By:
Submission
Packers Cabin was originally built during the 1930s and served as the headquarters for the Forest Service packer who supplied lookouts and field crews by horse or mule pack trains. Today, visitors no longer need to hitch up a team of mules and trek for days to enjoy staying in the quiet, remote cabin within the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. The accessible cabin offers most items needed for a comfortable lodging experience, though guests will need to bring some of their own amenities to ensure a safe and comfortable stay. Recreation Hiking, wildlife viewing and fishing top the list of recreational opportunities in the area surrounding Packer's Cabin. Anglers will enjoy the remote location and scenic backdrop of the nearby Chetco River, providing angling opportunities for trout, steelhead, and salmon in season. The Chetco starts in steep, deeply dissected, sparsely vegetated, mountainous terrain within the Kalmiopsis Wilderness. Over its 55.5 mile length, the Chetco drops from 3,700 feet to sea-level as it empties into the Pacific Ocean between the towns of Brookings and Harbor, about 5 miles north of the California border. The Oregon Redwoods Trail provides a unique accessible hiking opportunity that travels through a grove of majestic old-growth redwood trees. Located along Peavine Ridge in the Winchuck River drainage, guests will learn about old-growth tree ecology, fire history, wildlife, and botany in the area. Redwood trees in this area represent the only coastal redwoods found in the Pacific Northwest Region, located at the limit of their northern range. The trail is an out/back design with a short loop at the far end, where a picnic stop is provided. A short wooden deck provides access to the inside of a hollowed redwood tree. Facilities Packer's Cabin is a facility that meets accessibility standards and is equipped with ramps, decks, wide doorways and door handles to make the cabin as barrier-free as possible for anyone wishing to take a step back in history and live the life of a forest ranger. The cabin accommodates up to 12 people comfortably and is furnished with one double bunk and ten single bunks with mattresses. There is a table and chairs, a work surface for food preparation, and a wood-burning stove. Picnic tables and a campfire ring are located near the cabin, as well as an accessible vault toilet. There is no water on site; visitors must bring a sufficient supply for drinking, cooking and washing. A natural spring is located nearby, but the water is not recommended for consumption. Guests must also provide their own sleeping bags, sleeping pads, a light source, towels, dish soap, matches, cooking gear, first aid kit, toilet paper and garbage bags. Tent space is available near the cabin. Natural Features The landscapes comprising the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest has led to the designation of over 340,000 acres of the Forest as wilderness, and over 200 miles of streams as National Wild and Scenic Rivers. The forest itself is composed of two distinct geological provinces - the Cascade Range and the Siskiyou Mountains. The Cascade Range is dominated by snow-capped volcanic peaks such as the 9,495 foot Mt. McLoughlin, located within the Sky Lakes Wilderness. The Siskiyou area embodies the most complex and treasured plant communities in the Pacific Northwest. Wild rivers, biological diversity, remarkable fisheries, and complex watersheds define the Siskiyous. Packer's Cabin, when built, was adjacent to a large meadow. The trees started encroaching on the meadow and over time, the cabin became nestled in a grove of large fir trees. The Forest Service is now in the 2nd stage of restoring the original meadow habitat. Packer's Cabin now has lots of sun. There will be meadow enhancement information available at the cabin. The cabin lies in the area of the 2017 Chetco Bar Fire. Visitors will expeirence a landscape in transition. Nearby Attractions The Pacific Ocean is 17 miles from this site. ADA Access: N
From Portland take 1-5S to US 199 South to Brookings. From Brookings, Oregon, take U.S. Highway 101 and turn onto County Road 784 (North Bank Chetco River Road). This becomes Forest Road 1376. Follow this Forest Road 1376 to the junction with Forest Road 1917. Follow Forest Road 1917 for 5 miles to Forest Road 1917-110, the entrance to Packer’s Cabin. Travel time from Brookings is about an hour and a half, and easily accessible by highway and Forest Roads. Travel time from Brookings is about an 1.5 hours, and easily accessible by highway and Forest Service roads.
It's about the only place left on this forest road that didn't get burnt in the Chetco Bar Fire last year. Every where else in this part of the forest is either totally burnt or mostly burnt. It's also on a closed forest road and no members of the public can enter this part of the forest until further notice.
This is now one of my favorite places. Does it need a coat of paint? Yes. Is it cold at night because the wind whips through all the cracks in the siding? Yes. But there is just something about it that is magical! It takes you back in time to when things were simple. The forest all around it has burned, but packers cabin stays, a beacon of hope and strength amongst the devastation. The back porch is great for afternoon lounging, the vault toilet isn't so bad (unless it's windy) the stars are TO DIE FOR! Great place to get away for a while. Cell reception is maybe 1 bar, and there are so many amazing forest roads to hike nearby. 11/10 if you want to escape technology and just exist in nature for a whole. There is a cute swing on site. A little koi pond with goldfish and newts in it. Pack more water and wood than you think you'll need.
