Mestaa'Ėhehe Mountain Fire Lookout
Sleep in a CCC-built stone lookout above 11,000 feet, with Denver's lights on one side and Mount Blue Sky on the other.
About Mestaa'Ėhehe Mountain Fire Lookout
The Mestaa'ehehe Mountain Fire Lookout crowns an 11,486-foot summit in Clear Creek County, about 30 miles west of Denver, between Idaho Springs and Evergreen. The Forest Service rents the restored lookout through Recreation.gov, giving up to four guests a glass-walled room with a wraparound catwalk and a view that stretches from the Great Plains to Pikes Peak, Longs Peak and Mount Blue Sky.
To reach it, take CO-103 south from I-70 Exit 240 at Idaho Springs for about 19 miles, turn onto dirt Forest Road 192.1, and park below a locked gate. From there it is about a mile on foot to the summit; in winter you park on the highway and walk roughly two miles.
For a photographer, this is about as good as a Front Range overnight gets: sunset over the Continental Divide, city lights after dark, and sunrise over the plains without leaving the room.
A native-granite fire lookout built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1940s, sitting above 11,000 feet off Colorado 103 west of Bergen Park. It's still an active communication site today, and the lookout structure itself — a glass-walled cab wrapped by a catwalk — is on the National Register of Historic Places, making it a strong architectural subject on its own even without a mountain backdrop.
History
The lookout was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps from native granite, with a 14-by-14-foot cab on a stone base. It no longer serves for fire detection. The mountain was long known as Squaw Mountain, a name widely recognized as a slur. In December 2021 the U.S. Board on Geographic Names unanimously approved the name Mestaa'ehehe (roughly 'mess-taw-HAY'), honoring Owl Woman, a 19th-century Cheyenne translator who helped mediate between Native peoples and white traders and soldiers in southern Colorado. The lookout took on the new name with the peak.
Photographing Mestaa'Ėhehe Mountain Fire Lookout
Best light: Stay the night and shoot both ends of the day: sunset paints the Mount Blue Sky massif and the Divide to the west, while sunrise comes up over the plains to the east. Clear winter nights give the crispest views of the Denver city glow.
Shots to look for
- The lit lookout cab at blue hour from the trail below, with stars or city glow behind (14-24mm, tripod)
- Sunrise over the plains from the east catwalk, using the stone base or railing as foreground
- Telephoto layers of the Front Range toward Pikes Peak and Longs Peak at golden hour (100-400mm)
- Alpenglow on Mount Blue Sky to the west at sunset
Photo tips
- Clean the windows' interior side before shooting through them, and press the lens to the glass to kill reflections
- Lightning is a real hazard in summer: stay inside during storms and avoid the metal furnishings
- There is no water on site; carry in drinking water and bedding
- Wind is often fierce on the catwalk; weight your tripod or shoot from inside
- Cell service can be limited; download maps and directions before leaving Idaho Springs
Know before you go
- Reservation required; the gate combination comes in your confirmation
- Pack it in, pack it out, and leave the lookout clean for the next guests
- No pets, no smoking, and no tent or RV camping at the site
- No refunds for weather; winter access means a longer walk in snow
Frequently asked questions
How do you book the Mestaa'ehehe fire lookout?
Reservations are made on Recreation.gov. The lookout sleeps four and often books up quickly, so plan well ahead.
Was this called Squaw Mountain?
Yes. Federal officials renamed it Mestaa'ehehe Mountain in December 2021 to honor Owl Woman, a Cheyenne translator.
How far is the walk to the lookout?
About a mile from the gated parking area in summer and about two miles in winter, when you park on the highway.
Featured in: Best Sunrise Photography Spots in Colorado · Photography Spots Near Denver · Night Sky and Storm Photography in Colorado
Combine it with
Echo Lake · Mount Blue Sky · Chief Mountain · Idaho Springs
More Colorado spots
Sources & further reading: recreation.gov · denver7.com · sah-archipedia.org. Conditions, fees and rules change; check with the managing agency before you go.