Shorty Peak Lookout in ID -- Campground & RV Camping

Shorty Peak Lookout is a 15-by-15-foot refurbished cabin perched on a five-foot foundation atop Shorty Peak, 45 miles northwest of Bonners Ferry. Reached via a 2.5-mile trail with a 1,300-foot elevation gain, the cabin sleeps two people and features hardwood floors, twin beds with pads, chairs, tables, an original fire finder, and a pit toilet within 100 yards. There is no water or electricity. The surrounding area supports hiking, horseback riding, and bird watching across the Kootenai Valley and the Selkirk and Purcell mountain ranges.

Getting there: From the Bonners Ferry Ranger Station: Take Highway 95 north for 17 miles. Turn left onto Highway 1 and head north for 2 miles. Turn left onto Copeland Road and head west for 4 miles. Stay right at the T junction and continue north on Westside Road for 9 miles. Stay to the left around the switchback, onto Forest Road 281, then drive west for 8 miles. Turn right on Road 655 and drive west 1.5 miles. Stay right again at the switchback, heading east 1 mile on Rd 282. Go straight at the next junction, and continue northeast on Road 282 for 4 miles. Park at the trailhead on top of the saddle before the locked gate. Hike 2.5 miles up the trail to the west to reach the lookout.

• Well separated here, a single-site campground with the nearest through road 1.2 miles off.
• Flat ground is scarce: under a tenth of the terrain within a few hundred yards is level.
• Cabins and shelters rather than pads.

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