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.
The Hall House is a 3-room cabin featuring 1 bedroom, a shared common room with a hidaway bed and a kitchen. Guests must walk, cross-country ski or snowshoe approximately three-quarters of a mile to access the cabin from Lava Lake Sno-Park.
The Hall House includes 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.
Seven sno-parks constituting the Santiam Pass Winter Recreation Area are within a 15-minute drive of the cabins, including Lava Lake Sno-Park and Ray Benson Sno-Park. Areas around these Sno-Parks offer miles of non-motorized trail opportunities for skiers and snowshoers. Marked Nordic ski trails and snowmobile trails are found at the Lava Lake Sno-Park.
Know Before You Go
- Overnight stays are by reservation only. Walk-ins are not allowed.
- There is no water at this site; guests must bring plenty of water for drinking, cooking and washing
- Guests must pack out all trash and clean cabin before departure
- No tent, trailer or RV camping on this site
- Livestock and pets are not allowed
- Guests should contact the Ranger District prior to arriving to check on any restrictions or conditions, such as fire or road closures, weather or storms, etc., that may affect their visit
