Caretaker's Cabin is located at the historic Fremont Powerhouse site. The cozy 2-storied cabin features: two bedrooms upstairs with dressers, 2 twin beds, and 2 full-over-queen bunkbeds; a parlor with 2 futons and end tables; a dining room with a table and chairs to seat 10; a kitchen with refrigerator, electric stove/oven, microwave, coffee pot, toaster, cookware, and dishes; and a full bath with hot water and flush toilet during the summer months. 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. While there is water available June through September, there is no water or indoor plumbing October through May. Visitors during those times must bring plenty of water for drinking, cooking and washing. There is an outhouse near the cabin for use when the water is turned off. There is additional space for tent camping.
For activities, go hiking within the North Fork John Day Wilderness or mountain biking on closed forest roads. Take a drive along the Blue Mountain or Elkhorn Scenic Byways. Olive Lake is 7 miles west, offering fishing boating, swimming, and hiking. Visit the nearby ghost town of Granite or travel a bit farther to Sumpter where an old mining dredge has been restored and is open for tours.
Nearby Recreation Rentals: This area includes three other cabins, all within a couple hundred feet of each other: Congo Gulch, Hilltop Hideaway, and Miner's Retreat. This provides great flexibility for larger groups such as family reunions or weddings.
- Availability: Caretaker's Cabin is available for rent all year.
History
In the 1800s, the North Fork John Day drainage was bustling with gold and silver mining. Around 1903, local mines began to notice a decline in earnings and promoted construction of a cheaper power source, in an effort to operate the mines more economically. As a result, the Fremont Powerhouse was constructed and began operation in 1908. Two dams were constructed at Olive Lake and water from the lake was piped through an eight-mile-long wood and steel pipeline to the powerhouse to generate the much-needed electrical power. Huses were constructed to shelter workers who monitored the pipeline for breaks and kept the powerhouse operating. After 59 years of continuous service, the powerhouse generated its last electrical power in October 1967. In 1968, the California Pacific Utilities Company donated the entire complex to the U.S. Forest Service. Caretakers Cabin is a large house located the farthest north of all the structures. The entire site and pipeline are listed as an historic district on the National Register of Historic Places.
