Fall River Guard Station is situated beneath a canopy of lodgepole pine on the banks of the Fall River in Deschutes National Forest. Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930's, the cabin was originally used as an outpost to fight forest fires.
The cabin is an ideal setting for relaxation and recreation, and is available for reservation from April to October.
Seasonal information
2026
(Current year)
2026 Season availability
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Campground Amenities
Most popular amenities
Parking
River Access
Bedrooms
Parking and Transport
Parking
On Site Services
Propane
Propane
Water Access
River Access
Cabin Interior
Bedrooms
Heating
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Fall River Guard Station, Loop: FALL RIVER GUARD STATION
Fall River Guard Station offers a beautiful, scenic cabin in a high-traffic area, ideal for fishing enthusiasts and family getaways. The cabin is well-maintained with a working propane heater and refrigerator, though improvements could be made, such as fixing the lack of water supply to the cabin and the shared public toilet. Guests appreciate the clean facilities and proximity to recreational activities, though the lighting system needs attention, as it relies heavily on batteries.
Staying at the cabin is not exactly private as the parking area is also a trailhead.
Bring plenty of layers as the cabin can be COLD if no one's there for awhile. The propane heater takes a long time to heat things up.
There are virtually no dishes of any kind at the cabin - bring everything with you... including a kettle for hot water.
We rent these forest service cabin quite frequently and this is one of our favorites. The only problem we had was that the propane stove which was not entirely reliable during what was an usually cold and snowy few days . Two of the area staff member came out to help with the stove after we call the ranger station---great thank to them for making the effort. It remained kind of cranky but did nothing to diminish our enjoyment
Great spot for fly fishing! The cabin is cute and rustic. There’s a geocache in the woods nearby. The kids loved running around in the woods. We saw an owl and lots of wildlife!
Most guard station rentlas offer basic cooking pots and pans and some even dishes and silverware. This cabin offers none of those.
There was still quite a bit of snow on the ground during our rental, and it made any evening trips outside to use the outhouse treacherous with ice once temperatures dropped, and hard to see the black ice near the cabin entrance with no exterior lights.
If there had been a snow shovel or some sand bags left at the cabin, I would have gladly done some trail maintenance to help with this, but there was nothing like this available.
Also it would be nice to know in advance to bring your own ax/saw for chopping up any foraged firewood- and as most of this was still under snow, I would suggest bringing your own firewood if you plan on using the outdoor firepit.
All in all, plan on packing everything you would bring for a camping trip with only the basic amenities of a pit toilet and no potable water.
This place is lovely, and other than the hikers and Fall River looky-loos parking out front during the day, it’s incredibly private at night. A little on the expensive side, but beats sleeping in a tent and appreciated having somewhere to go when the weather got a little rough. Will book again. Thanks!
Okay experience. We expected it to be rustic and it was. We spend time cleaning out dead rodents, dirt, droppings. The furniture is very dated. Bring lighting, thr battery operated lights on the walls work as a nightlight but don't provide enough light to do anything by
Excellent stay. Cabin was as clean as a historic cabin can be expected to be. The location a few feet from the river was epic. Although close to road and Trailhead, it was quiet and the few hikers and anglers did not bother us. A couple of resident mice in the cabin made a bit of a ruckus at night with stuff they played with, so put the food into the cabinets. Queen bed was comfy.
Beautiful location on a fly fishing river with lots of fishermen to watch. Great location as base for various hikes. That being said, the cabin itself was a bit more of an adventure than I was up for. It's only as clean as the previous guests, and the resident mice, leave it. No running water so bring a bucket to carry river water for mopping and antibacterial wipes for the mattresses and kitchen surfaces. Battery lights are very dim. You'll need to wear a headlamp inside before the sun sets. Don't turn up the fridge...leave it set low at 1 or 2 or your food will freeze. The cabin is at a trailhead and the only restroom is the vault toilet in the parking lot with lots of visiting fishermen and hikers all day. My husband would say 4 stars, I would say 2 stars, so we compromised at 3 stars.
Entry to the cabin is by combination lock box. Please call the Forest Service office at 541-383-5300 if you are having difficulty with the combination provided. You can also stop by the office, located at 63095 Deschutes Market Rd. Bend, OR 97701....
Entry to the cabin is by combination lock box. Please call the Forest Service office at 541-383-5300 if you are having difficulty with the combination provided. You can also stop by the office, located at 63095 Deschutes Market Rd. Bend, OR 97701.
From Bend, Oregon, take Highway 97 south. Exit at Sunriver and drive west. Go through the roundabout to Century Drive and turn left. Follow Century Drive south for 3 mi to the junction with South Century Drive (State Route 42). Turn right and head 11 mi west. Fall River Guard Station is on the left side of the road.
Fall River Guard Station is accessible via Highway 97, approximately 3 miles from Bend, Oregon, and is reachable by State Route 42 for the final 11 miles.