Location

The Elliott State Forest southeast from Reedsport along the Oregon coast.

Bob Zybach's finger is pointing directly at the Cougar Pass Lookout in this Oregon Department of Forestry map.

Cougar Pass Lookout's Location

The Cougar Pass Lookout is located in the northeastern part of the Elloitt State Forest.

When we travelled in February 2020 to the Cougar Pass lookout, we discovered the Department of State Lands has been taken active steps to hide the Cougar Pass lookout from public view:

  • All roads signs leading to Cougar Pass have been removed. Since the Elliott has 500 miles of unmarked roads, and the Department of State Lands has removed signs throughout the Elliott's interior, this not only hides the Cougar Pass lookout, it also makes the forest dangerous for casual visitors who easily get lost among all the twisty, unmarked roads.

  • A 3-foot deep ditch has been dug so people can no longer drive to the lookout.

  • After someone hikes up the mountain to the lookout, a wire fence surrounds the lookout with a "Dangerous Building: KEEP OUT: Department of State Lands" sign.

Getting to Cougar Pass Lookout is easy as long as you avoid two pitfalls: Do not trust Google Maps and don't expect to find any road signs inside the Elliott State Forest. Let's assume you are in Reedsport and want to drive to the Cougar Pass Lookout:

  • Drive east on the Umpqua Highway 38 for 12.7 miles.

  • When you come to the Loon Lake Road, turn south. The page banner at the top of this page shows what this junction looks like.

  • Drive along Loon Lake Road for 6 miles. This stretch of paved road is gorgeous: it follows Mill Creek that flows out of Loon Lake.

  • Turn right onto an unmarked gravel road. To help you recognize the corner, we've put a photograph of this junction in the image carousel below.

  • Drive along this gravel road for 2.6 miles to reach the Lookout. You can't miss the Lookout because it will be visible off and on as you drive along the gravel road.

  • Park your car about one-third of a mile away from Cougar Pass Lookout because the last part of the road has been blocked off. You will need to walk carefully around a deep ditch in the access road. Once again, the image carousel has photos.

  • As you get near the tower, the access road will get clogged with scotch broom ... just push and weave your way through it.

Images of the route to Cougar Pass Lookout

This image carousel has photos of the route to Cougar Pass Lookout.

This Google Maps window is pointed directly at the Cougar Pass Lookout, and if you click on the satellite image icon, you should see the Lookout appear in the satellite photo. Do not expect Google Maps to direct you to the Cougar Pass Lookout without driving down a lot of unnecessary roads.