Cleman Mountain - Naches Washington

Cleman Mountain is a long broad ridge that is adjacent to Highway 410 & 12 as you go through the small town of Naches. It is very prominent and the most southern of the three long ridges between Yakama/Naches Valley and the Ellensburg/Kittitas Valley. The three ridges are Cleman, Umtanum and Manastash.

Cleman Mountain

Between the small town of Pinecliff and the highway 410/highway 12 junction, there are two major dirt roads on the north side of the highway. Look for the Benton Creek Road to the east of the signed Rock Creek Road. There are two ways to access the summit off the Benton Creek Road. Both require high clearance 4WD. If these roads no longer are open, take the Rock Creek Road to the ridge, then drop down ridgeline. Once on Cleman Mountain, the highest point where there are towers.

This site was originally developed in 1946 with a log cabin.

In 1954, the cabin was replaced by the DNR with a live-in L-4 cab resting on the ground.

In 1957, the lookout accidentally shot herself in the leg and had to go to the Ellensburg hospital for a short period.

In 1967, the lookouts on Clemen were Sharon Borgford and her husband.

In 1968, the lookouts on Clemens were Earl and Merline Blum. They had a small travel trailer that sat beside the cabin. The original ground cabin was still on the ground this season and no work had begun on a tower.

In late 1968 or in 1969 a 40 foot wooden tower with live-in cab was built. This last lookout was still staffed in 1998. A storm severely damaged two tower legs during a December windstorm in 2006, leading to the tower being toppled by the DNR in April of 2007. It was listed on the National Historic Lookout Register.