Congo Gulch

Overview

Congo Gulch is an old Forest Service cabin that allows guests to relax in the outdoors and step back in time to when the cabin was used during bygone gold mining days. It is part of the Fremont Powerhouse complex, a hub for mining built in the early 1900s. As one of four cabins located at the site, the cabin offers flexibility for large groups. Guests can rent all cabins and also pitch tents in the grassy yard. The surrounding valleys once teemed with mining activity, primarily gold. The Fremont Powerhouse was built in 1908 as an economical method for mining. Two dams were constructed at Olive Lake, and water from the lake was piped through an 8-mile wood and steel pipeline to the powerhouse to generate electricity. Homes were constructed to shelter workers who monitored the pipeline. Today, these same shelters are available as recreational rentals. Congo Gulch is named for the small creek that runs beside the property. Winter access may require skis, snowshoes or snowmobiles.

Recreation

Guests can hike on North Fork John Day Wilderness Area trails or go mountain biking on forest roads. A drive along the Blue Mountain Scenic Byway is a treat, as are activities like huckleberry and mushroom picking, bird watching, wildlife viewing and photographing the vast landscape. Nearby Olive Lake offers boating, fishing and swimming.

Natural Features

The cabin sits at about 5,000 feet in elevation and is neatly tucked under a large Douglas-fir, next to a small pond. A grassy lawn in front spreads to the other three cabins in the area. The forest lies in the Blue Mountains and is home to Ponderosa pine lodgepole pine, larch, and Douglas fir. Birds in the area include the black-backed woodpecker, American kestrel and the boreal owl. Black bear, cougar, wolves, elk and deer are among the native land mammals. Click here to learn about bear safety.

Nearby Attractions

The cabin is located less than six miles from Granite, Oregon, a ghost town that once bustled with prospectors and pioneers. The town provides groceries and fuel. Opportunities for horseback riding and a boat ramp, boating, fishing, and swimming are located within ten miles from the cabin.