American
River Guard Station
- Washington
Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests
History
The American River Guard Station was built in 1941 as a summer residence
and work site for fire patrol and recreation management personnel. The builders
were men of the 932nd Camp Naches Civilian Conservation Corps crew. A rear
addition to house, including a bathroom and water heater, laundry and sink
room, was added at a later time. The guard station was still occupied by
Naches Ranger District personnel
in the summers through the 1960s, but its principal use in these later years
was as a bunkhouse rather than a work station. Typically two or three seasonal
employees lived here in the summer and commuted roughly twelve miles east
every morning to the Ranger Station. Forest Service use of the cabin declined
in the late 1970s. Volunteers and people granted permits sporadically used
the cabin, but it has largely remained vacant. In 1999 the cabin was found
eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Restoration
of the cabin began in 2004.
Description
The
Depression-era rustic cabin is one and a half stories tall, with a wood frame
and shake roof. Recently refurbished and freshly painted, it has a small
kitchen, a living/sleeping area, and a bedroom, as well as a full sized sleeping
loft and storage room. The clean and comfortable cabin is furnished with
many amenities: a dining table and chairs for six people, a full-sized sleeper
sofa, a twin bed and mattress, a wood stove, light fixtures and portable
electric heaters. The kitchen is equipped with a coffee maker, pots, dishes
and glassware. A picnic table and fire ring is located near the cabin. The
original two-seater outhouse has recently been restored. There is no water
at the cabin; visitors must bring plenty for drinking, cooking and washing.
(In the summer, drinking water can be obtained from the nearby Cedar Spring
Campground.) The cabin contains a variety of cleaning supplies (broom, dustpan,
mop and bucket, sponges, cleansers). All food and garbage must be removed
to help deter rodents. In the summer, waste disposal is provide by a dumpster
in the nearby American Forks Campground. When the campground is closed for
the season, visitors must "pack it out and home".
Area
Attractions & Activities
Local opportunities to hike, boat, view nature and bird watch, fish, hunt,
auto-tour and enjoy winter activities abound. The cabin setting provides
ready access to Bumping Lake, where boating and fishing are popular, horse
and hiker trails in the William
O. Douglas and Norse
Peak Wilderness areas,
off-road vehicle and snowmobile opportunities in the Little Naches drainage,
and snow-shoeing and cross-crossing
skiing opportunities in the American
River area. The cabin is also conveniently located thirty minutes below the
summit of Chinook
Pass and Mt. Rainier National Park.
Amenities
- Outhouse
- Electricity
- Light Fixtures
- Space Heaters
- Wood Stove
- Picnic
Table
- Fire Ring
Additional
camping is available at the nearby American
Forks Campground during the summer season.
Pets
Pets are welcome. Livestock is not permitted.
Smoking
No smoking.
Directions
From Naches, Washington, follow Highway 410 for approximately 35 miles west
to the intersection with Bumping River Road (FR 1800). Turn left on Bumping
River Road, cross the bridge over American River, then turn left onto the
American Forks Campground Road.
The cabin and access road will be on the left shortly after turning onto
the campground road. Up to 4 passenger vehicles may be parked at the guard
station site. Additional cars and recreational vehicles may be accommodated
in the nearby overflow parking off Bumping Road 1800. Major roads accessing
the cabin from Naches are plowed in the winter.
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