About Onion Mountain Lookout
THIS FACILITY IS CLOSED TO RESERVATIONS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE Onion Mountain lookout sits atop a 12-foot tower at an elevation of 4,438 feet, offering guests expansive mountain views in southwestern Oregon. The original Onion Mountain Lookout was a raised platform, built on top of a tower in 1916. In 1924, a second lookout without a tower was built on site. The current structure was placed on site in 1952 and served as a fire lookout and Aircraft Warning Service observation station. The lookout offers a unique lodging experience in the Rouge River-Siskiyou National Forest, but visitors are required to bring a few of their own supplies to enjoy a safe and comfortable stay. Hiking, mountain biking, stargazing and wildlife viewing are popular among guests to this lookout. On trails throughout the area, hikers will enjoy mountain views, old-growth forest canopies and natural pools for…
- Managed by: Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, FS
- Where: 10 mi southwest of Merlin, OR · 42.45444, -123.61639
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: Jun–Sep (comfortable days, mild nights, little rain). Nights below freezing: Feb–Mar and Dec.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onion Mtn | ATV road | 0.2 mi | 5.7 mi |
| Fire Road | ATV road | 0.3 mi | 0.7 mi |
| Shan Creek | Horse, Dirt bike | 0.9 mi | 6.6 mi |
| Minnow Creek | Horse | 1.9 mi | 3.6 mi |
| Taylor Creek | Horse, Dirt bike | 2.4 mi | 10.7 mi |
| Big Pine Access Spur | Horse | 3.0 mi | 1.4 mi |
Straight-line distance from camp, from Forest Service, BLM, state and OpenStreetMap trail data.
Good to know
Verizon 4G · AT&T 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: Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve (Dark Sky Park), 27 mi.
Dump station: 24.6 mi
Nearest of each within 25 miles, straight-line.Camps nearby
- Big Pine Campground 3 mi
- Meyers Camp Dispersed Campsites 3 mi
- Sam Brown Campground 3.7 mi
- Campsite · 5 mi NE of Selma 7.9 mi
- Spalding Pond Campground 8.5 mi
- Briggs Creek Campground 10.7 mi