Hilltop Hideaway is located at the historic Fremont Powerhouse site. The cozy little cabin features: one bedroom with dressers and a queen-over-queen bunkbed; a parlor with chair, couch and tables; a kitchen with refrigerator, electric stove/oven, microwave, coffee pot, toaster, cookware, dishes and a dining table with chairs; and a full bath with hot water, tub/shower and flush toilet during the summer months. The cabin has electric lights and an oil heating stove. There is a briquette grill and picnic table out the back. 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.
Nearby Recreation Rentals: This area includes three other cabins, all within a couple hundred feet of each other: Caretaker's Cabin, Congo Gulch, and Miner's Retreat. This provides great flexibility for larger groups like family reunions or weddings.
- Availability: Hilltop Hideaway is available for rent year round.
- Price and Capacity: $55 per night, with a maximum of four occupants. Fees are used directly for the maintenance and preservation of the cabin.
- Reservations: The maximum-length stay is fourteen consecutive nights. Phone 1-877-444-6777 or visit www.recreation.gov
History
In the 180s, 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. Houses were constructed in the 19302 to shelter workers who monitored the pipeline for breaks and kept the powerhouse operating. After 59 years of continuous service, 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. The entire site and pipeline are listed as an historic district in the National Register of Historic Places.
