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Tamarack Cabin offers outdoor enthusiasts a quaint cabin with epic views atop Tamarack Mountain. The cabin can accommodate four guests, and a short walk through the trees awards a unique opportunity to view miles of the Umatilla National Forest from sunup to sundown. The site was originally used as a fire detection lookout. The original structure was a platform built on a high tree in 1925. It was replaced with a 96-foot Aermotor tower in 1933, and a neighboring cabin was built to house Forest Service employees. A utility shed was also built. When the cabin burnt down in 1966, the shed was converted into housing. That same shed is where guests can stay today. The tower is also still standing, and when the tower is staffed, visitors are welcome to climb up and enjoy the view. Recreation Over 26 miles of trails throughout the Heppner Ranger District can be accessed from the cabin for hiking or horseback riding. Plentiful fishing opportunities abound in nearby streams and Bull Prairie Lake. Many roads are open to off-road vehicles, and 28 miles of designated trails are available. Other activities include hunting, wildlife viewing and bird watching. This site is not open in the winter. Facilities The cozy converted shed offers one room with amenities including propane lights, a heating stove and cook stove, cookware, silverware and dishes. Furnishings consist of two sets of twin bunkbeds, a cabinet for clothes, table with four chairs, and a rocking chair on the small front porch. There is a picnic table and fire ring outside, though fire danger may restrict campfires, so check for conditions with the Ranger District prior to arrival. There is also a nearby outhouse. No water is onsite, so visitors must bring plenty for drinking, cooking and washing. There is no refrigerator either, so come prepared with a cooler and ice. Guests must bring food, water, ice chest with ice, bedding, toiletries, a first aid kit, flashlights, matches and all other basic camping gear. Click here for more cabin details. Natural Features At 4,979 feet above sea level, Tamarack Mountain overlooks the John Day River basin, between Spray and Kimberly. The lookout and the mountain it tops are named after the western larch, a tree that is particularly plentiful in the Blue and Wallowa Mountains. Western tanagers and dusty flycatchers frequent the area and purple-blue spikes of lupine, white and pink yarrow and yellow balsamroot add bursts of color to the landscape. Nearby Attractions Heppner is the nearest town with a general store, which is about an hour's drive away. Off-road vehicle enthusiasts enjoy Morrow County OHV Park, located 14 miles southwest. There are some food options and ice for sale at this site. ADA Access: N
From Lexington, OR, take Highway 74/207 east to Heppner. Continue south, on Highway 207. At the junction in Heppner, bear right to continue south on Highway 207 for 39 miles through Heppner, Ruggs, Hardman and past Anson Wright County Park to the junction of Highway 207 and Forest Road 24 (0.1 miles past the Bull Prairie Campground turn-off). Turn left (east) on FR 24 (a gravel road) and travel 6.5 miles to FR 2407. Turn right (south) on FR 2407 and travel 1.5 miles to FR 040. Travel a half-mile on FR 40 to the cabin, which is on the right before the helipad. A high-clearance vehicle is recommended for access as the last mile to the cabin is very steep and rocky.
Did not stay at lookout but drove up from where we were camped. We saw that people were at cabin so we made sure our dog stayed leashed and said we would just be a minute at tower then go. They said no worries they were leaving and sure enough just left with open flame still in fire pit. My wife asked while i was at tower what we should do with it so we ended up putting it out. Perhaps some of the folks renting these are not woods savy enough.
I was the lookout on Tamarack in the summer of 1968, my summer job while at OSU. Good pay, $2.85 an hour. The 1st user of the cabin there now. The old one burned down. Spent 3 months with my dog. Did weather reports, used a WWII radio to report fires and we had a bunch. Water was at spring near Rocky Flats about 2 miles. My first reported fire was a sheepherders cook fire that got away from him. I was on the tower one night during a dry lightning storm marking strikes on the fire finder setting on my insulated stool. I reported the unexpected storm and pulled my antenna. My dog climbed the tower and I opened the trap door and grabbed her, the roof started buzzing and had a blue Corona (St Elmo's fire). I don't think I took a direct strike but it taught me a lot about life. Two years later I was in Vietnam...
Incredible views and a great place to stay!
We stayed two nights, and, though we didn't find any extra mantles for the gas-powered lights, the cabin was clean and the toilet, honestly, smelled fabulous!
The individual (Sarah?) staffing the lookout tower was very nice, too. As everyone says, the last mile to the cabin is somewhat steep and rocky, so make sure you have a vehicle with decent clearance and tires. My partner and I borrowed a Jeep Compass and didn't have any issues, and the lookout drove a Ford Ranger.
We definitely hope to visit again. :)
