Your Lake Arrowhead REALTOR®

Your Lake Arrowhead Realtor would like to share some local Lake Arrowhead Informationwith you.

There are three well-known FIRE LOOKOUTS in The San Bernardino Mountains: STRAWBERRY PEAK, BUTLER PEAK & KELLER PEAK, and they are opened 9:00 – 5:00 daily beginning Memorial Weekend and continuing until our first snowfall. They are manned by volunteers (THANKFULLY). I’ve been to Strawberry and Keller Peaks… ’bout time I tackle Butler.

A fire lookout is a volunteer who looks for fires from the fire lookout towers. The towers are normally in remote areas, on mountain tops and at high elevations, with great views of the surrounding terrain.

* Not for those who may be afraid of heights.

 

STRAWBERRY PEAK

This FIRE LOOKOUT was built in 1933 and stands at an elevation of 6,153 feet. Its location is in the tiny town of Rim Forest and is our most accessible lookout. From this 30-foot high tower, you can see as far as the San Gabriel Mountains, Bulter Peak, Keller Peak, Saddleback Mountain, and even Catalina on a clear day.

Directions: Highway 18 to Rim Forest, to Bear Springs Road.  Follow the lookout signs. The lookout is 2 miles on this paved road. 

 

 

KELLER PEAK

Named for Ally Carlin Keller (born in 1868), who was at one time an employee of the Forest Service,  The Keller Peak lookout is the oldest rremaining “original” tower. The lookout stands at an elevation of 7,882. The Children’s Forest is also located in this area, on the road from the highway 18 to the peak. 

Directions :  Highways 18 or 330 to Running Springs, past the village, turn right on Keller Peak Road (1N96). This 5-mile road is paved all the way to the tower. At the fork in the road, turn right & continue to the lookout.

 

BUTLER PEAK

Located between the little towns of Green Valley Lake & Big bear Lake, this 12 x 12 wooden cabin/tower was built directly on a rock and at an elevation of 8,535. The lookout was constructed in 1936 and was named after George E. Butler, a local politician and Bear Valley property owner. This lookout is on a dirt trail (rough, so a 4x drive vehicle is advised.

Directions:Take Highway 38 to Fawnskin (Big Bear Lake area) to  Forest Road 3N14 to junction Forest Road 2N13. turn left, follow to Forest Road 2N13C. This last road takes you to Butler Peak.

 

 

For a map, or more information, go to: San Bernardin National Forest website.