Little Cowhorn Lookout
USFS · Lookout/Cabin · Free
Fast facts
- Cost
- Free
- Managed by
- USFS
- Type
- Lookout/Cabin
- Hours
- Open 24 hours/day
- Reservations
- fs.usda.gov
- Coordinates
- 44.0388, -122.5024
- Last verified
- September 18, 2026
About this place
Little Cowhorn is a must-visit lookout point in the Forest. The mountaintop is a very open, rocky area that can be explored and traversed with care. The views of the Cascade Crest are somewhat distant, but you will have excellent vistas of the western edge of the Forest, and some major watersheds, such as Fall Creek. The trail rises through several types of vegetation and terrain, including deep timber, rocky outcroppings with dramatic towering faces, exposed flowering rocky slopes, and the grassy mountaintop area. An excellent early season warm-up hike or close-in late-season outing. Exercise caution on the final approach, which traverses a rock face with a cable handrail.
From the USFS.
Is Little Cowhorn Lookout free?
Yes. Little Cowhorn Lookout is free to use. It is managed by the USFS.
How do I get to Little Cowhorn Lookout?
Travelling eastbound on Oregon Highway 58, turn left just past mile marker 13 at the Lowell covered bridge. Continue to the four way intersection in Lowell and turn left, then take the next right onto Moss Street. Continue to the next four way intersection and turn right onto Big Fall Creek Road. Continue on this road to approximately mile post 18.5, then turn left onto the 1830 road. A high clearance vehicle is recommended for the remainder of this drive. Continue on the 1830 for approximately 8 miles until it becomes the 1817 road, then keep driving approximately 2 miles until turning right past the gate at the 388 spur. This steep road ends in a small parking area and the trail leading eastward out of it will take you to the lookout after 0.5 miles of ascending.
Nearby
- Timber Butte Lookout8.5 mi
- Saddle Blanket Shelter10.0 mi
- Buckhead Shelter15.8 mi
- Spring Prairie Shelter20.6 mi
- Box Canyon Guard Station22.9 mi
- Fairview Peak Lookout32.1 mi
- Warner Mountain Cabin34.8 mi
- Fuji Shelter35.0 mi
No other services within 50 mi on the record.
SourceData from the USFS. Last synced September 18, 2026. Community reports and photos are submitted by travelers and are not verified by the agency.
