Page Type:
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Mountain/Rock |
|---|---|
Lat/Lon:
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48.82730°N / 118.83269°W |
County:
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Ferry |
Activities:
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Hiking |
Season:
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Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter |
|
Elevation:
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5739 ft / 1749 m |
|
Overview
Bodie Mountain is a peak located in Ferry County, Washington. The mountain is perhaps most famous for being the site of a former fire lookout tower. The mountain is perhaps most important to peakbaggers due to it being the 4th-most prominent point and 5th-most isolated point in the county.
Looking Down Upper SlopesThe summit of Bodie Mountain is currently an ungated drive-up. Of the standard approach roads, all but the summit road are drivable by any street legal vehicle. The summit road has multiple rough sections and multiple high-clearance-preferred sections; it might be possible for a low-clearance vehicle to drive to the summit, but that is not recommended.
Summit USGS Benchmark DiskThe open rocky summit and minimum 10-mile isolation from higher peaks helped make the mountain an ideal choice for a fire lookout site prior to most other peaks that ended up with fire lookouts in central Washington. The first fire lookout to appear on the Bodie Mountain summit was a cabin with roof platform built during 1915. That lookout cabin was replaced by a 20' tall L-4 lookout tower during 1930. During 1942, the L-4 tower was then converted to a three-story house for the Aircraft Warning Service. During 1963, the L-4 tower was destroyed and replaced with a 20' tall treated-timber R-6 flat cab lookout tower. However, that lookout tower was only sporadically used, and eventually was destroyed in 1975.
Looking Up At Summit From Historic RemnantWith at least 1899' of clean prominence, Bodie Mountain is the 4th-most prominent point in Ferry County. The only peaks in the county that are more prominent are Copper Butte, Whitestone Ridge, and White Mountain; all three peaks have more than 2000' of clean prominence. With over 11 miles of isolation from nearest higher ground, Bodie Mountain is the 5th-most isolated point in Ferry County. The only peaks in the county that are more isolated are Copper Butte, Keller Butte, Whitestone Ridge, and White Mountain.
One Of Far-Ranging Views From SummitYears after the last fire lookout tower was destroyed on Bodie Mountain, a couple of small communications towers were placed at the summit.
Communications Facilities At SummitGetting There
FROM CURLEW, WA:
1) Drive west along Kettle River Road (a.k.a. County Highway 50).
2) After 5.8 miles, turn left onto Forest Road 2148. This road is unpaved, as the remainder of the route will be.
3) After 9.1 miles, turn right onto Forest Road 2086 (a.k.a. Hardscrabble Mountain Road).
4) After 1.0 miles, turn right onto Forest Road 100 (a.k.a. Road 2086-100, Bodie Mountain Road).
5) After 1.6 miles, arrive at the summit of Bodie Mountain.
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FROM THE ROAD INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAY 20 AND KAUFFMAN STREET IN REPUBLIC, WA:
1) Drive west along Highway 20.
2) After 2.2 miles, turn right onto Trout Creek Road. This road is an unpaved road, and its entrance is across the highway from Swan Lake Road.
3) After 0.7 miles, at a "Y" intersection, veer left onto Sheridan Road. This road is also known as County Road 253.
4) After 4.0 miles, veer left onto Forest Road 2086. The beginning of this road section is also known as Storm King Road.
5) After 4.3 miles, at a "T" intersection, turn left onto County Road 514. This road is also known as West Fork Trout Creek Road, but this part of the route is still technically part of Forest Road 2086.
6) After 0.4 miles, turn right onto Hardscrabble Mountain Road, which still remains part of Forest Road 2086.
7) After 7.4 miles, turn left onto Forest Road 100 (a.k.a. Road 2086-100, Bodie Mountain Road).
8) After 1.6 miles, arrive at the summit of Bodie Mountain.
Red Tape
No passes or permits are required to visit the summit of Bodie Mountain.It is illegal to enter or tamper with the summit communications towers.
Camping
Bodie Mountain is located within the Colville National Forest. Car-camping and backcountry camping is allowed within the national forest boundaries, on a "Leave No Trace" basis. Multiple summit parties have been known to camp overnight at the summit. The summit is a great place for watching sunsets, sunrises, star-gazing, and peak-gazing.It is recommended to contact the Colville National Forest for current rules and regulations.