Heybrook Lookout in WA -- Campground & RV Camping

Perched on a ridge at 1,700 feet, the historic 67-foot Heybrook Lookout tower features a 14x14-foot cabin that sleeps four. The cabin includes a twin bed, two floor mattresses, table and chairs, a propane stove, cookware, and battery-operated lanterns. A picnic table sits at the base of the tower, and a vault toilet is located down the ridge. There is no water on site, so guests must pack in all water and supplies. The site offers views of Mount Index, Mount Baring, and Bridal Veil Falls, with nearby hiking at Lake Serene and the Iron Goat Trail.

Getting there: Drive U.S. 2 for 2 miles east of the town of Index, just past milepost 37. Limited parking for the trailhead is located on the north side of the highway across from the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest sign. From the trailhead, it is a 1 mile hike to the lookout with an elevation gain of 900 feet. Tenants must climb 84 steps in order to reach the main cabin.

• Limited separation from through roads or other sites here, a single-site campground with the nearest through road 0.1 miles off.
• Flat ground is scarce: under a tenth of the terrain within a few hundred yards is level.
• Philadelphia Mountain stands 3,479 ft above the map pin, 2.0 miles south.
• South Fork Skykomish River runs 0.2 mi off.
• Cabins and shelters rather than pads, with 1 hike-in site and most of them shaded.
• Estimated night sky: Bortle 2, true dark-sky territory.

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