Lookout Mountain Entwistle Lookout Site

Lookout Mountain is on the east side of Interstate 5 as you approach Bellingham from the south. With Lake Whatcom on the other side, the uplift makes it the 110th most prominent peak in Washington. The long mountain has three highpoints, each of which had a fire lookout tower at some point. The Lookout Mountain Forest Preserve offers an excellent trail to two of the former lookouts sites. Both are now communication tower sites and offer very few views. Although the hike is on a road, most of the trek is in a protected forest with portions that will reach old-growth status within our lifetimes.

Take Exit 240 (Alger exit) and head east. In about a mile is a 4-way intersection. Go straight across and follow the Alger-Cain Lake Road for 4.8 miles. Next turn left onto Lake Whatcom Blvd. Follow for 2.9 miles to a left turn onto Lake Louise Road. In 1.3 miles you will see the signs and parking area on the left.

Hike or bike the main road for approximately four miles avoiding side trails until reaching a Y road intersection. To the right is 1.5 miles to the Whatcom summit and lookout site, to the left is 1.0 miles to the Entwistle summit and lookout site. A mountain bike trail connects the two summits on the summit ridge completing a loop. Be sure to visit both. Below it the link to the Whatcom site page.

In 1929, a 50-foot pole platform tower was built.

In 1954, the DNR built a new tower and cab. The new lookout was described as
a 40-foot tower with a 14x14 foot cab on top. The lookout was equipped with a new type cab designed and engineered by the Division Engineer and prefabricated in the shop during the winter. This new design reduced by 40 percent the number of sizes and pieces on the prefabricated building. It was more weather tight and equipped for cooking and heating with bottle gas. The latter feature eliminated the fire hazard created by use of wood-burning stoves and chimneys in the old type cab. Construction of the road to Entwistle Lookout was extremely difficult since the last one-half mile had to be blasted out of sandstone rock. The first lookout was Junia Buchanan who staffed the lookout until 1960.

In 1968, the tower was destroyed. The footings can be found tossed over the side at the south end of the site.

The 1954 lookout was dedicated on January 10, 1955 to the first fire warden in all the west, William 'Uncle Billy' Entwistle, aged 90, who was hired in 1908 by the Washington Forest Fire association as its first fire watcher. Two years earlier 'Uncle Billy' had worked for Weyerhauser posting fire warning signs along forest trails. Uncle Billy was also present at the dedication as shown in the above image.

Entwistle Lookout Site

On Lookout Mountain