Overview
Antlers Guard Station was built in 1935 for the fire crews who patrolled Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. The Forest Roads were not yet well developed, and it was impractical for crews to travel daily between the remote parts of the forest and the ranger station. The Civilian Conservation Corps built this structure to allow crews to stay where they worked. Antlers Guard Station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. Guests who stay at Antlers Guard Station can still get away from it all while enjoying the basic comforts of home. The cabin is accessible by car.
Recreation
This cabin is popular with rock hounds, botanists, hikers, mountain bikers, hunters, and ATV riders. Anglers can fish for trout in the North Fork Burnt River.
Facilities
Antlers Guard Station is a cozy, rustic cabin with 2 small rooms. The combined living room and bedroom is furnished with a double futon and 2 sets of bunk beds that sleep 6 people comfortably. The kitchen has a table and chairs, a propane range and refrigerator, and utensils for cooking and eating. A propane fireplace for heating and propane lights are provided. An outhouse and garage are located near the cabin. Water is available from an outside hand pump, and there is a fire ring and picnic tables for outdoor dining.
Guests are required to bring garbage bags to pack out their trash, and they are expected to clean the guard station before leaving. Bedding, towels and emergency items like flashlights and first aid kits are not provided.
Natural Features
Antlers Guard Station sits at an elevation of 4,107 feet on the west bank of the scenic North Fork of the Burnt River. The surrounding forest is ponderosa pine. Rattlesnakes, mountain lions and black bears inhabit this area (information on bear safety).
Nearby Attractions
The town of Whitney is 2 miles from Antlers Guard Station. This ghost town, once the home of railway and sawmill workers, fell into decline around 1918. Several long-abandoned buildings are still standing.