Cabin rental · U.S. Forest Service · Mt. Hood National Forest · Zigzag, OR

Clackamas Lake Historic Cabin

Clackamas Lake Historic Cabin gives campers an old-fashioned cabin experience with its well-preserved features, including a massive rock chimney, knot-free interior paneling and hand-wrought iron work. It provides access to a number of outdoor recreation opportunities as well as its namesake lake.

Cabin rentalReservable · Recreation.gov1 site
Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
CLACKAMAS LAKE HISTORIC CABINCLACKAMAS LAKE HISTORIC CABINCLACKAMAS LAKE HISTORIC CABINCLACKAMAS LAKE HISTORIC CABIN
Photos via Recreation.gov
4fires
active
Stone Ck/Clackamas Guard Station Rx - West (prescribed burn) · under 1 mi away
3 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Site mix

Cabins1
This cabin is booked as a single unit 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.

SiteEntrySurfaceShadePeople / vehicles
001Back-inGravelFull8 / 4

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

The 1,300 square-foot, two-story cabin has a living room, kitchen, dining area, sunroom, bathroom with flush toilets and a shower, and three bedrooms with beds and mattresses. The cabin can accommodate up to eight people. The kitchen is equipped with a propane cook stove and oven, refrigerator, cooking pots and pans, and cooking and eating utensils and dishes. The cabin is heated by a fireplace insert in the living room. Firewood is provided. Hot and cold running water is always available. The cabin has propane lighting available from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and again from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Propane lanterns provide interior light outside of these hours. A rustic generator does not allow use of any plug-in electrical appliances, such as TVs, stereos, DVD players, computer, hair dryers, etc. Guests will need to bring sleeping bags or bedding, towels and wash cloths, food and personal gear, as well as a flashlight or lantern for emergencies, a first aid kit, insect repellent, sunscreen and dish soap, among other necessities. Please bring garbage bags and clean the facility before leaving. This is a "Pack it in, Pack it out" site.

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

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Clackamas Lake Historic Cabin30°40°50°60°January: 12.61 inches of precipitation, 48.8 inches of snowFebruary: 9.64 inches of precipitation, 39.5 inches of snowMarch: 9.41 inches of precipitation, 35.6 inches of snowApril: 7.78 inches of precipitation, 17.6 inches of snowMay: 5.75 inches of precipitation, 4.2 inches of snowJune: 4.01 inches of precipitation, 0.6 inches of snowJuly: 0.88 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 1.09 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 3.06 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowOctober: 8.42 inches of precipitation, 3.8 inches of snowNovember: 12.69 inches of precipitation, 30.6 inches of snowDecember: 14.43 inches of precipitation, 51.6 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 31.8°F averageFebruary: 32.0°F averageMarch: 34.5°F averageApril: 37.8°F averageMay: 44.9°F averageJune: 50.2°F averageJuly: 58.4°F averageAugust: 59.3°F averageSeptember: 54.4°F averageOctober: 44.9°F averageNovember: 35.9°F averageDecember: 30.5°F average0 in20 in40 in60 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Government Camp, 14 miles from the campground at 3,980 feet, station USC00353402 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 90 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 232 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

From Sandy, Oregon, travel east on Highway 26 for approximately 40 miles to Skyline Road (Road 42). Turn right on Skyline Road and travel south for 8.3 miles to the intersection of Forest Service Roads 42 and 57. Continue on Forest Service Road 42 for a quarter-mile. The Clackamas Lake Historic Ranger's Cabin is on the left.

Nearest townZigzag, Oregon
Coordinates45.0992° N, 121.7502° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Stone Ck/Clackamas Guard Station Rx - West

    under 1 mi from the campground

  • Prescribed
    Goat Stew Rx - West

    9 mi from the campground

  • Wildfire
    Austin

    11 mi from the campground · 12,888 acres · 98% contained

  • Prescribed
    Spike Timber Sale Rx - West

    11 mi from the campground

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

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearValians Sports ↗14.1 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗32 mi
RV sales & serviceAdventure Trading RV ↗43.3 mi

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

Explore

Worth a stop

The cabin is less than 40 miles from Mt. Hood, where a historic lookout provides scenic views of the snow-capped mountain. Hiking and year-round skiing is also available there. The nearest store is in the town of Wapinitia, which is 15 miles away on Highway 26.

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.2 mi
    Joe Graham
    0.1 mi trail
  • 0.2 mi
    Headwaters
    1.8 mi trail
  • 0.3 mi
    5700 Road Snow
    4 mi trail
  • 0.3 mi
    Timothy Bike
    4.2 mi trail
  • 0.6 mi
    4280 Road Snow ↗
    5.1 mi trail
  • 0.6 mi
    Miller
    2 mi trail

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 →

This campground sits inside Mt. Hood National Forest.

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

This historically significant, two-story cabin was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933 to house workers. It is a classic example of the Forest Service rustic architectural style of Depression Era administration buildings. Across the road is the old District Ranger's office, which is now a two-room visitor center. The cabin is located a quarter-mile from the small, 3-acre Clackamas Lake and just 3 miles from the larger Timothy Lake, at an elevation of 3,400 feet. It is surrounded by tall trees and is part of a 4-acre compound and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Recreation

Clackamas Lake is a great place for fishing, swimming and non-motorized boating. Anglers can expect a catch of cutthroat, brook, rainbow and some German brown trout. A variety of wildlife make its home in the area as well. Nearby, the 1,400-acre Timothy Lake provides opportunities for picnicking as well as water-related recreation, including the use of power boats. Hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding are also enjoyed by visitors to the area. The 2.2-mile Miller Trail begins in the neighboring campground and connects trekkers to the lengthy but scenic Pacific Crest Trail, which extends more than 2,650 miles, from Canada to Mexico. Additional trails, to scenic Little Crater Lake and to the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness area, are also available in the area. A Northwest Forest Pass or Mount Hood Recreation day use fees are in effect at nearby trails and sites.

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 Clackamas Lake Historic Cabin?

Sites at Clackamas Lake Historic Cabin are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Clackamas Lake Historic Cabin?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Clackamas Lake Historic Cabin have?

1 site, including 1 cabin.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are there showers or a dump station at Clackamas Lake Historic Cabin?

The 1,300 square-foot, two-story cabin has a living room, kitchen, dining area, sunroom, bathroom with flush toilets and a shower, and three bedrooms with beds and mattresses.

Source: Recreation.gov

What is there to do at Clackamas Lake Historic Cabin?

Clackamas Lake is a great place for fishing, swimming and non-motorized boating. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Clackamas Lake Historic Cabin?

Zigzag, Oregon. The cabin is less than 40 miles from Mt.

Source: Getting there

What if Clackamas Lake Historic Cabin is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Joe Graham Horse Campground (0.2 mi), Clackamas Lake (0.3 mi, partly first-come), and Oak Fork Campground (1.5 mi, partly first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby