The fire lookout on the Sierra Buttes is the big prize above Sierra City: a metal-and-glass box perched on a rocky summit with a drop that makes the final stairs feel airy. On a clear day the view runs across the Lakes Basin, Tahoe National Forest, and the serrated ridges of the northern Sierra.
There are shorter approaches from the Lakes Basin side, but the hard local version starts near Sierra City on the Pacific Crest Trail and climbs thousands of feet. Bring water, sun protection, and a good sense of your limits; this is a mountain hike, not a casual town walk.