Packers Cabin

Show on map541-247-3600
29279 Ellensburg Avenue
Gold Beach, OR 97444

Overview

Packers Cabin was originally built during the 1930s and served as the headquarters for the Forest Service packer who supplied lookouts and field crews by horse or mule pack trains.

Today, visitors no longer need to hitch up a team of mules and trek for days to enjoy staying in the quiet, remote cabin within the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.

The accessible cabin offers most items needed for a comfortable lodging experience, though guests will need to bring some of their own amenities to ensure a safe and comfortable stay.

Recreation

Hiking, wildlife viewing and fishing top the list of recreational opportunities in the area surrounding Packer's Cabin.

Anglers will enjoy the remote location and scenic backdrop of the nearby Chetco River, providing angling opportunities for trout, steelhead, and salmon in season. The Chetco starts in steep, deeply dissected, sparsely vegetated, mountainous terrain within the Kalmiopsis Wilderness. Over its 55.5 mile length, the Chetco drops from 3,700 feet to sea-level as it empties into the Pacific Ocean between the towns of Brookings and Harbor, about 5 miles north of the California border.

The Oregon Redwoods Trail provides a unique accessible hiking opportunity that travels through a grove of majestic old-growth redwood trees. Located along Peavine Ridge in the Winchuck River drainage, guests will learn about old-growth tree ecology, fire history, wildlife, and botany in the area. Redwood trees in this area represent the only coastal redwoods found in the Pacific Northwest Region, located at the limit of their northern range.

The trail is an out/back design with a short loop at the far end, where a picnic stop is provided. A short wooden deck provides access to the inside of a hollowed redwood tree.

Facilities

Packer's Cabin is a facility that meets accessibility standards and is equipped with ramps, decks, wide doorways and door handles to make the cabin as barrier-free as possible for anyone wishing to take a step back in history and live the life of a forest ranger.



The cabin accommodates up to 12 people comfortably and is furnished with one double bunk and ten single bunks with mattresses. There is a table and chairs, a work surface for food preparation, and a wood-burning stove. Picnic tables and a campfire ring are located near the cabin, as well as an accessible vault toilet.



There is no water on site; visitors must bring a sufficient supply for drinking, cooking and washing. A natural spring is located nearby, but the water is not recommended for consumption.



Guests must also provide their own sleeping bags, sleeping pads, a light source, towels, dish soap, matches, cooking gear, first aid kit, toilet paper and garbage bags.



Tent space is available near the cabin.

Natural Features

The landscapes comprising the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest has led to the designation of over 340,000 acres of the Forest as wilderness, and over 200 miles of streams as National Wild and Scenic Rivers. The forest itself is composed of two distinct geological provinces - the Cascade Range and the Siskiyou Mountains. The Cascade Range is dominated by snow-capped volcanic peaks such as the 9,495 foot Mt. McLoughlin, located within the Sky Lakes Wilderness. The Siskiyou area embodies the most complex and treasured plant communities in the Pacific Northwest. Wild rivers, biological diversity, remarkable fisheries, and complex watersheds define the Siskiyous. Packer's Cabin, when built, was adjacent to a large meadow. The trees started encroaching on the meadow and over time, the cabin became nestled in a grove of large fir trees. The Forest Service is now in the 2nd stage of restoring the original meadow habitat. Packer's Cabin now has lots of sun. There will be meadow enhancement information available at the cabin. The cabin lies in the area of the 2017 Chetco Bar Fire. Visitors will expeirence a landscape in transition.

Nearby Attractions

The Pacific Ocean is 17 miles from this site.

Camp site features

Across 1 camp site:

  • Fire pit: all 1 sites
  • Pets allowed: all 1 sites
  • ADA accessible: all 1 sites
  • Largest party: 10 people

Directions

From Portland take 1-5S to US 199 South to Brookings. From Brookings, Oregon, take U.S. Highway 101 and turn onto County Road 784 (North Bank Chetco River Road). This becomes Forest Road 1376. Follow this Forest Road 1376 to the junction with Forest Road 1917. Follow Forest Road 1917 for 5 miles to Forest Road 1917-110, the entrance to Packer’s Cabin. Travel time from Brookings is about an hour and a half, and easily accessible by highway and Forest Roads. Travel time from Brookings is about an 1.5 hours, and easily accessible by highway and Forest Service roads.

Stay Limit

Check in from 1 PM, check out by 12 PM.

