A helicopter swirled above the High Rock Lookout in view of Mount Rainier on Wednesday morning as volunteers awaited the precious loads it was delivering from below.
The aircraft was delivering construction supplies in addition to food and water for workers who will spend the next six weeks at the high-elevation site.
The chopper took a load of garbage down while it was there.
It was the latest development in an ongoing effort to restore the historic fire lookout, which was recently struck by vandals who broke windows and tossed materials and equipment off of nearby cliffs.
National Forest Service (NFS) Trail 266 in East Lewis County — leading to the High
Rock Lookout in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest Cowlitz Valley Ranger District — remains closed until Aug. 23 following the vandalism last month, according to a July 7 NFS news release.
The Chronicle visited the area on Wednesday, July 8, along with Sand Mountain Society Board of Directors President Don Allen.
The Sand Mountain Society is an Oregon-based nonprofit leading the efforts of the High Rock Lookout Restoration Project along with the White Pass Country Historical Society and Cowlitz Valley Ranger District staff.
As for the ongoing investigation into the vandalism, Allen said he couldn’t share any details, but he reiterated the call for anyone with possible leads to come forward and report them.
“The best thing would be if somebody hears from someone that they’re bragging about it or something, that they blow it. Turn them in,” Allen said.
While it is unknown exactly when it occurred, NFS investigators believe the vandalism at High Rock Lookout occurred sometime in early June. It resulted in the door being smashed in, along with multiple windows and window frames damaged.
Tools and supplies were also thrown over the cliff at the lookout, and some of the building’s original ceiling materials, which had been restored and prepared for reinstallation, were broken and scattered over the rocks.
Originally built in 1930 as a NFS fire lookout on top of a rock bluff, High Rock Lookout was one of only two in the region that survived the NFS destroying them during the 1960s.
Though it was last used for fire detection in 2004, the NFS still owns and manages the land, making the vandalism a federal offense. Repair efforts of the High Rock Lookout Restoration Project have been ongoing for over a decade as well.
Anyone with possible leads can call the Cowlitz Valley Ranger Station at 360-497-1100.
Allen stated the NFS has chosen to close both the High Rock Lookout and trail leading to it to give volunteers time and space to get restoration work done quicker and safer.
“It’s such a popular hike, and people would walk right through our camp, and we’ve had stuff get stolen before. We spend half our time talking to the public and not doing the work on the building if it’s open, so the Forest Service is closing the trail until Aug. 23,” Allen said.
Given the scenic views at the lookout — which overlooks the Nisqually Valley near Mount Rainier — and it only being a 1.6-mile hike to reach it, it is a popular day-hiking destination and easily sees hundreds of visitors any given week.
According to Allen, the vandalism has added countless hours to their work.
“We’re basically starting over on a lot of stuff that we had done,” Allen said.
Due to the difficulties of making repairs on site, the lookout was removed piece by piece by helicopter in 2020 for historically accurate restoration work. Last summer, in 2025, its foundation was replaced, and the restored pieces of the structure were transported back by the Sand Mountain Society.
On the brighter side, since the vandalism occurred, Allen stated they had seen a rise in both volunteers stepping up to help and fundraising efforts.
“The response by the public has been amazing,” Allen said. “We’re getting renewed interest and donations that are going to get us back to where we need to be.”
Volunteers are even signing up to essentially camp out at the trail in 12-hour shifts, ensuring someone is keeping an eye on the trail 24/7.
As for the closure itself, the designated closure area through Aug. 23 includes:
• NFS Trail 266 in its entirety, including the trailhead
• Anywhere within 150 feet of the High Rock Lookout foundation and structure.
Exemptions to the closure are any federal, state or county officers, or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force in the performance of an official duty and those with a NFS permit specifically exempting them from the closure order.
Violations are punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000 for an individual, $10,000 for an organization, or imprisonment for up to six months, or both.
For more information on the closure order, visit https://tinyurl.com/3x8svcys.
The High Rock Lookout Restoration Project is a collaborative effort of the White Pass Country Historical Society, the Sand Mountain Society and the NFS Gifford Pinchot National Forest Cowlitz Valley Ranger District. The Sand Mountain Society has been leading restoration efforts since 2020, according to the White Pass Country Historical Society’s website.
Restoration efforts initially began in 2014, when the White Pass Country Historical Society members and USFS Cowlitz Valley Ranger District Archaeologist Kevin Flores applied for a Valerie Sivinski Washington Preserves Fund grant to get the work started.
While project volunteers had their sights set on finally completing the lookout’s restoration this summer, their focus is now on repairing the damage caused by the vandalism. Anyone interested in joining their efforts is invited to do so as well.
Prospective volunteers can fill out the form and waivers required to get involved online at tinyurl.com/HighRockVolunteerForm. For those unable to volunteer but who still want to help, donations toward restoration efforts can be made online at tinyurl.com/SavetheRock.
To learn more, visit the White Pass Country Historical Society’s website at https://whitepasscountrymuseum.org/high-rock-fire-lookout/, or follow the restoration project on Facebook at https://tinyurl.com/57s9jna6.
