Hirz Mountain Lookout
Hirz Mountain Lookout is a national forest campground in California. Hookups: no hookups.
- Type
- National forest campground
- Location
- California
- Coordinates
- 40.91361, -122.26250
- Hookups
- No hookups
- Activities
- Biking, Camping, Hiking, Historic & Cultural Site, Hunting, Wildlife Viewing
- Map
- Open in OpenStreetMap
- Phone
- 530-275-8113
Amenities
- Reservable sites
Only amenities a source confirms are listed; an amenity missing here is unknown, not absent.
About Hirz Mountain Lookout
Overview The McCloud River Wintu tribe held Hirz Mountain in reverence and had a name for it in their own language. But it was a white miner, Henry Hirz, who gave the mountain its modern name. Hirz was a gold miner who lived on Hirz Creek in the 1860s and was one of the earliest white men in the McCloud River country. When the lookout was built, it was originally a structure that sat on the ground. The mountain was a strategic location for detecting fires because it had a direct view into the headwaters of the McCloud River and most of its tributaries. In 1937, the Forest Service and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) rebuilt the Hirz Mountain Lookout cabin and included a garage and outhouse. It was one of the last CCC-era lookouts to be built. In 1949, a steel tower was added, constructed of a steel K-brace tower that stands 20 feet above ground level. Coming here is not for the faint of heart. The access road is rocky and steep with limited visibility - high clearance vehicles are recommended - and the last quarter-mile must be traversed on foot. Those who make the journey are rewarded with unforgettable views of the landscape by day and the stars at night. Recreation The main recreational activities at Hirz Mountain Lookout are sightseeing and stargazing, and this is an ideal setting for those with a passion for photography. Visitors may want to bring binoculars to go birding and wildlife watching. There are also opportunities to hike, mountain bike and hunt in the
Cell coverage
No coverage data for this location yet.
Nearby RV services
- Dump station
- Pilot Travel Centers LLC · 34 mi
- Water fill
- None mapped within 50 mi
- Propane
- Airgas · 23 mi
- Low clearances
- None mapped within 10 mi
- Off-road routes
- 193 designated routes (214 mi) within 10 mi
Other places to stay nearby
| Name | Type | Distance | Fee | Hookups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellery Creek Campground | Private campground | 1.0 mi | — | — |
| Ellery Creek | National forest campground | 1.1 mi | — | No hookups |
| Pine Point (Shasta Lake, CA) | National forest campground | 1.2 mi | — | No hookups |
| Pine Point Cg-F | National forest campground | 1.3 mi | — | — |
| Pine Point Campground | Private campground | 1.3 mi | — | — |
| McCloud Bridge Campground | Private campground | 1.8 mi | — | — |
Open Hirz Mountain Lookout in DryRig
Save it offline, check your rig's clearance on the drive in, and see what's nearby on the map.
Sources. Recreation.gov (RIDB). Updated June 2026. Facility facts only; DryRig does not publish ratings or reviews on this page.