Boulder Butte Lookout Site

In Stehekin, the Purple Creek Trail starts just behind the Golden West Visitors Center and the Lakeside Campground. The trail is very nice and just climbs up and up until reaching Purple Pass. A short distance after the pass is a signed junction. Go left to Boulder Butte or go right to Lake Juanita and War Creek Pass. Going left up to Boulder Butte is a short scenic hike to the lookout site where the trail ends.

Lookout elevation: 7,350
Hiking Distance: 8 miles
Elevation Gain: 6,200 feet
Access: Lake Chelan Stehekin Boat
County: Chelan

Looking Southwest 1934

Looking Southeast 1934

1931 Chelan National Forest

Boulder Butte in the 1930s

Lookout Brockman 1938 and 1939

Lake Chelan Recreation Map

John Boehm in the 1930s

Hazel Bruckner his cousin Bucky

Looking Northeast 2022

In July of 1930, a Wenatchee newspaper said there was an emergency station on Boulder Butte. By September 1934 an L-4 cab had been built. John Wilbur Boehm served as a lookout in the 1930s, during which time he built the storm cellar beneath the tower. His brother Robert Charles Boehm manned McGregor Mountain Lookout during the same time period.

In 1938-1939, the lookout was Jim Berry, while he was attending college. His children shared a few stories. From his vantage point, Jim could see the mail boat come into Stehekin and was so excited that he plunged cross country down over the rocks to get to town. He also used to tell how he live trapped ground squirrels and painted a USFS green stripe down their backs to mess with visitors who would make the climb up.

In 1959, the Boulder Butte was destroyed.

Lookout Site year 2022

Brockman 1938 and 1939

Looking down at Lake Chelan

North Cascades views

Looking Southeast from the summit