Buck Rock Lookout
Facility · California ·
Managed by the USDA Forest Service
Sequoia National Forest (NF) · Open Access
- 8,494 ft
- Elevation
Located in the Sequoia National Forest, Buck Rock Lookout sits perched atop a granite dome and offers a breathtaking view of the Great Western Divide and other spectacular high mountain peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Access to the top is via a series of stair flights (consisting of 172 steps) suspended from the side of the rock. The current lookout building was constructed in 1923 and is historically significant as a representation of the earliest 4-A style live-in cabs of which there are only three in existence in the world today.
Why is the lookout named Buck Rock? Legend has it that if you look at the rock from a certain angle, you can see the profile of an Indian warrior. In times gone by, we use to call male Indians “bucks” – thus the name. Native Americans referred to the rock as “Finger Rock”.
Getting there
36.73728, -118.86068 · 36°44'14.2"N 118°51'38.4"W
Typical weather
Typically 79°F in Jul, down to 46°F in Dec.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 46 | 46 | 48 | 52 | 60 | 71 | 79 | 79 | 73 | 63 | 53 | 46 |
| Low °F | 26 | 25 | 27 | 30 | 38 | 46 | 53 | 52 | 47 | 39 | 32 | 25 |
| Precip in | 8.0 | 7.3 | 7.8 | 3.6 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 2.4 | 3.3 | 6.6 |
1991–2020 averages from the nearest NOAA station, 5.6 mi away — not measured at the facility itself, and elevation can make a real difference over that distance.
Map
Member photos
Common questions about Buck Rock Lookout
- Can you reserve a site at Buck Rock Lookout?
- No. Buck Rock Lookout is not reservable through Recreation.gov, so sites are first-come, first-served or booked elsewhere.
Camping near Buck Rock Lookout
- Big Meadows Cabin (CA) 1.9 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Big Meadow Campground - US Forest Service Sequoia National Forest (CA) 2.1 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Ten Mile Campground (Ca) 2.2 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Landslide 2.2 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Buck Rock Campground 1.2 mi · Campground
- Big Meadow Trailhead 2 mi · Facility
- Tenmile Campground 2.2 mi · Campground
- Big Meadow Winter Trailhead 2.6 mi · Facility
- Kennedy Meadows Trailhead 2.6 mi · Facility
- Quail Flat Winter Trailhead 2.9 mi · Facility
- Woodward OHV Staging Area 3.2 mi · Facility
- Woodward Winter Trailhead 3.2 mi · Facility
Contact
- Info Recreation.gov
Recreation.gov last updated this record on 2026-02-25.
Facility information and photographs from Recreation.gov (RIDB). SpotOpened is not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.
Comments