Long used by Native Americans, the Fish Lake area was an important stop for weary travelers on the Santiam Wagon Road. The Forest Service first used Fish Lake as a ranger outpost in 1905. During the 1920s, it served as the field and dispatch headquarters for the Santiam National Forest, (the predecessor of the Willamette National Forest).
The Fish Lake Historic Site is open to the public year round and two restored remount depot cabins, the Commissary Cabin and the Hall House are open to the public and available to rent for overnight stays each winter from mid-November to mid-April.
These cabins were built in 1924 and are rustic, historic wood structures that include a dispatcher's cabin, a springhouse shed, a garage/woodshed and a fire hose shelter. The Commissary Cabin features a bedroom and kitchen. Guests must walk, cross-country ski or snowshoe approximately three-quarters of a mile to access the cabins from Lava Lake Sno-Park.
The Commissary Cabin has a full-size bed with mattress, table with chairs, sofa, propane heating and cooking stoves, solar-powered lighting, basic cookware and kitchen utensils. An outhouse with pit toilet is located nearby. Neither cabin has water or electricity. Guests must bring their own water for drinking, cooking and washing.
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.
