Box Canyon Guard Station Cabin

Rental Cabin
Two twin beds
Rental Cabin
Cabin interior
 Rental cabin at Box Canyon, Willamette National Forest

Featured amenities

Parking Parking
Picnic Table Picnic Table
Fire Pit Fire Pit
Bedrooms Bedrooms
Sleeping Capacity Sleeping Capacity

Sites & Rates

Average nightly rates

1 total site

Cabins

1 site

About Box Canyon Guard Station Cabin

Box Canyon Guard Station sits beneath a canopy of Douglas fir at an altitude of 3,620 feet on the West Cascades National Scenic Byway. It is located approximately 75 miles southeast of Eugene, Oregon in the Willamette National Forest. The guard station was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933 and used as a dwelling for fire guards. They were the smoke chasers, often riding on horseback through the tall timbers to the location spotted by the lookout tower guards. The first on the scene, they often tried to put out any fires they may have found on their own, or reported back for additional help. The guard station is open from early May through the end of October and is easily accessible by car. Some creature comforts are provided, but guests should be prepared to pack in most of their own supplies and gear.

Number of accommodations: 1

Seasonal information

2026 (Current year)

2026 Season availability

Current season
Upcoming seasons
Past seasons
Closed periods
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Currently open - May 22 to Oct 11

Campground Amenities

Most popular amenities

Parking Parking
Picnic Table Picnic Table
Fire Pit Fire Pit
Bedrooms Bedrooms
Sleeping Capacity Sleeping Capacity
Cooking and Fire

Cooking and Fire

  • Picnic Table
  • Fire Pit
Parking and Transport

Parking and Transport

  • Parking

Cabin Interior

  • Bedrooms
  • Sleeping Capacity
Missing information?

C1, Loop: AREA BOX CANYON GUARD STATION CABIN

Price not available
🏠 Cabin Unavailable

Site Details

Up to 4 guests
Shade
Surface: Gravel
View Site Details

Reviews (17)

What Guests Are Saying

The Box Canyon Guard Station Cabin offers a clean and peaceful retreat in a beautiful, remote area, with opportunities to see wildlife like deer and bobcats. While the cabin lacks amenities such as a kitchen and indoor heating, visitors appreciate the natural wood interior and helpful ranger staff. Some guests noted issues with the futon and parking, but many found it a suitable stopover for short stays.

Review Summary

3.8
17 reviews
5
58.8%
10
4
5.9%
1
3
11.8%
2
2
5.9%
1
1
17.6%
3

michael d

Verified

July 20, 2023 Stayed at: C1, Loop: AREA BOX CANYON GUARD STATION CABIN

5

Just one night on the gorgeous Aufderheide Scenic Byway. It’s located near the middle of the route, which was perfect! The site is beautiful and very private and feels super spacious. The cabin itself is quite simple and rustic, but it met/exceeded our expectations as set by the listing. And it’s very cute.

And the deer that visited while we enjoyed the fire pit. and nearby meadow full of butterflies made the stop a very special experience.

Shane T

Verified

July 15, 2023 Stayed at: C1, Loop: AREA BOX CANYON GUARD STATION CABIN

5

Great

Dianne C

Verified

July 26, 2022 Stayed at: C1, Loop: AREA BOX CANYON GUARD STATION CABIN

5

Excellent cabin with comfortable beds. The futon bed/couch was unable to fully come up to a sitting position. A nice table and chairs. We didn’t have to make a fire in the wood stove as the temps were warm. Very few mosquitos at the cabin. Outhouse was rustic, but had toilet paper. Nice that the windows have screens. A noisy mouse chewing on wood the first night, but filled the holes with aluminum foil and it stopped. Deer outside the cabin licking the ground and chewing on rocks at night. That was weird.

Hannah C

Verified

May 31, 2022 Stayed at: C1, Loop: AREA BOX CANYON GUARD STATION CABIN

5

Had a wonderful time. Cabin well built, woodstove worked wonders for an unexpectedly colder stay than we had planned. Great location for day trips in the car or hiking straight from the cabin. Will come back!

Thomas C

Verified

January 18, 2020 Stayed at: C1, Loop: AREA BOX CANYON GUARD STATION CABIN

5

Perfect set up for 2. Plenty of room to cook and spread out and enjoy the area. We were there to fish the south fork and it was amazing.

Jim S

Verified

January 18, 2020 Stayed at: C1, Loop: AREA BOX CANYON GUARD STATION CABIN

5

The Box Canyon cabin was in great shape and appeared to be well cared for. The wood stove did a great job keeping the cabin warm.
We were there late in the season (first week of October), a couple storms had already moved through, so we enjoyed a mostly uninterrupted, experience of solitude. Thanks for sharing our place with us.

Cynthia C

Verified

January 18, 2020 Stayed at: C1, Loop: AREA BOX CANYON GUARD STATION CABIN

1

Although ads implied there was a workable, wood stove in the guard's cabin, we learned the hard way that this was not the case. After lighting a fire in it, smoke poured into the cabin. Since there was no damper, we had to put out the fire & wait until the smoke cleared before we could find the problem. We discovered that someone had lined what should have been the "air space" between the inner metal container and the top of the stove with insulation, thereby blocking all of the holes that would have allowed the smoke to escape up the chimney. This was not visible to the eye and was only discovered by shoving sticks through the tiny openings. It took many hours to clear the smoke out of the cabin and then clean out the insulation & stove. Secondly, the cabin housed very hard, twin beds that could not be moved together. Third, there was road construction in front of the cabin, destroying any serenity that may otherwise have been had. We left as soon as possible the next morning, despite having paid for the whole weekend. Recreation.gov refused to give us any refund for this miserable and tainted accommodation.

Location Box Canyon Guard Station Cabin

Address:
57600 Mc Kenzie Highway
Mckenzie Bridge, OR, 97413
United States

Highway access

Box Canyon Guard Station Cabin is accessible via Highway 126 and Aufderheide Drive/Forest Service Road 19. The nearest major road is Highway 58, approximately 32.5 miles to the northwest, accessible via I-5 in Eugene.

Elevation: 1139 feet

Distance to downtown

31 mi drive to downtown Mckenzie Bridge (about 1 hr 27 min)

Policies & Rules

General

  • Entry to the cabin is by combination keyless entry. The combination is provided in the Reservation confirmation letter. Call (541) 822-3381 at least 72 hours prior to arrival to confirm combination code and for updates.
  • The McKenzie River Ranger District office is open Monday-Friday. Please call 541-822-3381 for information at least 72 hours prior to arrival for updates or other information.
  • There is no water in the cabin; guests must bring plenty of water for drinking, cooking and washing
  • Guests must pack out all trash and recyclables and clean cabin before leaving
  • No camping allowed at the cabin, additional camping is available at the adjacent Box Canyon Horse Camp, an 11-site campground
  • Pets and livestock must remain outside the cabin
  • Please contact the Ranger District prior to arriving to check on any restrictions or conditions, such as fire or road closures, weather or storms, etc., that may affect your visit
  • Learn more about the Willamette National Forest
  • This campground does not accept walk-ins
  • Don't Move Firewood: Please protect Pacific Northwest forests by preventing the spread of invasive species. Firewood can carry insects and diseases that can threaten the health of our western forests. You can make a difference by obtaining and burning your firewood near your camping destination. Visit Dontmovefirewood.org for further information.

Nearby Campgrounds

Nearby destinations


Last updated: September 5, 2026

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