Lookout Tree — Monday, Mar. 30, 2026

While headed south from Darrington on the Mountain Loop Highway, a few miles past the end of the paved road and thus on the gravel road, I noticed a hand made trailhead sign on the right (west) side of the road .  There is room for about two cars to parallel-park next to the road. While the trailhead sign calls this trail 'Lookout Tree Trail' my older Green Trails map calls it Beaver Lake South Trailhead.
     After a short walk the trail heads downhill headed for the floodplain of the Sauk River.  The trail is wide enough that I believe at one time it was a road.  When the trail gets to the bottom of the hill there is sign talking about a cedar tree measuring 15 feet in diameter.  That is the tree towards the right side of the trail, and the tree looks dead and it's top has broken off.
     Meanwhile, to the left is another huge cedar tree that looks to be the same diameter but is still alive.
     After taking photos I continued east on the trail, but was unsure how far it was to the Sauk River, plus the trail looked to be needing some brush removal, so I turned around and returned to the trailhead.  There is one good size log to duck-under on the trail (see photo).
     I have my doubts that the tree was ever a lookout because it is located in a river bottom, and all the other lookouts I've hiked to have been high on mountain tops.