Three Fingers Lookout, Fire lookout tower in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, United States.
Three Fingers Lookout is a historic wooden fire lookout tower perched on the rocky summit of Three Fingers Mountain in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in Washington State. The cabin is bolted directly onto the bare rock of one of the mountain's three jagged peaks, at a high elevation with no road access.
Harold Engles and Fred Benesh built the tower between 1930 and 1932 as part of early efforts to detect and control wildfires in the region. To lay a stable foundation on the bare summit, workers had to remove large amounts of rock by hand.
The lookout is one of the few surviving wooden fire towers from the early 20th century and still shows its original construction details. Visitors who reach the top can see how the cabin sits directly on the bare rock, with the bolts and framing still visible.
Getting to the tower requires mountaineering experience and proper gear, as the route crosses steep rock and involves some technical climbing. The best time to go is mid-summer, when snow has melted and the trail and rock faces are dry.
Workers used pack animals and a hand-operated tram to carry heavy building materials up the mountain, since no road or mechanical lift existed. Each beam and plank was hauled up piece by piece before being assembled on the rock face at the top.
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