Red Oak Fire Lookout

Monongahela National Forest — riverside, fishing, hiking

Location: Richwood, WV, WV

Price: From $100 per night

Rating: 4 out of 5 (0 reviews)

Season: May through October

Red Oak Fire Lookout is approximately 12 miles south of Cowen, West Virginia. It sits at an elevation of 3,704 feet. Guests enjoy the area for its magnificent views, wildlife viewing and historic background.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Electric Hookups, Fishing

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/red-oak-fire-lookout to be notified when sites open up.

Historic 1934 fire lookout site at 3,704 feet elevation offering magnificent views and wildlife viewing. Campers praise the well-maintained grounds, scenic overlook, and peaceful first-come, first-serve atmosphere with 4.9/5 rating from 104 reviews.

Wildlife alert: Timber Rattlesnake present in area; also white-tailed deer, common ravens, and various snake species

Insider tips for Red Oak Fire Lookout: Arrive midday on weekdays — sites fill quickly despite having 12 available spots Fire lookout tower is closed to public; plan hiking on main trails instead First-come, first-serve with $11/night rate; bring cash as federal campground

Skip Red Oak Fire Lookout if: Need RV hookups — no hookups available. Traveling outside May-October season — campground closes seasonally. Prefer reservations — first-come, first-serve only.

Best time to visit Red Oak Fire Lookout: May-October — Official operating season only; May-June and September-October offer milder weather than peak summer.

Nearby campgrounds: Cranberry Campground (Richwood , WV), Cranberry River Campsites (Marlinton, WV), Summit Lake Campground (Richwood, WV), Williams River Campsites (Richwood, WV).

Cell Phone Coverage at Red Oak Fire Lookout

Cell signal at Red Oak Fire Lookout (Richwood, WV): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

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CamperWatch›WV›Red Oak Fire Lookout
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Monongahela National Forest — riverside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Red Oak Fire Lookout

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Richwood, WV, WV★ 4 (0 reviews)From $100/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Red Oak Fire Lookout is approximately 12 miles south of Cowen, West Virginia. It sits at an elevation of 3,704 feet. Guests enjoy the area for its magnificent views, wildlife viewing and historic background.

Best for:AnglersHikersFamiliesSites:Tent
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
Hookups1 electric sites
PetsNot allowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsElectric Hookups
Recreation
Picnic TablesFishing
Family & Pets
Vault Toilets

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ Need RV hookups — no hookups available✕ Traveling outside May-October season — campground closes seasonally✕ Prefer reservations — first-come, first-serve only

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Arrive midday on weekdays

sites fill quickly despite having 12 available spots

Fire lookout tower is closed to public; plan hiking on main trails instead

First-come, first-serve with $11/night rate; bring cash as federal campground

Best: May-October

Official operating season only; May-June and September-October offer milder weather than peak summer

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Timber Rattlesnake present in area; also white-tailed deer, common ravens, and various snake species

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
304-846-2695· Monongahela National Forest
Getting there →

Approximately 12 miles from Cowen and 15 miles from Richwood, WV. From Cowen, go east on State Route 46 to Forest Road 101. Follow Forest Road 101 5 miles to the site. From Richwood travel east on State Route 39/55 to Forest Road 76, travel for 6 miles north to Forest Road 81. Follow Forest Road 81 for 6 miles to Forest Road 101.

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Monongahela National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Monongahela National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Red Oak Fire Lookout cost per night?+
Red Oak Fire Lookout costs $100 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Red Oak Fire Lookout open?+
Red Oak Fire Lookout is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Red Oak Fire Lookout have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Red Oak Fire Lookout?+
Red Oak Fire Lookout is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Red Oak Fire Lookout?+
Red Oak Fire Lookout is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Red Oak Fire Lookout?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Red Oak Fire Lookout is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Red Oak Fire Lookout open, and what are check-in times?+
Red Oak Fire Lookout is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
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●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$100 /night★ 4 (0)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Red Oak Fire Lookout cost per night?+
What season is Red Oak Fire Lookout open?+
Does Red Oak Fire Lookout have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Cranberry Campground

Richwood , WV

From $15/night

Cranberry River Campsites

Marlinton, WV

From $10/night

Summit Lake Campground

Richwood, WV

From $15/night

Williams River Campsites

Richwood, WV

From $10/night

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