Reviews

6 reviews
5 stars
2
4 stars
1
3 stars
2
1 stars
1
Ashley M
Loop:Area Packers Cabin
Site:
Reviewed 3 years ago
This little cabin is everything I had hoped for! It has no electricity, vault toilet...but the VIEW! The stars are PHENOMENAL! 11/10. It needs some paint and some brush/tree clearing after the last years winter storms but I loved it so much! It has a special place in my heart now! The cabin and restroom is accessible, but I will warn you from Loeb to the forest road is a 1 lane paved road, and the forrest road has some pretty significant pot holes/ruts, so your GPS will tell you it's about an hour from town, but plan on 1.5 hours as you won't be able to go 25mph. I drove a mini van and I was just fine, but during rainy season I would recommend a truck or 4x4. There is a cute and sturdy tree swing, a great back porch, a cute little Koi pond with newts, and some amazing old growth that survived the fire. It's sad to see how much burned a few years ago, but the cabin held strong. Keep your ears peeled for the chirps of frogs in the nearby stream, count shooting stars, and turn off your phone. The only alarm you need here is the sun! Bring more water and wood than you think you'll need though as we almost ran out! The elevation is over 2000 ft so if your a coastal person like we are you are more prone to dehydration and fatigue due to the higher elevation. But have fun and be nice to her because we're definitely coming back <3
Robin G
Loop:Area Packers Cabin
Site:
Reviewed 4 years ago
This is remote, rustic, and fantastic! Can it use a new coat of paint? Yes. But what do you expect with a cabin that is 90 years old and survives a wildfire?! We enjoyed heavy rains (porch had leaks but main cabin was perfectly dry). We enjoyed frostbitten mornings (keep the stove stocked and you will stay plenty warm). We enjoyed pushing our children on the swing and watching the goldfish in the pond. The view was phenomenal and the mountain peaks were covered in snow. Many wonderful memories have been made and we will be back.
cliff c
Loop:Area Packers Cabin
Site:
Reviewed 4 years ago
We like to rent Packers Cabin for our annual deer hunt. I would give Packers Cabin a much better review if the Forest Service would do the maintenance which it badly needs. The roof is missing some shingles and could probably use a new roof as it's been over 30 years since it had a new roof. The siding has fell off on the south end of the building down low exposing the outer floor joist. It's been like this for over 5 years and now the floor joist has rot. There are mice running around in the attic and in the walls, which is disturbing. They are probably entering from where the siding has deteriorated. The cabin also needs a good coat of paint. The paint is disappearing all over. We love Packers Cabin and are afraid that if repairs are not done soon it will become a major expense to fix.
Jason M
Loop:Area Packers Cabin
Site:
Reviewed 4 years ago
I cannot believe that this cabin is being rented. It reeks of rodent urine, is infested with rodents, and we found trash left behind from previous users. We refused to stay even the first of our three nights because we could hear quite large rodents moving within the walls. I am going to request a refund because no one should be expected to sleep in such filthy conditions. The photos of the cabin are very old and do not accurately represent the shabby state of disrepair it is currently in. The walls are streaked with greasy rodent tracks! I am an experienced backpacker and have slept many a night with rodents nearby, but I've usually had a tent to keep them away while I slept. There was no point in bringing a tent because I had rented a cabin, but I wouldn't have been comfortable with rodents walking over my face in my sleep. The Gold Beach Ranger office staff ought to be ashamed of the state of this cabin and it needs to be taken off the reservation site until it has been brought up to code.
Kristina W
Loop:Area Packers Cabin
Site:
Reviewed 7 years ago
I loved it there. Only down side was that given the time of year there wasn't very much wood for the fire place. It says not to bring wood with you but had I not brought wood I would have ran out and been VERY cold. Other than that we had a GREAT time!
Annette B
Loop:Area Packers Cabin
Site:
Reviewed 7 years ago
out house needs work , it gets really cold and smelly from wind blowing in the morning from rotted broken pipe in back of it. the rest stop near Brookings has water if needed .whales head beach was nice ,go down almost to gold beach to walk on beach if your not fit to climb hills . there's a lot of spots there to park .went up the road from the cabin 6 more miles to the top to a condemned look out, watch for broken glass if a dog is with you. bring 2 dish pans to wash or buy them in town there's a few stores there both sides of town , a farmers market was near south end of hwy 101, there was a racoon scratching on the back door so be carful, saw him in the tree in front stealing bird nest eggs ,lots of mice droppings under beds , bring cleaners and mop ,no décor like photo has so be warned .couldn't burn wood so it was cold there , bring extra cots if you don't like sleeping near the floor . back room was on the floor an inch from it .there is no light source so bring some .bought propane at fred meyer you need to bring a camp stove to cook with and heat with , radio comes in good there but cell phones are limited out side in front was only area I was able to call out .gps only works to the fork in road after the campground so bring a map . there is a small sign on the right, turn left , follow up to right turn a few miles hard to see the post road marker near the turn follow almost 6 miles from there ,watch out for log trucks , there was a stump that looked kind of like gumby character on the right before you reach the cabin road in the gully up the hill on the right .enjoy you stay , I did :)
Availability

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

Popularity: Quiet

Busiest in August, when about 31% of guest capacity is reserved. Based on 7 years of reservations.

Camp Sites

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