Summit Gs Bunkhouse Cr
USFS · Lookout/Cabin · Fee
Fast facts
- Cost
- Fee charged
- Managed by
- USFS
- Type
- Lookout/Cabin
- Reservations
- recreation.gov
- Nearest dump station
- Bull Prairie Campground · 78.9 mi
- Coordinates
- 45.4764, -118.2089
- Last verified
- September 18, 2026
About this place
In 1836, missionaries Marcus and Narcissa Whitman of upper New York State traveled 3,000 miles to establish a Protestant mission among the Cayuse Indians near present day Walla Walla, WA. But when they came up against the Blue Mountains, they hit the most rugged and treacherous part of their journey. Their guide, John McLeod, a fur trader from the Hudson’s Bay Company, chose the most direct route, but it was too steep and rugged for wagons, and only suitable for horse and foot travel. Though tough, their journey into the Oregon Country was the first completed by an Anglo family, proving that women and families could make it across, and pioneered the way for others to follow.The Whitman Mission served both the local Indians and new emigrants along the Oregon Trail for eleven years. After a Black Measles epidemic broke out and almost 200 Cayuse Indians, mostly children, died, the Cayuse took revenge against the mission. The Whitmans, eleven others and the mission itself, met a violent end in the Whitman Massacre of November 29, 1847.Over the years, the original trail used by the Whitmans was lost as a new wagon route was found and frequented. In the early 1960s, U.S. Forest Service Ranger Gerald Tucker used Narcissa’s travel journal to locate the Whitman’s crossing of the Blue Mountains. Today, the Whitman Route Overlook, a short drive from the Summit Guard Station, offers a spectacular view of Meacham Canyon and the Hell Hole Roadless Area, as well as a look back into the history of the area.Summit Guard Station is located on high ridge nested in an open stand of large Ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir. The view to the south from this ridge-top setting is exceptional.The rustic bunkhouse, with one multi-use room for cooking, sleeping and relaxing, is furnished with a table and four chairs and four bed frames with mattresses. It is equipped with propane lights, a propane heater and range. There is no water on site, so visitors must bring plenty for drinking, cooking and
From the USFS.Official page
Is Summit Gs Bunkhouse Cr free?
No. Summit Gs Bunkhouse Cr charges a fee. It is managed by the USFS. Sites are reservable through recreation.gov.
How do I get to Summit Gs Bunkhouse Cr?
From Weston, Oregon: Travel 28 miles east of Weston on Highway 204. Turn right (south) onto Forest Service Road 31. Go 9.4 miles to Ruckel Junction. Stay on Forest Service Road 31 and go 17 miles until you reach the junction with Forest Service Road 3113. Turn right onto Forest Service Road 3113 and travel about 0.8 miles to the access road to Summit Guard Station. Turn left onto the access road and follow the road to the right.From Pendleton, Oregon:; Travel Interstate 84 east for 34 miles to Exit 243 (Mt. Emily Exit). Take the exit and at the stop sign turn left. Cross the freeway on the overpass and proceed past the ramps to the end of the pavement. Forest Service Road 31 starts here. Travel Forest Service Road 31 for about 12.2 miles to the junction with Forest Service Road 3113. Turn left onto Forest Service Road 3113 and travel about 0.8 miles to the access road to the Summit Guard Station. Turn left onto the access road and follow the road to the right.Automobile access to the site tends to run from June 1 to November 1, and parking is available at the guard station. Winter use will require alternate transportation such as skis, snowshoes, or snowmobile. Skiers, snowshoers, and snowmobilers can access the cabin from the Meacham Divide/Mt. Emily Sno-Park, which is located on Forest Service Road 31 about 1.7 miles from Interstate 84. The route follows the roads listed above. From the sno-park the travel distance to the cabin is approximately 11.3 miles, including a 1 mile climb.
Nearby
SourceData from the USFS. Last synced September 18, 2026. Community reports and photos are submitted by travelers and are not verified by the agency.
