Rent a Forest Service Guard Station or Fire Lookout

A great deal of media attention is being paid lately to the book, "Last Child in the Woods," by Richard Louv. The book emphasizes the need for kids to spend unstructured time in the great outdoors, but many parents don't know how to get started. Further, many parents are willing to get their kids outside, but feel they lack the needed skills to provide their families with safe and enjoyable outdoor recreation experiences.

One great way to get kids to the woods is by renting a Forest Service guard station or a fire lookout. The Forest Service has been renting out unused administrative sites for many years now, but it remains a relatively unknown program. Back in the days of the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt commissioned the Civilian Conservation Corps with the task of providing needed infrastructure on public lands. This included building roads, recreation sites, fire lookouts and guard stations all across the United States. Many of these historic buildings would now be in a terrible state of disrepair without the cabin rental program. Funds from cabin rentals return to the site for its maintenance and upkeep.

Most cabins and lookouts provide basic amenities like a wood stove, a cook top, tables and chairs, as well as beds or cots. Cabins sleep anywhere from 4 to 12 people. Restroom and drinking facilities are often quite rustic, but an outhouse and a water pump adds to the adventure, right?

What about the fire lookouts? Well, can you think of a better place for kids to get a bird's eye view of amazing scenery and the natural world around them? From a vantage point high atop a mountain, families can watch wildlife, study the sky for incoming weather, and star gaze at night. Many fire lookouts include interpretive information about how lookout staff used instruments like an alidade, maps, and radios to report lightning strikes and signs of smoke rising from the woods.

The costs of renting a cabin or a lookout are pretty small: it usually runs between $30-50 per night, as well as a one-time reservation fee when you book your stay. Certain locations can fill up very quickly, and reservations can be booked up to a year in advance. Reservations for most Forest Service cabins and lookouts are available through ReserveAmerica, which has clickable maps to help you pinpoint facilities in the area you wish to travel to. Be sure to read the cabin rental information on the site very thoroughly so that you know what to expect from the facility you are renting: many fire lookouts require a hike to reach them, and different facilities provide different amenities.

If you have been looking for a chance to take your family to the woods, but aren't comfortable with tent camping, a Forest Service cabin or lookout is perfect for you. Show your kids the great outdoors, learn about the woods and the history of our country, and spend time together as a family. Enjoy!