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Spyglass Ground House

Idaho Panhandle National Forests

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Campground guide

What to know before booking

Spyglass Lookout Ground House is located on Spyglass Peak, in the heart of the Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests. The ground house measures 14 x 14 feet and offers a dry cabin camping experience for 4 guests; there is no water or electricity. Spyglass Peak is situated at 5,190 feet in elevation and is surrounded by the Coeur d' Alene Mountains.

max Stay

5 nights

Official campground details, summarized

Concise planning notes based on the public Recreation.gov campground information.

Facilities

The ground house measures 14 x 14 feet and offers a dry cabin camping experience for 4 guests; there is no water or electricity. There are two new single mattresses and one bedframe to provide sleeping accommodations for two, with one mattress on the floor. Additional guests may need to provide their own sleeping pads or cots. There are kitchen table and chairs, a Jotul woodstove, wood box, and storage cabinet with basic dishes and eating utensils. There is no refrigerator or cooking stove. Outside the cabin is a picnic table and fire pit. The outdoor pit toilet is located about 150 feet from the cabin and is supplied with biodegradable toilet paper. Visitors should bring plenty of water for drinking and washing up, sleeping bags, matches or lighter, newspaper, garbage bags, flashlight, an ice chest for food storage, battery or propane lanterns, a propane cook stove, dish soap, towels and wash cloth, toiletries, insect repellent, first aid kit, extra toilet paper (just in case), and warm clothes.

Natural Features

Spyglass Peak is situated at 5,190 feet in elevation and is surrounded by the Coeur d' Alene Mountains. From vantage points near the cabin, vistas of ridgetops, forested slopes, and drainages of the North Fork Coeur d'Alene River and tibutaries extend as far as the eye can see. Wildlife in the area include moose, elk, whitetail deer, mule deer, wolf, black bear, mountain lion, fisher, ground squirrels, grouse, and goshawks, as well as other birds and many small mammals.

Recreation

The cabin provides access to several non-motorized hiking trails and a popular fishing stream for day excursions in the surrounding area. The trailhead for Fearn Creek (Trail #407) is about 1 1/2 miles from the cabin and the upper trailhead for Halsey Creek (Trail #451) is about 2 miles from the site. Within 8-10 miles of the cabin are trailheads for Boundary Peak (Trail #325), the lower end of Halsey Creek Trail, and the lower end of Little Elk Creek (Trail #32). Also within this range is Tepee Creek, a favorite fly fishing stream with a westslope cutthroat trout fishery. Slightly further, but still within range of a day outing is Independence Creek National Recreation Trail (Trail #22). This trail offers opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and motorcycle riding.

Nearby Attractions

Fishing streams, non-motorized hiking trails, motorcycle trail, Magee Historic Site

Campsite map

Site markers come from Recreation.gov campsite coordinates.

1 mapped sites

Campsites

A sample of official campsite metadata for scanning equipment fit before booking.

Site Spyglass Cabin

Spyglass Ground House

CABIN NONELECTRIC

vehicle

4

people

Yes

shade

Important notices

A combination is needed to access the lookout (both the gate and the cabin) and is provided upon your confirmation. Be sure to print out and bring your confirmation letter with you. The combination code is the 4 digit number located at the bottom of the letter under "Access Information" following the reservation dates.
The rental period begins at 2:00 p.m. on your check-in day and ends at 11:00 a.m. on the check-out day.
The wood stove may be used when no fire restrictions are in effect.
Some firewood is provided for the wood stove, but in case the supply is depleted it is safest to bring some with you. (The stove burns smaller diameter firewood 16" in length.)

More at Idaho Panhandle National Forests

Other tracked campgrounds from the same park or area.

Surrounding campgrounds

Other tracked campgrounds within driving distance, nearest first.

Common questions

Is Spyglass Ground House available right now?

Kestrel's most recent scan found no open sites in the next 14 days. Set an alert and you'll be emailed the moment one opens up.

How do I book Spyglass Ground House?

Reservations are handled by Recreation.gov, not by Kestrel. Use the official reservation link on this page to book. Kestrel only watches availability and tells you when a site frees up.

How quickly will I hear about a cancellation?

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