Mestaa’ėhehe Mountain Fire Lookout

Come check out the Mestaa’ėhehe Mountain Fire Lookout (formerly known as Squaw Mountain), a historic spot located in the Mount Evans Wilderness Area of Colorado, and one of the highest lookout towers in the country, at an elevation of 11,486 ft. Just a short drive from the Front Range corridor, you can hike/backpack in to this lookout area. The Civilian Conservation Corp constructed this lookout and it remains an active communication tower to this day.

To get there from Denver, head west on I-70, exit Evergreen Parkway, and drive south to the 4th stoplight, where you turn right onto Squaw Pass Road. The turnoff for Forest Road 192.1 is 12 miles from there. In the summer you can drive one mile up the road to the locked gate, but I prefer to hike from the main road, and in the winter this is your only option. Hike or snowshoe up the road for one mile to the locked gate. Bypass the gate and continue another mile to the Lookout Tower.

For added adventure year round, you can stay overnight inside the tower. Reservations are required and can be made ahead of time by visiting recreation.gov. Otherwise, there is no camping permitted at the lookout.

As this is an alpine hike, always be prepared for unexpected storms which occur frequently in the Rockies.