Fall River Guard Station - Central Oregon

My parents love Central Oregon and booked a long weekend at the Fall River Guard Station over my Mom's birthday. Lucky for us, their plans changed and they gave us their reservation for the cabin. The Fall River Guard station is on South Century Drive off of hwy 97 at the headwaters of Fall River. It is only a couple miles from the Fish Hatchery, close to where I love to fly fish. The cabin is available to rent from May through October.

   

From the US Forest Service:
" This rustic, single story cabin is nestled in a lodgepole pine forest at the picturesque headwaters of Fall River. The cozy 600 square foot cabin has two bedrooms, a kitchen, and living room. Sleeping accommodations include one full bed, a twin bed, and a two person futon in the living room. The heater, refrigerator, lights and stove are all run off propane. The kitchen is furnished with basic cookware and cutlery. A picnic table is provided for outdoor dining.

Visitors need to bring their own bedding, towels, cleaning supplies, flash light and first aid kit for emergencies. There is no potable water at this site, and visitors must bring plenty of water for drinking, cooking and washing. A vault toilet is located on the premises."

   

We arrived at the Fall River Guard Station on Friday just as a heat wave was spreading across Oregon. We have seen the cabin from the outside before, but this was our first seeing the inside. It is rustic, but well maintained. The amenities are not anything to brag about, but the location is beautiful. For those who dislike tent camping, the Fall River Guard Station is a good bet. It is situated right next to Fall River where it bubbles out of the ground.

From the US Forest Service, "The Fall River Guard Station was built in the 1930's by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the Cascadia style of the Pacific Northwest Region. The cabin was originally used as an outpost to fight forest fires and is eligible for listing on the National Historic Register."

   

Julian had a great time and it was adorable how he would say "cabeen" in his sweet little voice. On Friday night we drove to Twin Lakes Resort for dinner. After dinner we rented a row boat and took Julian out on the water for a little bit as the sun was going down. He had a blast and didn't want to leave until we told him we were going back to the cabin. Luckily it had started to cool off by the time we returned and put Julian to bed.

   

   

On Saturday we went fly fishing near the hatchery. There were a couple other fisherman around, but no one was really catching anything. I managed to do alright landing and releasing 10 trout ranging in size from 6-12 inches. Nothing of any real size this trip, but like always I had a fun time fishing. And Julian had a blast helping me reel the fish in.

We ate dinner in Sunriver on Saturday night where it was crowded as usual. The Fall River Guard Station is in a great location allowing unlimited possibilities for food and activities.

Sunday came and we had to pack up to leave, much to Julian's disappointment. We had a fun trip despite the heat. Both Katie and I agree the rental fee for Fall River Guard Station is bit steep for what you get. For much less money one can camp in a tent or trailer at Fall River campground where the amenities are the same (outhouse and no potable water).