Cabin rental · U.S. Forest Service · Umatilla National Forest · Ukiah, OR

Caretakers Cabin

Caretaker's Cabin allows guests to relax in the outdoors at the historic Fremont Powerhouse site. As one of four cabins located at the site, the cabin offers flexibility for large groups, like weddings or reunions. Guests can rent all cabins (see Congo Gulch, Hilltop Hideaway, and Miner's Retreat) and also pitch tents in the grassy yard. Caretaker’s Cabin sits on a hill beside Miner’s Retreat and has parking access beside it. The cabin can accommodate up to 10 guests. Winter access may require skis, snowshoes or snowmobiles. In the 1800s, the North Fork John Day drainage was bustling with gold and silver mining.

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Caretakers CabinCARETAKERS CABINCARETAKERS CABINCARETAKERS CABIN
Photos courtesy of USFS · Recreation.gov

Site mix

Cabins with electric1
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.

SiteSurfaceShadePeople / vehicles
01GravelPartial10 / 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

PetsAllowed

The cabin is a 2-story house with wood siding and a shake shingle roof that can accommodate 10 guests. The cabin features: · two bedrooms upstairs with dressers, 2 twin beds, and 2 full-over-queen bunkbeds; · parlor with 2 futons and end tables; · dining room with a table and chairs to seat 10; · kitchen with refrigerator, electric stove/oven, microwave, coffee pot, toaster, cookware, and dishes; · bathroom with flush toilet and claw-footed tub (no shower). Outside there is a fire ring and picnic table--prior to arrival please contact the District office to determine whether fires have been banned. The cabin has electric lights and electric wall heaters. Cleaning supplies are also provided and renters are required to clean the house before they leave. Water is available June through September only. No water or indoor plumbing from October to May. Instead, an outhouse is available for use. In these seasons, guests are asked to bring plenty of water for drinking, cooking and washing. Other items to pack year-round include food, bedding, a first aid kit, flashlight, matches and all other basic camping gear.

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

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Caretakers Cabin20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 2.56 inches of precipitationFebruary: 1.74 inches of precipitationMarch: 1.92 inches of precipitationApril: 1.66 inches of precipitationMay: 1.84 inches of precipitationJune: 1.62 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.69 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.71 inches of precipitationSeptember: 0.79 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.25 inches of precipitationNovember: 2.66 inches of precipitationDecember: 3.32 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 24.8°F averageFebruary: 29.0°F averageMarch: 34.7°F averageApril: 40.4°F averageMay: 47.9°F averageJune: 54.9°F averageJuly: 63.3°F averageAugust: 62.4°F averageSeptember: 54.1°F averageOctober: 43.3°F averageNovember: 32.1°F averageDecember: 24.8°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Austin 3 S, 15 miles from the campground at 4,213 feet, station USC00350356 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 21 inches a year.

Getting there

From Pendleton, Oregon: Travel south on Highway 395 for 50 miles to the Ukiah exit. Turn left on Highway 244 to Ukiah. Turn right (south) just before the city park; this road becomes Forest Service Road (FSR) 52 at the Forest boundary. Travel 50 miles to the small town of Granite. From Granite go west on County Road 24 for approximately 6 miles.

Nearest townUkiah, Oregon
Coordinates44.7969° N, 118.4981° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Wildfire
    Mccully

    11 mi from the campground · 13,604 acres · 91% contained

  • Prescribed
    Greenwood Rx

    25 mi from the campground · 38 acres

  • Prescribed
    Birdtrack 621 Broadcast Rx

    38 mi from the campground · 377 acres

  • Prescribed
    Bird Track 610/607A Rx

    40 mi from the campground · 141 acres

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

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗39.2 mi

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

Explore

Worth a stop

The cabin is located less than 6 miles from Granite, Oregon, a ghost town that once bustled with prospectors and pioneers. The town provides groceries and fuel. Opportunities for horseback riding are within 10 miles of the cabin.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside North Fork John Day Wilderness.

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.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Natural features

Perched on a small rise at about 5,000 feet in elevation, the cabin is set on a hillside under a large spruce tree. A grassy lawn in front spreads to the three other cabins in the area. The forest lies in the Blue Mountains and is home to Ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, larch and Douglas-fir. Birds in the area include the black-backed woodpecker, American kestrel and the boreal owl. Black bear, cougar, wolves, elk and deer are among the native land mammals.

Recreation

Guests can hike on North Fork John Day Wilderness trails or go mountain biking on forest roads. A drive along the Blue Mountain Scenic Byway is a treat, as are activities like huckleberry and mushroom picking, bird watching, wildlife viewing and photographing the vast landscape. Nearby Olive Lake offers boating, fishing and swimming.

Guidebooks for Oregon

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Caretakers Cabin?

Sites at Caretakers 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 Caretakers Cabin?

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

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Caretakers Cabin have?

1 site, including 1 cabin with power.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are there showers or a dump station at Caretakers Cabin?

The cabin features: · two bedrooms upstairs with dressers, 2 twin beds, and 2 full-over-queen bunkbeds; · parlor with 2 futons and end tables; · dining room with a table and chairs to seat 10; · kitchen with refrigerator, electric stove/oven, microwave, coffee pot, toaster, cookw

Source: Recreation.gov

Are pets allowed at Caretakers Cabin?

Yes, pets are allowed at Caretakers Cabin. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

What is there to do at Caretakers Cabin?

Guests can hike on North Fork John Day Wilderness trails or go mountain biking on forest roads. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Caretakers Cabin?

Ukiah, Oregon. The cabin is located less than 6 miles from Granite, Oregon, a ghost town that once bustled with prospectors and pioneers.

Source: Getting there

What if Caretakers Cabin is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Miners Retreat (under 0.1 mi), Olive Lake Campground (4.9 mi, partly first-come), and North Fork John Day Campground (9.4 mi, partly first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby