Imnaha Guard Station
Encyclopedia
The Imnaha Guard Station is a rustic cabin located in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
in western Oregon
, United States
. It was originally built to house fire crews
assigned to patrol the surrounding National Forest
. In the 1990s, the United States Forest Service
began renting the Imnaha Guard Station to recreational visitors. The Imnaha Guard Station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
After World War II
, the Forest Service greatly expanded its road network, allowing employees to get to most National Forest areas within a few hours. As a result, guard stations lost their utility. The Forest Service found new uses for some stations, but most were demolished or abandoned. In the 1990s, historic preservation groups with the support of Forest Service employees began pressing National Forest managers to preserve the remaining structures. To finance the preservation effort, the Forest Service started renting guard stations and unused fire lookouts
to the public.
The Imnaha Guard Station is located in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest between Butte Falls, Oregon
and the unincorporated town of Prospect, Oregon
. It was built near Imnaha Springs by the Civilian Conservation Corps
in 1939. The guard station was originally used as a barracks for Forest Service fire fighters that patrolled the surrounding forest during summer fire season. The Forest Service used the cabin to house fire crews through the 1970s. From 1970 through 1985, John (Bob) Poet and his family lived in the guard station during the summer. Poet later wrote a book about his experience at the Imnaha Guard Station. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Forest Service volunteer campground hosts stayed in the cabin during the summer. In the mid-1990s, the Forest Service began renting the cabin to recreational visitors.
The Imnaha Guard Station has been used every summer since it was built, a relatively rare distinction for a Forest Service guard station. Because of its rustic architecture and the cabin’s unique historic value as an early Forest Service guard station, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.
, white fir
, and incense cedar along with some ponderosa pine
, sugar pine
, and western white pine
. The forest around the guard station is relatively undisturbed. As a result, most of the mature trees in the area are three to four feet in diameter.
The cabin has a wood-frame structure and a concrete foundation. The exterior is covered with weatherboard and shingles. It is stained dark brown so it blends into the surrounding forest landscape
.
Compared to other Forest Service guard stations the Imnaha cabin is extremely well equipped. The cabin has three rooms plus an indoor bathroom. There is a pine-paneled living room with a large lava-rock fireplace. The living room is furnished with a hide-a-bed couch, a reclining chair, and a coffee table. The Forest Service provides firewood which is stored in the guard station’s garage to keep it dry. The kitchen has a stove, refrigerator, and lighted work area plus a table and chairs. Potable water for drinking and cooking is available from the kitchen tap. The bedroom has a built-in closet, a full-size bed, and two small dressers. The bathroom has hot water, a flush toilet, and a shower. All the cabin’s appliances and utilities run on propane.
The yard around the guard station is fenced. A picnic table
in the backyard allows visitor to dine outside under the trees. No tents are permitted inside the fenced area. However, visitors that need to accommodate more than six people can set up camping
tents in the adjacent Imnaha Campground. There is a garage, a barn, and a horse corral on the guard station grounds. The garage is used to store wood for cabin guests. The barn and corral are still used by the Forest Service, and are off-limits to the public.
Imnaha Springs is a fifteen minute hike from the cabin’s front door. The spring covers a relatively wide area, forming numerous rivulets that flow along a scenic path through yellow monkeyflower and moss
before joining together to create Imnaha Creek.
Another attraction just a short walk from the cabin is "The Big Tree," a particularly large Douglas-fir. The Big Tree is located a few hundred feet down a trail from Imnaha Campground. The tree is at least 300 years old, and its wet, lush environment has encouraged growth. While many trees in the area are over four feet in diameter, The Big Tree is a neighborhood giant.
Birdwatchers will find varied thrush
es and hermit thrush
es in the dense timber around the guard station. Nuthatches, chickadees, and Steller's Jay
s are common. There are also pileated woodpecker
s in the surrounding forest, but they can be hard to spot.
In the summer, visitor can hike
near-by trails. The Sky Lakes Wilderness
trail system is particularly popular. The Sky Lake trail network includes a 35 miles (56.3 km) section of the Pacific Crest Trail
that follows the crest of the Cascade Mountains. There are several trailheads leading into the Sky Lakes Wilderness within a few miles from the Imnaha Guard Station.
Imnaha Guard Station is located 23 miles (37 km) north of Butte Falls and 14 miles (22.5 km) south of the unincorporated town of Prospect, just off Forest Service Road 37 (also known as the Parker Meadows Road). Turn off the road at the Imnaha Campground entrance. The Imnaha Guard Station cabin is located at the far end of the campground. In the winter, the road to the guard station is closed to vehicles traffic due to the areas heavy snowfall. Additional information on travel routes and seasonal road condition is available during normal business hours from the Butte Falls Ranger Station office in Butte Falls or the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest headquarters in Medford, Oregon
.
Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
The Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest is a United States National Forest located on both sides of the border between the states of Oregon and California. The formerly separate Rogue River and Siskiyou National Forests were administratively combined in 2004...
in western Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was originally built to house fire crews
Wildland fire suppression
Wildfire suppression refers to the firefighting tactics used to suppress wildfires. Firefighting efforts in wildland areas requires different techniques, equipment, and training from the more familiar structure fire fighting found in populated areas...
assigned to patrol the surrounding National Forest
United States National Forest
National Forest is a classification of federal lands in the United States.National Forests are largely forest and woodland areas owned by the federal government and managed by the United States Forest Service, part of the United States Department of Agriculture. Land management of these areas...
. In the 1990s, the United States Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
began renting the Imnaha Guard Station to recreational visitors. The Imnaha Guard Station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
History
In the 1920s and 1930s, Forest Service employees often traveled many miles from local ranger stations to forest work sites. Since the forest road networks were not well developed, getting to a job site meant a long trek, carrying all the equipment need to perform the field work. This made it impractical for employees to make daily round-trips. To facilitate work at remote sites, the Forest Service built guard stations at strategic locations throughout the forest to house fire patrols and project crews.After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Forest Service greatly expanded its road network, allowing employees to get to most National Forest areas within a few hours. As a result, guard stations lost their utility. The Forest Service found new uses for some stations, but most were demolished or abandoned. In the 1990s, historic preservation groups with the support of Forest Service employees began pressing National Forest managers to preserve the remaining structures. To finance the preservation effort, the Forest Service started renting guard stations and unused fire lookouts
Fire lookout tower
A fire lookout tower, fire tower or lookout tower, provides housing and protection for a person known as a "fire lookout" whose duty it is to search for wildfires in the wilderness...
to the public.
The Imnaha Guard Station is located in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest between Butte Falls, Oregon
Butte Falls, Oregon
Butte Falls is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 423.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-2000 Census data:...
and the unincorporated town of Prospect, Oregon
Prospect, Oregon
Prospect is an unincorporated community in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. It is located along Oregon Route 62 on the Rogue River, in the Rogue River National Forest.- History :...
. It was built near Imnaha Springs by the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
in 1939. The guard station was originally used as a barracks for Forest Service fire fighters that patrolled the surrounding forest during summer fire season. The Forest Service used the cabin to house fire crews through the 1970s. From 1970 through 1985, John (Bob) Poet and his family lived in the guard station during the summer. Poet later wrote a book about his experience at the Imnaha Guard Station. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Forest Service volunteer campground hosts stayed in the cabin during the summer. In the mid-1990s, the Forest Service began renting the cabin to recreational visitors.
The Imnaha Guard Station has been used every summer since it was built, a relatively rare distinction for a Forest Service guard station. Because of its rustic architecture and the cabin’s unique historic value as an early Forest Service guard station, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.
Structure
The Imnaha Guard Station is located in a remote area of the Butte Falls Ranger District on the western slope of the Cascade Mountains, at about 3800 feet (1,158.2 m) elevation. It is a rustic cabin surrounded by old-growth forest of mainly Douglas-firDouglas-fir
Douglas-fir is one of the English common names for evergreen coniferous trees of the genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae. Other common names include Douglas tree, and Oregon pine. There are five species, two in western North America, one in Mexico, and two in eastern Asia...
, white fir
White Fir
White Fir is a fir native to the mountains of western North America, occurring at altitudes of 900-3,400 m. It is a medium to large evergreen coniferous tree growing to 25–60 m tall and with a trunk diameter of up to 2 m . It is popular as an ornamental landscaping tree and as a Christmas Tree...
, and incense cedar along with some ponderosa pine
Ponderosa Pine
Pinus ponderosa, commonly known as the Ponderosa Pine, Bull Pine, Blackjack Pine, or Western Yellow Pine, is a widespread and variable pine native to western North America. It was first described by David Douglas in 1826, from eastern Washington near present-day Spokane...
, sugar pine
Sugar Pine
Pinus lambertiana, commonly known as the sugar pine or sugar cone pine, is the tallest and most massive pine, with the longest cones of any conifer...
, and western white pine
Western White Pine
Western White Pine, Pinus monticola in the family Pinaceae, is a species of pine that occurs in the mountains of the western United States and Canada, specifically the Sierra Nevada, the Cascade Range, the Coast Range, and the northern Rocky Mountains. The tree extends down to sea level in many...
. The forest around the guard station is relatively undisturbed. As a result, most of the mature trees in the area are three to four feet in diameter.
Landscape
Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation, human elements including different forms of...
.
