The Ludlum House is nestled at the edge of the forest with a vast expanse of lawn stretching out before it, and is located at the confluence of Wheeler Creek and the Winchuck River. Set up a volleyball net or toss a frisbee on the lawn, and later relax beneath the shade of the wide wrap-around porch!
The two-story house features one room on a lower floor, and a three-quarter dividing wall upstairs. The first floor, porch and surrounding grounds are all accessible. The house is minimally furnished with a table and chairs, a sink and food preparation counter, and a wood stove. Bring your own firewood, propane and battery-powered lanterns. While there is sleeping space for up to 30 visitors, this is a rustic camping experience--there are no beds. Visitors are encouraged to bring camping equipment, including flashlights, cooking and eating utensils, sleeping bags and pads for comfort.
There is plenty of drinking water on site, available from the bright red hand pump, as well as outdoor picnic tables and a group fire ring. An accessible vault toilet is located near the house.
History
Mr. Ludlum, an oil-company executive, built a two-story vacation house on this site in 1939. He and his family even lived in the house year-round for a time. However, after World War II, the family sold the property to the Forest Service.
Like the current building, the original Ludlum House had two stories, but differed from the existing structure in that it did not have a porch that encircled the entire building, and the upstairs had less headroom. In the 1990s, the Forest Service determined that the Ludlum House was far too rotted to restore, and so the original structure was demolished and a new one (a near-replica) was built in 1999.
For information about accessible recreation opportunities in Pacific Northwest National Forests, visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/r6/accessiblerecreation
