Camping › California › Calpine Lookout
Calpine Lookout
2 mi northwest of Calpine, CA · Verizon 4G · T-Mobile 5G
About Calpine Lookout
Calpine is a forest fire lookout tower that was constructed in 1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, and is one of three remaining examples of the enclosed windmill-style lookout in California. The lookout was actively used every summer until 1975. It is a three-story structure with external stairs. The top room or observation cab is the only rentable space at this time. This is a popular rental facility that is booked almost every night of the year. Calpine sits at an elevation of 5,980 feet in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of the Tahoe National Forest, approximately 40 miles from Truckee, California. During the summer, renters can drive directly to the base of the tower. In winter, the road is often closed due to snow and ice so access is by snowshoes, skis or snowmobile. The lookout has propaned-powered appliances but does not have electricity or water. Hiking and mountain biking…
- Managed by: Tahoe National Forest, FS
- Where: 2 mi northwest of Calpine, CA · 39.67889, -120.46222
Things to do:
Official page for this camp (fees, closures, booking)
Weather by month
Typical daily highs and lows (°F), 1991–2020 NOAA normals. Best months: May–Oct (comfortable days, mild nights, little rain). Nights below freezing: Nov–Apr.
Fly over it in 3D, check today's weather and fire news, plan the drive and print a trip plan.
Trails near camp
| Trail | Open to | From camp | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calpine Lookout | ATV road | 0.5 mi | 0.2 mi |
| Chapman Calpine | ATV road | 0.6 mi | 6.3 mi |
| Mcnair | ATV / OHV, Dirt bike | 0.9 mi | 1.0 mi |
| Chapman | ATV / OHV, Dirt bike | 2.6 mi | 1.1 mi |
Straight-line distance from camp, from Forest Service, BLM, state and OpenStreetMap trail data.
Good to know
Verizon 4G · T-Mobile 5G
From the carriers' FCC coverage maps, which tend to be generous.The Milky Way shows rich detail, horizon to horizon.
Class 2 of 9, from NASA/NOAA night-light data.Stargazing nearby: Jack C. Davis Observatory (University observatory), 51 mi.
Dump station: 12.1 mi
Nearest of each within 25 miles, straight-line.Camps nearby
- Yuba Pass Campground 4.7 mi
- Shaffer's High Sierra Camp 5.5 mi
- Chapman Creek Campground 5.6 mi
- Sierra Campground 6.3 mi
- Clio's River's Edge RV Park 7.7 mi
- Feather River RV Park 8.7 mi