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Little Mt. Hoffman Lookout was constructed in the 1920s and was used by the Forest Service on a regular basis until 1978. It is one of the few remaining historic lookouts in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest and is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The lookout is still used by the Forest Service in times of extreme fire danger. The lookout is accessible by car, but the last 4 miles are on unpaved roads and difficult for RVs and cars with trailers to navigate. Visitors must bring many of their own supplies. The accommodations of this lookout may be rustic, but the views guarantee that visitors will have a memorable stay.
Little Mt. Hoffman Lookout is an ideal location for sightseeing and bird watching, and it's a photographer's dream. Visitors in search of more active pursuits can drive a short distance to hike and explore the many nearby hills, clearings and caves. Medicine Lake has a day use area with a large swim beach and a boat dock.
The lookout is a 14x14 wooden cabin that sits on the ground. Front steps lead up to the entrance and a wooden deck surrounds it. It's equipped with a wood stove, two cots, a shovel, a bucket, storage cabinets, dining table, cleaning gear and a fire extinguisher. A barbecue pit and picnic table are located outside. A vault toilet is housed in a separate building. This facility houses a maximum of four people. The lookout has no cooking facilities, water, bedding or electricity. Visitors must bring their own water supply and garbage bags to pack out their trash. Recommended supplies include food, toilet paper, linens and blankets, firewood, cooking utensils, extra batteries and a flashlight or lantern. Visitors should also remember to bring the reservation confirmation and the lock combination. The use of portable stoves using gas, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel is allowed with a valid California campfire permit (click here for more details on Little Mt. Hoffman Lookout).
Little Mt. Hoffman is a cinder cone on the flanks of Medicine Lake Highland, the largest identified volcano within California, which extends roughly 15 miles east to west and 25 miles north to south. Medicine Lake Highland has a caldera that is partially filled by Medicine Lake. Little Mt. Hoffman sits on the rim of this caldera at 7,309 feet, providing a panoramic view of this diverse volcanic landscape. Visitors can see a spectacular view of Mt. Shasta, Mt. Lassen and southern Oregon's Mt. McLoughlin. The panorama includes the Tulelake Basin to the north, the Fall River Valley in the east and the Medicine Lake Highlands to the south.
A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation. Late cancellations are subject to additional fees. For full details see NRRS Reservation Policy .
From McCloud, California, travel east on Highway 89 for 16 miles to Road 15 (the Harris Springs Rd). Turn left and travel on a paved road for about 4.5 miles on Road 15 to the 49 road (Powder Hill Road). Travel for approximately 28 miles northeast to the Medicine Lake area. From there, follow the road along the north side of Medicine Lake for approximately 4 miles to Little Mt. Hoffman. These last 4 miles are not paved and motor homes and vehicles pulling trailers are not recommended.
Amazing views and nice to be isolated on the top of a mountain but the yellow jackets will ruin your days here. They swarm you, your food, your water, your dog, the cabin. There is no running from them. They probably have a nest under the cabin. Rangers know it’s a problem and don’t do anything to address. This is not just a few bees flying around. It’s a full blown infestation. If you want to go up there to relax you will need to stay inside the cabin all day, which gets warm, if you open the two windows with mosquito nets you get the incessant buzzing. It’s non stop from as early as the sun comes up until the sun goes down. It was a terrible experience. It was very warm during the day and we even had a fire going to see if the smoke would help but it barely helped. It would improve a lot if rangers would address the problem, but they won’t. You drive all the way with all of your gear and expectations and you have to spend most of the day indoors, including having your meals in a warm cabin. It may be another story during the winter, but during the warm months the experience is awful. The surroundings are beautiful but you will be so miserable it makes it really hard to enjoy it. Waste of time and money. I wish I had known I would have gone somewhere else.
Beautiful day hike from Medicine Lake. Also caught a rare flower that only blooms above 7000 ft in only 5 places in California
100% worth at least a one night stay. Mt. Shasta is in plain view, as well as several lava flows. The sunsets make staying here worth it by its self. There is a wood burning stove that is more than adequate. It's really close to the Lava Beds Monument. I've stayed here overnight when spending a few days exploring caves.
