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Waldo Mountain Lookout
Location:
17.3 miles ENE of Oakridge, Oregon
Period of use:
1926-1968 continuous, intermittently thereafter.
Ranger District:
Middle Fork Ranger District.
Design factors:
No recent site visit was possible before the writing of this report, but Waldo Mountain is believed to be on a post and pier foundation that is stable.
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Because of its location and difficulty of access, Waldo Mountain Lookout was – at last site visit – unmodified.
Waldo Mountain
Waldo Mountain Lookout is an “R-6 flat top” (1956 design). According to Ray Kresek in Fire Lookouts of the Northwest, the present-day lookout is the third structure to cap the peak. Kresek says a cabin was constructed in 1926, followed shortly by a D-6 cupola-style lookout constructed in 1929. The current building was constructed in 1957. This makes Waldo Mountain one of the earliest fire lookout sites on the Forest. According to Kresek, the site was used continuously until 1968, and then on an intermittent basis thereafter. Two notable Sand Mountain Society charter members spent summers on Waldo Mountain as volunteers: Bill Joy in 1986, and; Don Allen, Jr. in 1988. Access is via a moderate 3.5-mile trail that receives a lower level of use. The lookout has a remarkable view of Waldo Lake.
The “R-6 flat top” was the first post-war fire lookout design. It provided for a flat roof with a low profile with a continuous year-round overhang (instead of shutters to be raised in summer and lowered in fall). Also, the windows, which had as many as 9-lights in the “grange hall-style” L-4) were reduced to 2-lights the flat top, with one horizontal muntin. This provided for minimal obstacles to the seen area. The “R-6 flat top” expanded to a 16×16’ footprint, providing 60 additional square feet over its predecessor, the L-4.
There were never a large number of R-6 flat tops constructed on the Willamette National Forest. This design was more common in other areas. There are two identical model lookouts remaining on the Forest: Indian Ridge Lookout on McKenzie River RD, and Little Cowhorn Lookout (also on the Middle Fork RD). Reports suggest that both Little Cowhorn and Indian Ridge Lookouts have been more heavily modified than Waldo, and may therefore be less eligible for the NRHP.
No recent site visit was possible before the writing of this report, but Waldo Mountain is believed to be on a post and pier foundation that is stable. It is a ground cabin with a catwalk and handrail all the way around the lookout. At last visit, no substantial modifications had taken place.
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