Goat Peak Lookout - Mazama Washington

Easily identifiable from Highway 20 as you pass between Winthrop and Mazama, Goat Peak has long been a destination peak for visitors. With a fire lookout building since 1923, this summit has long had a human presence. Larches along the trail make it popular in fall but this summit gets visitors pretty much every day during hiking season. A restroom is at the trailhead so a Northwest Forest Pass is required.

From the intersection with Lost River Road in Mazama, drive east on Goat Creek Road 1.8 miles to its junction with FS-52 (Goat Creek Snopark turn). Turn left onto FS-52 and follow it 2.6 miles to the junction with FS-5225. Turn left onto FS05225 and drive 6.2 miles to the junction with FS-200. Turn right and follow FS-200 2.9 miles to the trailhead and road end. Good for any vehicle.

Most of the trail is forested with an occasional meadow and views. At times, the trail gets steep but the final half mile to the summit is on a comfortable ridge with views. Easy to follow, no other trails branch off.

In 1923, a cupola cab was built.
In 1926, the lookout was Glen Allen.
In 1930, the lookout headed to the station at the beginning of June but was over taken by a snow storm, being forced to return to the ranger station. Owing to the dry condition before the last rain they thought it best to start early, but the storm left snow all over the peaks. They reported that this particular station was quite high and very hard to get to, with many rough, steep places which have to be blasted out every year before the trail is passable. But, by June 11, he was at his post. Near the end of the season, the packer Bill Wehmeyer took a pack-horse up to the look-out but got caught in a storm and had to spend the night. The lookouts were a Mr. and Mrs. Boone and a baby. They used a horse to pack water from a spring 1,000 feet below the lookout cabin. Although it did snow, they had to stay at the lookout an additional two weeks longer than expected due to dry conditions.

In 1931, Mrs. Boone came down on July 4 from Goat peak where her husband was is in charge of the lookout station. She said that during a recent electrical storm the lightning struck the lookout station twice without damaging it and for hours during the early evening the lookout was immersed in black clouds with flashes of lightning playing all about it. She spent a few days with relatives in Omak before returning to Goat peak. The next week the forest service spent a few days fixing up the trail to the lookout, then put in a new phone line from the lookout to Sunrise peak, a distance of five miles. The work was done by Duer Johnson and Harry Tuttle.

In 1932, Goat Peak got a short wave radio set for testing. The lookout was Douglas MacRae of Wenatchee. During the first week, his wife joined him but got lost on the way up taking the wrong trail. She had gone for miles before realizing her error. Hours had passed, her husband was tracking her horse and residents of the valley had been notified by telephone that she was lost. Eventually they reunited and made it to the station before dark.

In 1933, Douglas McRae was packed up to the Goat Peak lookout station by packer Bill Wehmeyer. They reported snow seven feet deep still on some of the high northern slopes.

In 1934, a crew of forest service men continued work on the trail between Mazama and Goat peak lookout. It had been poorly constructed in several places and in packing up supplies, one of Bill Wehmeyer's horses went off the trail and was severely cut. The horse was cared for on the peak. Panoramic images were taken from the lookout this year. Near the end of the season, lookout Douglas McRae left the lookout to take up his duties as fruit inspector at Pateros and Brewster. Mrs. McRae held down the post at the peak until relieved by Francis Luskin who finished the season as lookout.

In 1935, Douglas MacRae reported to the lookout to find that the station had been broken into after the season ended the previous year, presumably by hunters he thought. The intruders left the room dirty and the door open, and this summer the building was in bad condition and infested with rats. The packer was again Bill Wehmeyer. Near season end, lookout Douglas McRae again came down from the lookout early to do the fruit inspector job in Brewster. Owing to the high temperatures and low humidity increasing the fire hazard, the station was kept open for some time with Dwight Corrier in charge.

In 1950, the present 15-foot timber tower with L-4 cab was built. For over 20 years, the lookout was staffed full-time during fire season by Bill Austin, known as Lightning Bill. Goat Peak lookout is still staffed, in recent years by Christine Estrada.