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.Facilities

The two-story white cabin with wood siding and a metal roof can accommodate up to 12 guests. It features:

· two bedrooms upstairs with dressers, a queen bed, 3 twins, and a full-over-queen bunkbed;

· one bedroom downstairs with a dresser and full-over-queen bunkbed;