Friends of North Mountain, an all-volunteer community group has just launched a major fundraising campaign to complete their restoration of the historic North Mountain Lookout, one of the few remaining lookouts in Washington State. See the view from the lookout in the short video on our fundraising page: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/restore-the-north-mountain-lookout--2/x/7500211#/ The goal is to have the North Mountain Lookout restoration completed and ready for nightly rental by Spring 2017. With over 2,000 volunteer-hours to date, local volunteers have made the tower structurally sound and have installed a new cabin roof with the help of donated materials from local businesses, but much remains to be done. The campaign aims to raise $50,000.00 to propel the project forward to completion. Down the road, the plan is that rental income will maintain this unique structure far into the future, helping with economic growth of the Darrington area and providing residents and visitors with opportunities to share in the history of this unique region. During a stay in the cabin, guests will have the use of propane for heat and cooking as well as panoramic windows and a wraparound catwalk to take in the majestic scenery. Unlike many fire lookouts in the state, the North Mountain Lookout is accessible by road, making the site well-suited for group activites as well as lodging for families and individual guests. The 41' tower, built in the mid-1960's, is located high above the scenic Stillaguamish Valley, just a few miles from the site of the tragic mudslide that claimed 43 lives on March 22, 2014. Less than 100 of the original 656 lookouts in Washington State are left standing. Nationwide, nearly one lookout per week is lost to neglect or disrepair. North Mountain Lookout is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places for it's contribution to the history of fire management in the US Forest Service as one of only three remaining R6 Flat Cabs and as one of only thirteen remaining lookouts in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. The Friends of North Mountain are working closely with the the Darrington Ranger District on permitting issues for the site, which is owned by the US Forest Service and surrounded by Washington State Dept of Natural Resources (DNR) lands. Additional information is available on the website www.northmountainlookout.com Contact: Rick Knight 206.963.8016