Gotchen Guard Station
Built in 1909, the Gotchen Creek Guard Station is the oldest historic structure on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, and the only building constructed during the administration of Gifford Pinchot, first Chief of the U.S. Forest Service and an early conservation leader. Within the state of Washington, only a few ranger stations of this age survive. It is a small two-room cabin nestled in a grove of aspen trees at the edge of a meadow, just a few miles from the Mt. Adams Wilderness. The cabin served as the administrative headquarters for the Mt. Adams District from 1909 until 1916.
Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Site mix
| Cabins | 1 |
Site guide
1 site. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.
| Site | Fits, ft | Surface | Water / sewer | Waterfront | People / vehicles | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gotchen Guard Station | 40 | Gravel | No / – | Springs | 6 / 3 | No |
Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 02:00 PM, checkout 10:00 AM.
Amenities & rules
The cabin sleeps a maximum of 6 people in two areas. There is one double bunk bed in the main room of the cabin, and there is a second double bunk bed in a seperate bunkhouse near the cabin. The cabin has propane heat, propane stove, and a propane refrigerator. Pots, pans, dishes, and cooking utensils are provided. A vault toilet is located about 20 yards from the cabin. There are 2 battery operated lanterns, but it is suggested you bring additional non-flammable light sources, such as a headlamp. There is no potable water at the cabin, and guests are strongly encouraged to bring plenty for drinking, cooking, and washing. Snow can be melted during the winter; however, the water must be treated or boiled before drinking. Although the cabin has several amenities, guests need to provide their own sleeping bags, linens, towels, dish soap, matches, first aid kit, toilet paper, and garbage bags. Please pack out what you pack in. Access in winter months is dependent on snow levels. Access to Gotchen may require ski's, snowmobile or snowshoes.
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Weather by month
Getting there
SUMMER ACCESS. Automobile Access to the cabin is over snow in the winter. Guests will not be able to drive to the cabin after snow has fallen typically in November or December through April. The cabin is located about 20 minutes outside of Trout Lake, WA when road is not impassable by snow. From Trout Lake head towards Pineside Sno-Park on Mt.
| Nearest town | Trout Lake, Washington |
| Coordinates | 46.0522° N, 121.2905° W · Directions ↗ |
Fire nearby
- PrescribedTracy Hill Rx
22 mi from the campground · 28 acres
- PrescribedTop Of The World Rx
23 mi from the campground
- WildfireHigh Lava
41 mi from the campground · 2,899 acres · 95% contained
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.
Supplies & services
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 12.3 mi |
| RV sales & service | RV sales & service ↗ | 47.8 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
Explore
Worth a stop
The guard station is located near Mt. Adams and the Mt. Adams Wilderness.
- 11.8 mi
- 12 miTrailhead: Buck Creek-Lower ↗Trailhead
Public land it sits in
Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge begins about 3.3 miles away, and it is the closest of these.
- 3.3 miConboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge ↗National Wildlife Refuge · Fish and Wildlife Service · 7,223 acres
- 4.2 miGifford Pinchot National Forest ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 1,496,308 acres
- 11.5 miMount Adams Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 47,123 acres
Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.
Other campgrounds nearby
Cabin and lookout rentals nearby
On the National Register nearby
- Whitcomb CabinBuilding · Glenwood · 6.7 mi
- Gothen Creek Ranger StationBuilding · Gifford Pinchot National Forest · 9.7 mi
- Trout Lake Tourist ClubBuilding · Trout Lake · 12.5 mi
Natural features
The guard station is located near the base of Mt. Adams, which at 12,276 feet is the second highest peak in Washington. It is a few miles away from the Mt. Adams Wilderness area, a blend of dry east-side and moist west-side ecosystems, allowing diverse types of vegetation and wildlife to flourish. Multiple trails provide access to spectacular views of Mt. Adams, including its glaciers, mountain streams, meadows, open alpine forests and lava flows. Forest Road 8225 served as a stock driveway for many years and was the main entry into the National Forest from the east. The 1910 Special Fire Report for the Columbia National Forest stated that more than half of the bands of sheep that used the Forest passed by the Gotchen Creek Ranger station. The area was burned over in the Cascade Fire of 2012. Fire scarred trees and post fire regrowth are part of the adjacent landscape.
Recreation
Many recreational opportunities are within close proximity of the Guard Station, including hiking, biking, horseback riding, hunting, skiing, and snowshoeing. The cabin is at the base of Mt. Adams, and near Mt. Adams Wilderness. Gotchen Creek Trail #40 and Snipes Mountain Trail #11 are both within close proximity of the cabin.
Guidebooks for Washington
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
Do I need a reservation at Gotchen Guard Station?
Sites at Gotchen Guard Station are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.
Source: Recreation.gov
What time is check-in at Gotchen Guard Station?
Check-in 02:00 PM, checkout 10:00 AM.
Source: Recreation.gov
How many sites does Gotchen Guard Station have?
1 site, including 1 cabin.
Source: Recreation.gov
What is there to do at Gotchen Guard Station?
Many recreational opportunities are within close proximity of the Guard Station, including hiking, biking, horseback riding, hunting, skiing, and snowshoeing. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.
Source: Recreation
What is the nearest town to Gotchen Guard Station?
Trout Lake, Washington. The guard station is located near Mt.
Source: Getting there
What if Gotchen Guard Station is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Mt. Adams Hc Gifford Pinchot NF (11.9 mi, first-come), Campground: Wicky Shelter (11.9 mi, first-come), and Campground: Morrison Creek (12.1 mi, first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby