available at Lake George but not at Dry Creek. Treat natural water before drinking. Pets are prohibited, and overnight camping is allowed only at Lake George with a wilderness permit; the lookout is not open for overnight stays.