Short Creek Guard Station
Short Creek Guard Station is a great place to stay to enjoy the nearby Monument Rock and Strawberry Mountain wilderness areas, as well as the North Fork of the Malheur Scenic River. The cabin offers access to a variety of recreational activities, including hiking, hunting, fishing and viewing wildlife. The cabin provides all the comforts of a home, including drinking water during the summer months. Guests are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.
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 | Shade | Waterfront | People / vehicles | Fires | Pets | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | 100 | Gravel | Partial | Riverfront | 3 / 3 | Yes | No | Preferred |
Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 4:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.
Amenities & rules
| Max vehicle length | 60 ft |
| Campfires | Allowed, subject to restrictions |
The kitchen is equipped with a propane cook stove, sink, propane refrigerator, propane lights and a propane heater that heats the entire facility. The small indoor bathroom provides a flush toilet and a shower during summer months only. Additionally, the building is equipped with a propane hot water heater, which provides hot water to the shower and sinks during the summer months only. A picnic table, two BBQ grills and a fire pit are located next to the building, under the shade of nearby trees. The cabin has one queen-sized bed in a private bedroom and a large couch in the living room. Guests will need to bring their own bedding (blankets, linens, pillows and/or sleeping bags), as well as flashlights or a lantern for emergencies, a first aid kit, towels, garbage bags and dish soap, among other necessities. The cabin will need to be cleaned and all garbage carried out prior to leaving. No Pets allowed in the Guard Station.
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Weather by month
Getting there
From the town of Prairie City, OR. turn South (right) onto South Main Street. Follow South Main Street to the junction with Bridge Street, turn left onto Bridge Street. Follow Bridge Street past the local cemetery, the road then changes to County Road 62. Continue on County Road 62 approximately 7 miles to the junction with Forest Road 13.
| Nearest town | Prairie City, Oregon |
| Coordinates | 44.2659° N, 118.3970° W · Directions ↗ |
Fire nearby
- PrescribedGreenwood Rx
15 mi from the campground · 38 acres
- PrescribedJane 102 Rx
25 mi from the campground · 3,000 acres
- PrescribedDamon 2A Rx
31 mi from the campground · 85 acres
- WildfireMccully
39 mi from the campground · 13,604 acres · 91% 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 ↗ | 35.7 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
Explore
Worth a stop
- 6.5 miEast Davis Creek Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 7.2 miSkyline Trailhead ↗Trailhead
Trails nearby
- under 0.1 miFopian Snowmobile ↗8.5 mi trail
- under 0.1 miSnomo #5237 ↗4.8 mi trail
- under 0.1 miMalheur Snowmobile ↗72.4 mi trail
- 1.1 miSheep Creek ↗5.3 mi trail
- 1.8 miSnomo #5250 ↗4.5 mi trail
- 2.4 miSnomo #5223 ↗14.9 mi trail
Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.
Public land it sits in
This campground sits inside Malheur National Forest.
- inMalheur National Forest ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 1,787,138 acres
- 2.1 miMonument Rock Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 20,210 acres
- 12.2 miStrawberry Mountain Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 69,411 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
Natural features
The cabin is situated in a corner of a small meadow surrounded by tall ponderosa pines, at an elevation of about 5,000 feet. It is about 38 miles from the town of John Day, in eastern Oregon. A babbling creek runs alongside the cabin and a variety of wildlife make its home in the area, including elk, deer, antelope, black bears, bighorn sheep, grouse, as well as many species of birds. Nearby, the Monument Rock and Strawberry Mountain wilderness areas, as well as the North Fork of the Malheur Scenic River, offer vast opportunities for exploration. The Strawberry Mountain Wilderness has an extremely diverse ecological makeup, with five of the seven major life zones in North America and around 378 kinds of animals and approximately 22 fish species.
Recreation
In the warmer months, popular activities include hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, fishing and wildlife viewing around the cabin and in the nearby wilderness areas and the North Fork of the Malheur Scenic River. There are moderate hiking trails near the cabin, and rugged hiking trails in the wilderness. The wilderness provides over a hundred miles of trails. The riparian habitat of the river lends itself to picnicking, fishing and observing all kinds of wildlife. The wilderness has many wildlife viewing opportunities as well.
Guidebooks for Oregon
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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 Short Creek Guard Station?
Sites at Short Creek 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 Short Creek Guard Station?
Check-in 4:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.
Source: Recreation.gov
How many sites does Short Creek Guard Station have?
1 site, including 1 cabin.
Source: Recreation.gov
Will my RV fit at Short Creek Guard Station?
The longest site here provides 60 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.
Source: Will my RV fit
Are there showers or a dump station at Short Creek Guard Station?
The small indoor bathroom provides a flush toilet and a shower during summer months only.
Source: Recreation.gov
Can I have a campfire at Short Creek Guard Station?
Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions. As of 2026-10-16, there are 4 active fires within 50 miles, so check current restrictions before you light one.
Source: Fire nearby
What is there to do at Short Creek Guard Station?
In the warmer months, popular activities include hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, fishing and wildlife viewing around the cabin and in the nearby wilderness areas and the North Fork of the Malheur Scenic River. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.
Source: Recreation
What is the nearest town to Short Creek Guard Station?
Prairie City, Oregon.
Source: Getting there
What if Short Creek Guard Station is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are North Fork Malheur Campground (4.1 mi, first-come), Trout Farm Campground (8.1 mi), and South Fork Campground (Wallowa-Whitman) (10.6 mi, first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby