Ditch Creek Guard Station Cab

Shared by @public_lands (Public Lands)

Umatilla National Forest

Cabin / lookout rental · USDA Forest Service · Umatilla National Forest Fees: It is $50 per night per group, with a maximum of six occupants. Fees are used directly for the maintenance and preservation of the guard station. Season: May 15 Reservations: Call 1-877-444-6777 or visit www.recreation.gov . The maximum-length stay is fourteen consecutive nights. Overview Ditch Creek Guard Station, located about 27 miles southeast of Heppner, Oregon, is a comfortable little cabin that accommodates six overnight guests, with additional space for tent camping outside. Equestrian campers are welcome and a corral with trough is provided. The guard station was originally built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the mid-1930s. It is a classic example of forest structures of that era and is eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. It was used by forest fireguards who would ride their horses deep into the forest’s interior to look for wisps of smoke from lightning strikes or to check on communications lines along Forest Service roads. It became a recreation rental in 1997. Recreation The route to the cabin is located off the Blue Mountain Scenic Byway, which boasts incredible views. Over 26 miles of hiking and horseback… Getting there: From Lexington, OR, take Highway 74/207 east to Heppner. At the junction just outside the southern edge of Heppner, take a left (east) on paved Willow Creek Road. Travel 23 miles past Willow Creek Lake, Cutsforth County Park and up Coalmine Hill. At the top of the hill, take a right (west) on Forest Service Road 21 (a gravel road) and travel 3.5 miles. The cabin is located on a hill on the north side of the road and is accessed by two short entrance roads (Forest Service Road 050 and 051). Phone: 541-676-9187 Official page: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234145 Source: Recreation.gov, USDA Forest Service. Fees and seasons change; check the official page before you go. Photos: US Forest Service Recreation