Werner lookout fully reserved for limited 2020 dates

Werner Peak Lookout is booked for the entire 2020 season, according to the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.

DNRC recently announced that the lookout would have limited reservation dates available in 2020 and on the first day reservations were available, Jan. 2, the lookout was booked for the entire season.

The lookout is managed by the Stillwater State Forest, of the DNRC, as both an overnight rental and as a fire lookout each summer.

Historically, the lookout has been available for the public to rent from July 1 through Aug. 1 and Sept. 1 through Oct. 1. The state reserves the month of August to staff it as a fire lookout.

However, for the 2020 season, the lookout will only be available for the public from July 1 through Aug. 2, due to a limited capacity of the existing pit toilet.

While it’s closed, the Stillwater staff intends to paint the lookout and address relocating the pit toilet, according to a release.

The lookout has sat atop the Whitefish Mountain Range since 1914 and is located about 23 miles north of Whitefish in the Stillwater Forest. The lookout sits at an elevation of 6,960 feet and includes a 360-degree views of the Whitefish Mountain Range, Glacier National Park and the Flathead Valley.

The historic Ralph Thayer Memorial Trail runs adjacent to the lookout. The trail is part of a system of trails that extends from Werner Peak to Diamond Peak and Red Meadow Lake.

The lookout sleeps up to four people and includes two single beds and two cots. Amenities include a propane cook stove, lights and heater, along with cooking and cleaning supplies, but visitors must supply their own water.

Since 2011 the lookout has been managed by the Stillwater. The cost to rent the lookout is $50 per night.

For more information about the lookout, contact the Montana DNRC Stillwater Unit at 406-881-2371.