Located at 7,000 feet on top of the Winter Rim in north central Lake County, the peacefully secluded Fremont Point Cabin offers unbeatable views from every direction from a double-sided porch.
2“Little Cabin with a Big View”
Located at 7,000 feet on top of the Winter Rim in north central Lake County, the peacefully secluded Fremont Point Cabin offers unbeatable views from every direction from a double-sided porch.
3Summer Lake
The cabin overlooks Summer Lake, some 3,000 feet below, where you can find ancient artesian hot mineral springs and the Lodge at Summer Lake, a popular dinner destination. Musgrove recommends stopping by the lodge before heading to the cabin; it’s some 90 minutes away—and you’re not likely to find another in between.
4Summer Lake
The cabin overlooks Summer Lake, some 3,000 feet below, where you can find ancient artesian hot mineral springs and the Lodge at Summer Lake, a popular dinner destination. Musgrove recommends stopping by the lodge before heading to the cabin; it’s some 90 minutes away—and you’re not likely to find another in between.
5Exit Strategy
A step up from tent camping (there’s a vault toilet!), the cabin includes three beds, suitable for 3–4 guests, a fridge, and a wood stove as the cabin’s heat source. “We were there in September, and it got pretty chilly at night,” says Musgrove. “The stove did a really good job of heating the place up.” (Just remember to pack in your firewood; it’s not included.)
6Exit Strategy
A step up from tent camping (there’s a vault toilet!), the cabin includes three beds, suitable for 3–4 guests, a fridge, and a wood stove as the cabin’s heat source. “We were there in September, and it got pretty chilly at night,” says Musgrove. “The stove did a really good job of heating the place up.” (Just remember to pack in your firewood; it’s not included.)
7Fremont Point Cabin
For those hikers out there, you have two options for popular trails, both offering beautiful views. Walk from the cabin along the ridgeline Fremont National Recreation Trail for valley views, or follow historic trail markings, blazes on trees, and rock cairns on the Hanan Trail to the Sycan River.
8Fremont Point Cabin
For those hikers out there, you have two options for popular trails, both offering beautiful views. Walk from the cabin along the ridgeline Fremont National Recreation Trail for valley views, or follow historic trail markings, blazes on trees, and rock cairns on the Hanan Trail to the Sycan River.
9Basin & Range Birding Trail
The Fremont Point Cabin is also a stop along Southern Oregon’s Basin & Range Birding Trail. “When we first drove up to the cabin, there was a couple people sitting there, watching birds,” said Musgrove. Look for Hairy Woodpeckers in forested areas, Red Crossbill lingering in the open, and hawks in September.
10Basin & Range Birding Trail
The Fremont Point Cabin is also a stop along Southern Oregon’s Basin & Range Birding Trail. “When we first drove up to the cabin, there was a couple people sitting there, watching birds,” said Musgrove. Look for Hairy Woodpeckers in forested areas, Red Crossbill lingering in the open, and hawks in September.
11Crack in the Ground
Natural sites surround the cabin; one is called Crack in the Ground. Why? “That’s what it is—it’s a big crack in the ground,” says Musgrove. More accurately, it’s a volcanic fissure, two miles long, and, at some points, dipping 30 feet below the ground level. But not to worry, says Musgrove. “You’re never underground, you can always look up and see the sky.” About an hour away is another volcanic site, Hole-In-The-Ground, a mile-diameter maar, or low-lying crater lake.
12Crack in the Ground
Natural sites surround the cabin; one is called Crack in the Ground. Why? “That’s what it is—it’s a big crack in the ground,” says Musgrove. More accurately, it’s a volcanic fissure, two miles long, and, at some points, dipping 30 feet below the ground level. But not to worry, says Musgrove. “You’re never underground, you can always look up and see the sky.” About an hour away is another volcanic site, Hole-In-The-Ground, a mile-diameter maar, or low-lying crater lake.
Back in 2014, we caught up with Oregon City-based amateur photographer Terry Musgrove and his furry friend Yogi about halfway through their decade-long quest to visit every wilderness A-frame in the Pacific Northwest. As of 2017, Musgrove (and new friend Woody) were up to 71 cabin stays—mostly retired Forest Service guard stations, and all on government property—each chronicled in stunning, fish-eye lens photos on Musgrove’s Flickr account.
This past September, Musgrove discovered a new favorite: the brand-new, fully equipped, pet-friendly Fremont Point Cabin in south-central Oregon’s Lake County. The six-hour trek put Musgrove and Woody at the scrubby edge of the Fremont National Forest, overlooking Summer Lake from a soaring 3,000-foot escarpment.
“It’s one of the newest Forest Service rentals in Oregon,” Musgrove says. He was impressed—by the location’s beauty, and by its proximity to attractions including Four Craters Lava Bed, Christmas Valley’s sand dunes, the National Recreation Trail, and even square meals at “nearby” Cowboy Dinner Tree and the Lodge at Summer Lake.
The cabin site once housed Fremont Point’s fire lookout tower. The cabin was destroyed in a 2002 forest blaze; in 2015, volunteers and members of the Silver Lake ranger district decided to rebuild the secluded cabin and make it available to outdoor adventure seekers.
For Musgrove, a new cabin is reason enough to celebrate; his quest to chronicle these cabins and lookouts stems in part from a belief that some won’t exist in a decade. Another reason for the mission? It’s fun.
“Here was an opportunity to travel around the Northwest knowing that there would always be a reasonably safe and affordable place to stay at the end of the trip,” he explains. “It also seemed like a step up from car camping and backpacking for a person over 50 years old. Now I’m over 60 and the excitement of stepping through strange doorways hasn’t faded at all.”
Reservations are available for six months out from the booking date (meaning July 2018 reservations will become available starting in January). The cabin is available nearly year-round, and generally accessible by Forest Service roads from the town of Paisley. (Note: in the unforgiving months of winter, count on skiing, snowshoeing, or snowmobiling in 10 miles from the nearest snow park.) Contact the Silver Lake Ranger Station with questions.
