Buck Rock Lookout

Buck Rock Lookout

We took a trip to the Buck Rock lookout this weekend. It’s a fire lookout in the high Sierra that offers a 360 degree view of the surrounding mountains. The lookout has a person in residence full-time during fire season and is open to the public. Here is a recap of our trip.

To get to Buck Rock Lookout, take Hwy 180 east from Fresno into Kings Canyon National Park. Turn right at the “Y” onto Generals Hwy. After about 10 minutes, you will pass the Quail Flat/Hume Lake turnoff, then you will pass the Kings Canyon Lookout on the left, the Buena Vista trailhead on the right (good hike by the way), the Big Baldy trailhead on the right, and finally the Big Meadows turnoff on the left.

After almost 3 miles, turn left at the Horse Camp Campground. This is a 2.5 mile dirt road that is one-lane and full of ruts and rocks.

At the Lookout parking area, there is a picnic table in the shade so be sure to pack some goodies. There is also a picnic table at the bottom of the Lookout, but it is in full sun.

This is what happens when you bring along a bag of chips to a high elevation.

The trail to the lookout is very easy and I would guess no more than a ¼ mile.

There is a vault toilet (fancy word for pit toilet or outhouse) at the bottom of the stairs. I would venture to say it is the nicest outhouse in the whole Sierra Nevadas.

After climbing up some smaller rock steps, you will climb 172 steps to the top. The stairs are narrow and steep, but extremely sturdy and stable. There are handrails on each side so you don’t lose your footing.

At the top, there is a small room with windows all around. It has a bed, small oven, refrigerator, wood stove, and desk. Outside the room, you can walk around all the sides.

The drive from Hume Lake took just under an hour and here is the view from the back road.

Our boys enjoyed it at 9 and 13 years old. There was a family with a little girl that appeared to be 4 or 5, and that was almost too young for climbing the stairs. For more information, visit www.buckrock.org.