Zach Urness

Statesman Journal

One of the most beautiful and unique places to spend a winter night on Mount Hood will no longer be open for rental.

Flag Point Lookout, a historic fire lookout on the east side of Mount Hood, had been open during the winter for visitors to rent for $50, ski into and spend the night.

But vandalism to the lookout, and the costs required to keep it operational, became too much for Mount Hood National Forest, agency spokeswoman Laura Pramuk said. The Forest Service decided this spring to close the lookout for rental for the future.

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“The repeated incidents of vandalism created a situation where repairing it, up to the standard required for rental, was just costing too much,” Pramuk said. “It’s a shame we’re not able to keep it open.”

The lookout will remain staffed by the Forest Service during the summer for spotting wildfires, Pramuk said.

The problem with the winter rental program, said said, was that repairs are difficult in the remote location and winter conditions are harsh. The lookout is at 5,650 feet and surrounded by Badger Creek Wilderness. A ski or snowshoe trip of around 10 miles was required by renters to reach the lookout.

The news hit people such as Cheryl Hill hard. The author of “Fire Lookouts in Oregon” had made a reservation to stay at Flag Point next winter.

“It's one thing to miss out on staying at the lookout because of storm damage or a road washout, but to know that selfish humans are the cause is really disheartening,” Hill said in an email. “Thanks to the actions of thoughtless vandals, no one else will ever get to enjoy the experience of staying at Flag Point.”

Pramuk said part of the problem was the Forest Service’s limited budget for recreation and repairs.

“The recreation budget is very tight — it’s either declining or flat even as expenses keep going up,” Pramuk said. “That’s a factor in this decision. We have to look at all the things we need to fund, and in this case, it just doesn't add up.”

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Zach Urness has been an outdoors writer, photographer and videographer in Oregon for eight years. He is the author of the book “Hiking Southern Oregon” and can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Zach Urness or @ZachsORoutdoors on Twitter.