I echo AK5SD's comments. Don't go thru the gate but park in nearby areas at the gate. This road is frequented by fire crews and other Rangers who may be only visiting the lookout for a few minutes. Don't get caught behind a locked gate! And the lookout road is mostly a one-way which would create problems if you met traffic. It's only about a mile hike (750 ft elev gain) from the gate to the lookout.
Road Access: Good to Trailhead. The last 1/4-mi to summit is a bushwhack over steep terrain and fallen trees, undergrowth dense in areas. High-clearance 2WD okay to the recommended parking area. Access: East from Yacolt on Sunset Falls Rd which turns into FR42. Travel the pot-holed FR42 until it intersects with FR53. Then travel NW for about 1/2-mi until the next intersection and a rock quarry. FR5304 is not marked but is the eastern most road. Travel about 1/2 mi NE then park at the "Y" fork in the road.
Park at the Marple Mountain Sno Park overflow area which is on the south side of SR83. Plenty of parking room in the non-snow months.
Follow FR8312 to the summit which is about 4 mi one way. Easy hike up an old logging road. The summit is a site of an old firetower but is now used as a USGS Mt St Helens monitoring site. Enough room at the summit for an EFHW. Good vistas of Mt Adams but St Helens is obscured by the forrested summit.
Park at the open gate where FR54 and FR5407 cross which is just west of the Trapper Creek Wilderness area. The TH is just across from the parking area where the Wilderness Permit box is located.
Tried to access from Columbia Tie Rd off of NE Cedar Creek Rd. Left on NE Tie Pond Rd but this is private property owned by the Easter Family. There might be logging road access from the west side?
Summit is on private property owned by "the Gilliettes of Amboy" according to a neighbor near the locked gate used for access. This gate is located at the north end of NE 94th where NE Old Rock Quarry Rd begins, according to maps.google.com.
"Private Property No Trespassing" signs are also on roads from the north side.
Goat Mtn is located southeast of Molalla. It is a radio comm site with numerous VHF antennas (+ other transmitters) on one tower at the summit.
Iron Mountain is located east of Sweet Home, Oregon and is a very popular hike so expect a number of other hikers, especially on a weekend.
Wolf Mtn is located southeast of Oakridge. It is a radio comm site with numerous VHF antennas (+ other transmitters) on one tower to the west. The other east tower is an ATT celltower (good coverage!). The access roads are good and 2wd passable with some careful driving especially on FS2316 which is narrow in places.
A beautiful Fire Lookout on Huckleberry Mtn with great vistas of the Three Sisters. Pack a picnic lunch and enjoy before the lookout becomes active for the summer.
Getting There