Cabin rental · U.S. Forest Service · Willamette National Forest · Westfir, OR

Timpanogas

Timpanogas Shelter sits on shore of its namesake lake at an altitude of 5,300 feet in the Willamette National Forest within the Oregon Cascades Recreation Area. The cabin was patterned after the old Civilian Conservation Corps 3-sided shelter and was built in 1991 with the help of a University of Oregon outdoor school class and the Walker Rim Snowmobile Club. The cabin is typically open from late June through late October. It is accessible by car, but the last 7 miles of the road are rough and narrow.

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
TimpanogasTimpanogasView and ammenities from Timpanogas cabinTimpanogas Cabin interior
Photos courtesy of USFS, United States Forest Service · Recreation.gov

Site mix

Cabins1
Host/management2
The 3 cabins here book on Recreation.gov. The booking page shows which dates are open and how far ahead they release. How the booking window works

Site guide

1 site. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SitePeople / vehicles
CABIN16 / 6

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 1:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

This rustic 15 x 18 shelter with a dirt floor is designed to accommodate 6-8 people and comes equipped with a sleeping loft, a table with benches and a wood stove for heat. A picnic table, campfire ring and pit toilet are located outside. Additional camping is available on-site for up to 20 people. Drinking water, firewood and electricity are not provided. The cabin does not have a cook stove or cooking supplies. Potable water is available from a hand pump at the nearby Timpanogas Campground until late September. Items such as bedding, lanterns or flashlights, matches, extra toilet paper, first aid supplies, trash bags, dish soap, towels and an ice chest are not available. Guests are expected to pack out their trash and clean the cabin before leaving.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusClosed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date.
SeasonJune to Late October, weather dependent
ForestWillamette National Forest
BookingNo advance reservations. All sites are first come first serve.
FeesSingle Campsites - $14 per night. Extra Vehicles - $6 per vehicle, per night. Campsite must be occupied every night paid, and fees must be paid within 30 minutes of arrival. Download the Recreation.gov mobile app prior to your trip so you can pay the overnight fee onsite with Scan and Pay.
RulesCamping is not allowed more than 14 days in a 60 day period. Check-in time: 2:00 pm or later. Check-out time: 1:00 pm. Use of chainsaws in the campground is prohibited. Dogs MUST be on leash at all times within the campground

Willamette National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Timpanogas30°40°50°60°70°January: 10.00 inches of precipitation, 37.8 inches of snowFebruary: 6.83 inches of precipitation, 38.9 inches of snowMarch: 7.19 inches of precipitation, 26.1 inches of snowApril: 6.00 inches of precipitation, 14.4 inches of snowMay: 4.02 inches of precipitation, 1.8 inches of snowJune: 2.43 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowJuly: 0.80 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.73 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.86 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 5.05 inches of precipitation, 3.0 inches of snowNovember: 9.42 inches of precipitation, 24.8 inches of snowDecember: 11.91 inches of precipitation, 49.3 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 33.2°F averageFebruary: 34.5°F averageMarch: 37.3°F averageApril: 41.1°F averageMay: 49.5°F averageJune: 55.6°F averageJuly: 63.7°F averageAugust: 63.1°F averageSeptember: 57.5°F averageOctober: 47.2°F averageNovember: 37.8°F averageDecember: 32.3°F average0 in10 in20 in30 in40 in50 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Lemolo Lake 3 NNW, 7 miles from the campground at 4,077 feet, station USC00354835 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 66 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 196 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

From I-5, take Exit 188A onto Highway 58 and proceed just past MP 37 (east of Oakridge), turning right onto Kitson Springs Road. Proceed 0.5 mile to junction with Forest Service Road (FSR) 21, also signed as Diamond Drive. Turn right onto FSR 21 and continue approximately 32 miles, turning left onto paved FSR 2154.

Nearest townWestfir, Oregon
Coordinates43.4139° N, 122.1134° W · Directions ↗

Good to know

  • Insect repellent is highly recommended.

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Rx Cold Springs

    11 mi from the campground · 158 acres

  • Prescribed
    Junction Rx

    49 mi from the campground

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Dump stationMazama Campground Dump Station ↗37.9 mi
RV sales & serviceOregon West RV ↗57.1 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Worth a stop

Trails for hiking and mountain biking are located less than a mile from the shelter.

  • 0.1 mi
    Start 'O Willamette
    1.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 0.3 mi
    Timpanogas Lake
    0.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.3 mi
    Indigo Lake
    1.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 0.3 mi
    June Lake
    2.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 0.4 mi
    Middle Fork ↗
    27 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike · national_recreation_or_other
  • 0.6 mi
    June-Indigo Tie
    0.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more

Trailheads within three miles

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

On Wilderness Atlas →

Diamond Peak Wilderness begins about 3 miles away, and it is the closest of these.

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.

Natural features

The cabin is situated in a mountainous and heavily forested area where it is possible to see Diamond Peak, Sawtooth and Cowhorn Mountains. Timpanogas Lake is just one of several alpine lakes in the area. Willamette National Forest offers prime habitat for such species as Roosevelt elk, black bear, northern bald eagles, mule deer and bobcats, among other wildlife.

Recreation

Anglers enjoy fishing for brook trout and cutthroat on upper and lower Timpanogas Lakes, even though the lakes are closed to motorcraft. Canoeing is also possible on the lakes. Those not inclined to fish can enjoy hiking or mountain biking on numerous trails in the Timpanogas area, especially in late August when huckleberries are ripe for picking. This includes the Timpanogas Lake Trail, which starts at the Timpanogas Campground. The Diamond Peak Trail Area, Pacific Crest Trail and Diamond Peak Wilderness are also nearby.

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 Timpanogas?

Sites at Timpanogas are reservable on Recreation.gov. No advance reservations. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Timpanogas?

Single Campsites - $14 per night. Extra Vehicles - $6 per vehicle, per night. Campsite must be occupied every night paid, and fees must be paid within 30 minutes of arrival.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Timpanogas?

Check-in 1:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is Timpanogas open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 16, 2026. Season June to Late October, weather dependent.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Timpanogas have?

3 sites, including 1 cabin.

Source: Recreation.gov

What is there to do at Timpanogas?

Anglers enjoy fishing for brook trout and cutthroat on upper and lower Timpanogas Lakes, even though the lakes are closed to motorcraft. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Timpanogas?

Westfir, Oregon. Trails for hiking and mountain biking are located less than a mile from the shelter.

Source: Getting there

What if Timpanogas is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Windy Group Camp (5.3 mi), Whitefish Horse Camp (5.4 mi), and Spring (5.9 mi, partly first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby