Olallie Lake Guard Station Cabin

Show on map 503-630-6861 olallielakeresort@gmail.com

595 NW Industrial Way
Estacada, OR 97023

Overview

Olallie Lake Guard Station Cabin gives campers an old-fashioned cabin experience with its well-preserved features, including a massive rock chimney, interior wood and hand-wrought iron work. It provides access to a number of outdoor recreation opportunities as well as its namesake lake. The cabin is at nearly 5,000 feet so the season can be delayed by late snows which restricts cabin access.

Recreation

The Olallie Lake Guard Station Cabin is located in the heart of the Olallie Lake Scenic Area which has several lakes and miles of trails including the Pacific Crest Trail located adjacent to the cabin. Olallie Lake (240 arces in size) has non-motorized boating and excellent fishing. Rental row boats are available at the nearby Olallie Resort. The lake is stocked with rainbow trout. Swimming is allowed in all lakes except Olallie Lake. Some of the trails and most of the graveled roads are open for mountain biking.

Facilities

The four-room guard station has a kitchen, living room with two futon couches, a bunk bedroom and a loft with a queen bed. The cabin sleeps up to eight people. It has propane lights, a propane refrigerator, stove and oven, basic cooking pots, pans, dishes and eating utensils. A table and chairs is provided. A wood stove is available for heat. Firewood is provided. The cabin has a limited water supply to the kitchen sink with hot and cold water. A vault toilet is located about 75 feet from the cabin and is used by others. Cell phone coverage is not available at the cabin and very spotty in the entire Olallie Lake Scenic Area.

Guests will need to bring sleeping bags or bedding, towels and wash cloths, paper towels, food and personal gear, as well as a flashlight or lantern for emergencies, a first aid kit, insect repellent (a must!), sunscreen and dish soap, among other necessities. Please bring garbage bags and clean the facility before leaving. Olallie Lake Resort is in charge of managing this cabin for the Forest Service. We are just next door and have personel onsite 24 hours a day.

Guests can access the cabin by vehicle. Higher clearance or 4wd is preferable, but the cabin is accessible to 2wd passenger cars if they drive slow. Road conditions can be hampered by early or late snows. Guests are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety..

Natural Features

This historically significant, two-story cabin was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930’s for the Forest Ranger that patrolled the area. It is a classic example of the Forest Service rustic architectural style of Depression Era administration buildings. The cabin is located on the far south end of the Mt. Hood National Forest. It’s location near the shore of Olallie Lake affords visitors views of the north face of 10,497-foot Mt. Jefferson and 7,215-foot Olallie Butte, in the Cascade Mountains. The facility was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. Olallie is Chinook jargon for "berry."

Nearby Attractions

The Olallie Lake Resort is near the cabin. There is a store there that sells some food, bait, etc. The nearest town is Detroit which is 36 miles south. CJ’s Chevron is the north 40 miles on Hwy 26.

Contact Info

For local information, please call (503) 853-3481 or call (503) 668-1700 for general information.

Camp site features

Across 1 camp site:

Longest RV: 30 ft
Largest party: 8 people

Directions

The best route from the Portland area is east on HWY 224 from 1-205 through Estacada. Continue past Ripplebrook Ranger Station onto Forest Hwy 46. HWY 224 turns into HWY 46. Go approximately 25 miles; you will want to watch your odometer as the turn off to FSR (Forest Service Road) 4690 is easy to miss. “Olallie” is painted on the road at the junction of 46 and 4690. Turn left onto FSR 4690. Once on FSR 4690 the road is winding and travel is very slow. Stay straight on FSR 4690 and follow the signs 13 miles to Olallie Lake (first sign is at the gate about 8 miles in when the road becomes FSR 4220). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The best route from the Salem area is through Detroit to Forest Hwy 46. Turn left just as you pass over the bridge into Detroit. Follow Forest Hwy 46 for approximately 25 miles. It is best to watch your odometer. At approximately 25 miles turn right onto FSR 4690. “Olallie” is painted on the road at the junction of 46 and 4690. Once on FSR 4690 the road is winding and travel is very slow. Stay straight on FSR 4690 and follow the signs 13 miles to Olallie Lake (first sign is at the gate about 8 miles in when the road becomes FSR 4220). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From Mt Hood: From Highway 26 turn on to Skyline Road FSR 42, which is approximately 12 miles south of Government Camp and follow the signs 35 miles to the Lake. You will have to watch closely for the left turn onto FSR 4220. Please note this is considered a primitive road. The roads are closed in the winter.

Stay Limit

Check in from 3 PM, check out by 11 AM.

Reviews

11 reviews

5 stars

4 stars

katie s

Loop:Olallie Resort

Site:

Reviewed 2 months ago

Bring fire wood (even if there's a fire ban, fires likely allowed in the wood stove) and download offline maps (no cell service). Also, cash only at the local store. Stunningly charming post-fire recovery in the subalpine zone. You pick up the key from the local store, which closes and opens at 7:30. Be sure to make up new verses to the tune of the Puff the Magic Dragon theme song.

Zachary R

Loop:Olallie Resort

Site:

Reviewed 2 months ago

It’s a great cabin with a perfect location. About 2 hours from Salem. It’s a rugged cabin that had gaps in between the doors which allowed a mouse to come and go throughout the night. It was chewing on the kitchen cupboard while we were sleeping. Other than the mouse, the fishing was great at the lake.

Jenny T

Loop:Olallie Resort

Site:

Reviewed 3 months ago

A lovely spot with incredible people. Super fun to chat with the PCT through hikers. Will definitely stay again and bring more people with me!

Yan K

Loop:Olallie Resort

Site:

Reviewed a year ago

We've been staying here every year for the last 3 years and our kids love it. Great cabin to get away from the city life and just sit back let the time slow down. Cabin has everything you need. The running water and fridge is a huge benefit to have. I would definitely advise bringing extra lamps to have for the evenings. Usually what we do with our family is we'll bring a small battery bank and then run string lights on the roof trusses and then the while cabin stays lit inside.

Rebecca R

Loop:Olallie Resort

Site:

Reviewed 2 years ago

A must stay for your next trip to Olallie lake! Such a beautiful well built old cabin. It has all the amenities and lots of chipmunks running around the resort! The hosts of the resort were friendly, Helpful, and had amazing knowledge of the area, especially for areas to explore. Sadly most of the area was burned from the 2020 lionshed fire and lots of the area was destroyed. We still had the best time making memories, went to do some fishing, swimming, kayaking/paddle boarding, and lots of off roading. You definitely will need a high clearance vehicle with 4x4 if you want to go exploring on off roads. There is no cell service or electricity. We used walkie talkies to communicate with each other while exploring. There is still lots to do and see around the area. Hiking is also a must do while there, as the resort has the pct trail running right through it. Also the general store is a cash or check only store. The guard station was amazing and right across from the swimming hole and the exit/entrance to the pct trail. No fires were allowed while we were there for obvious reasons. We had the luxury to meet lots of wonderful hikers coming and going sharing their experiences of life on the trail. Go check out this little slice of heaven! Until next year!

Lydia K

Loop:Olallie Resort

Site:

Reviewed 2 years ago

It was clean & well stocked

Availability

See the Camp Sites section below to find detailed booking availability.

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