The Long Way
Jackson County
A rustic log cabin stands in a clearing surrounded by trees.
Plate I. Willow Prairie Cabin exterior and grounds. From fs.usda.gov
A lush green meadow with a line of tall evergreen trees against a blue sky.
Plate II. Meadow landscape, Willow Prairie Cabin. From fs.usda.gov
A wooden corral stands in a forest near a small cabin.
Plate III. Horse corrals and Willow Prairie Cabin. From fs.usda.gov

Willow Prairie Cabin

Butte Falls, Jackson County, Oregon. Guard station cabin.

Details

Map. Butte Falls, Jackson County, Oregon. Larger map
Where
Butte Falls, Jackson County, OR. No street address stated. Directions
Season
Wheeled-vehicle access usually possible only from late spring through fall.
Getting there
From Butte Falls, OR, take the Butte Falls - Fish Lake Highway (County Road 821) approximately 17 miles southeast to Forest Road 3738.
Fees
$35 per night.
Access
Visitors pulling a trailer or driving a low-clearance vehicle must turn left and travel a quarter of a mile to the Willow Prairie Campground overflow parking area.
Walk-in or reserve
Reservations can be made online at Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777.
Phone
541-560-3400
Website
recreation.gov
Managed by
Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.
Established
1924.
Coordinates
42.40649749, -122.3925632.

One-room cabin for up to four people at the foot of Mt. McLoughlin at 4,300 feet; a 1924 Forest Service guard station converted to a horse camp and rented to groups with or without horses.

Notable Events

  1. 1920Because the meadow provided abundant natural feed for Forest Service pack-stock, the government made an administrative-site withdrawal of the meadow before 1920. heritagedata.prd.state.or.us
  2. 1923The Forest Service began construction of a road between the town of Butte Falls on the north and Big Elk Guard Station/Fish Lake Road on the south. heritagedata.prd.state.or.us
  3. 1924The road crew constructing the Butte Falls/Fish Lake Highway used the cabin as a base-camp while they completed their task during 1924-1926. fs.usda.gov
  4. 1940sThe Butte Falls Cattlemen's Association evidently used the cabin and meadow during round-up time under a free-use agreement with the Forest Service. heritagedata.prd.state.or.us
  5. 1960The cabin has been abandoned since about 1960, except for occasional use by hunters and other recreationists. heritagedata.prd.state.or.us
  6. 1980sRe-routing of the Butte Falls/Fish Lake Highway diverted most traffic well to the east of the site. heritagedata.prd.state.or.us
  7. 1990The Forest Service contracted with log-cabin restoration specialist Harrison Goodall to inspect Willow Prairie Cabin and other historic structures on the Rogue River National Forest. heritagedata.prd.state.or.us
  8. 1990The cabin was converted to a horse camp and was later restored by local volunteers and employees of the Butte Falls Ranger District. recreation.gov
  9. 1991In 1991 the adjacent Willow Prairie Campground was converted to a horse camp, and the cabin is considered a premium site for equestrians. fs.usda.gov
  10. 1993Noting the high risk that the cabin would collapse, the Butte Falls Ranger District initiated emergency stabilization and rehabilitation/replacement work during the 1993 and 1994 summer seasons. heritagedata.prd.state.or.us
  11. 2000Willow Prairie Cabin was listed in the National Register of Historic Places, NRIS Reference Number 00000469, on 12/29/2000. heritagedata.prd.state.or.us

People

  • Bill Hughes, Supervised the Butte Falls/Fish Lake road crew that built the cabin (1924).
  • Harrison Goodall, Log-cabin restoration specialist contracted by the Forest Service to inspect the cabin (About 1990).
  • Jeff LaLande, Author of the Willow Prairie Cabin Heritage Resource Evaluation (1994).
  • Katherine C. Atwood, Prepared the National Register nomination for the USDA Forest Service.

Sources

  1. recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234157
  2. fs.usda.gov/r06/rogue-siskiyou/recreation/willow-prairie-cabin
  3. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Willow_Pairie_Cabin,_Rogue_River_NF,_Oregon_1.jpg
  4. recreation.gov/api/camps/campgrounds/234157
  5. heritagedata.prd.state.or.us/historic/index.cfm?do=main.loadFile&load=NR_Noms%2F00000469.pdf