| Drive-Up | Staffed |
| Elevation: 6115′ | Clearwater National Forest |
History
Osier Ridge was first a log cabin and a 30′ pole platform in 1921.
1938 – 55′ pole L-4 was built.
1961 – 41′ TT R-6 Flat tower was built.
This tower is staffed during the fire season.
Known Staff
1931 – Mark E. Lawrence – Partial Season (*Former Forest Fire Lookout Registry)
1979 & 1980- Gayle Mosman Howard
Volunteer Staff (Partial season stints)
2022 & 2025 – Nate Raff
2025 – Bill Moore
2025 – Billy Cooter & Cat House
Our Notes
We visited Osier Ridge Lookout when a friend of ours was staffed there in late summer 2022.
Nate shared some great stories from his career working in helitak and walked us through what his volunteering at lookouts in the Clearwater National Forest entails.
While there, we were witness to a spectacular thunder and lightning show and one of the most gorgeous sunsets.
I came to the tower as a bride with my new husband for the summer of 1958. We returned for the summer of 1959. Memories of learning to cook on a wood stove. My first huckleberry pie ran over and out the oven door to the floor. Cooking meals for the trail crew that worked from Osier Ridge for 2 weeks. Refrigeration was a screened orange crate nailed to the underside of the tower floor. Radioing in our grocery order and receiving a full side of bacon and a 15 lb ham!!! My brand new wedding gift of The Joy of Cooking said “a defination of eternity is a ham and two people”!! We were on the tower the morning of the 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake that killed 28 people in Yellowstone Park. So many memorites. KOC266 this is Osier Ridge…KOC266 this is Osier Ridge…
Elissa by any chance do you have any photos from your time on Osier? Do you mind if we share your story?
Osier Ridge—Bill and Elissa MacLaughlin. 1958 and 1959
Thank you Elissa! Im actually headed up this weekend for my volunteer staffing stint on Osier!