Located
to the west of Crater Lake National Park on the Rogue River
National Forest, Mount Stella Lookout went into service as
an L-4 on a 20’ pole tower in 1932. In 1946 it was replaced
by a newer model L-4 on a 30’ treated timber tower. (Photo
from 1947). It has been on standby status, and pretty much
abandoned since the mid 1980s. In 2000 it was placed the national
registry of historic places in jackson county. Also in 2000-2001
there was talk of restoring it to use as a rental, but nothing has
been done as of 2009.
The quickest way to get there is to take Forest Service road 6510
off Hwy 230. In two miles you intersect a road to the right that
goes to Rabbit Ears, but you want to go to the left, staying on
6510. In one mile Road 200 takes off to the left. This road is
narrow and water-barred, but passable for a 2-wheel drive. At
7/10 mile there is a gate that is usually locked. When we placed
the cache we were fortunate to find the gate open since there were
Forest Service personnel in the area watching for fires. From the
gate it is another 7/10 mile to the lookout. If the gate is open use caution driving this
section! It is narrow, rocky and not maintained. It is
not a difficult hike though, and the view from top is worth every
step! You can see all of the Crater Rim and more!! There is a
small turn-around at the end of the road.
You
are looking for a large ammo can filled with trade goodies and a
log. This is not recommended for small children or loose pets.
There are a couple very steep cliffs on the road up to the
lookout.
NOTE: For information on lookouts visit Rex’s
Forest Fire Lookout Page. It is filled with lookouts, active
and abandoned all over the USA. This page shows the lookouts in
southern Oregon, but click on other areas to view more. The older
photos on this cache page were copied from this
website.