Compared to other Forest Service guard stations the Imnaha cabin is extremely well equipped. The cabin has three rooms plus an indoor bathroom. There is a pine-paneled living room with a large lava-rock fireplace. The living room is furnished with a hide-a-bed couch, a reclining chair, and a coffee table. The Forest Service provides firewood which is stored in the guard station’s garage to keep it dry. The kitchen has a stove, refrigerator, and lighted work area plus a table and chairs. Potable water for drinking and cooking is available from the kitchen tap. The bedroom has a built-in closet, a full-size bed, and two small dressers. The bathroom has hot water, a flush toilet, and a shower. All the cabin’s appliances and utilities run on propane.
The yard around the guard station is fenced. A picnic table
Picnic table
A picnic table is a modified table with attached benches, designed for eating a meal outdoors .-Uses:...
in the backyard allows visitor to dine outside under the trees. No tents are permitted inside the fenced area. However, visitors that need to accommodate more than six people can set up camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
tents in the adjacent Imnaha Campground. There is a garage, a barn, and a horse corral on the guard station grounds. The garage is used to store wood for cabin guests. The barn and corral are still used by the Forest Service, and are off-limits to the public.
Recreation
Moss
Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...
before joining together to create Imnaha Creek.
Another attraction just a short walk from the cabin is "The Big Tree," a particularly large Douglas-fir. The Big Tree is located a few hundred feet down a trail from Imnaha Campground. The tree is at least 300 years old, and its wet, lush environment has encouraged growth. While many trees in the area are over four feet in diameter, The Big Tree is a neighborhood giant.
Birdwatchers will find varied thrush
Varied Thrush
The Varied Thrush is a member of the thrush family Turdidae.It breeds in western North America from Alaska to northern California. It is migratory, with northern breeders moving south within or somewhat beyond the breeding range...
es and hermit thrush
Hermit Thrush
The Hermit Thrush is a medium-sized North American thrush. It is not very closely related to the other North American migrant species of Catharus, but rather to the Mexican Russet Nightingale-thrush.-Description:...
es in the dense timber around the guard station. Nuthatches, chickadees, and Steller's Jay
Steller's Jay
The Steller's Jay is a jay native to western North America, closely related to the Blue Jay found in the rest of the continent, but with a black head and upper body. It is also known as the Long-crested Jay, Mountain Jay, and Pine Jay...
s are common. There are also pileated woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
The Pileated Woodpecker is a very large North American woodpecker, almost crow-sized, inhabiting deciduous forests in eastern North America, the Great Lakes, the boreal forests of Canada, and parts of the Pacific coast. It is also the largest woodpecker in America.Adults are long, and weigh...
s in the surrounding forest, but they can be hard to spot.
In the summer, visitor can hike
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
near-by trails. The Sky Lakes Wilderness
Sky Lakes Wilderness
The Sky Lakes Wilderness is a wilderness area located in the Rogue River-Siskiyou and Winema National Forests in the southern Cascade Range of Oregon, U.S.. It comprises . of the area are located in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, and located in the Winema National Forest...
trail system is particularly popular. The Sky Lake trail network includes a 35 miles (56.3 km) section of the Pacific Crest Trail
Pacific Crest Trail
The Pacific Crest Trail is a long-distance mountain hiking and equestrian trail on the Western Seaboard of the United States. The southern terminus is at the California border with Mexico...
that follows the crest of the Cascade Mountains. There are several trailheads leading into the Sky Lakes Wilderness within a few miles from the Imnaha Guard Station.
Access
The Imnaha Guard Station is available for public reservations from mid-May to mid-October at a rate of $40 per night. The rental fee is used to preserve and maintain the guard station. The maximum capacity of the cabin is six people; however, the recommended occupancy is four. Guest must reserve the cabin for at least one night. The maximum stay is seven consecutive nights. Visitors must bring their own sleeping bags or bedding, cooking utensils, dishes, garbage bags, toiletries, towels, and first aid kit.Imnaha Guard Station is located 23 miles (37 km) north of Butte Falls and 14 miles (22.5 km) south of the unincorporated town of Prospect, just off Forest Service Road 37 (also known as the Parker Meadows Road). Turn off the road at the Imnaha Campground entrance. The Imnaha Guard Station cabin is located at the far end of the campground. In the winter, the road to the guard station is closed to vehicles traffic due to the areas heavy snowfall. Additional information on travel routes and seasonal road condition is available during normal business hours from the Butte Falls Ranger Station office in Butte Falls or the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest headquarters in Medford, Oregon
Medford, Oregon
Medford is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 US Census, the city had a total population of 74,907 and a metropolitan area population of 207,010, making the Medford MSA the 4th largest metro area in Oregon...
.