Santiam Pass Ski Lodge
is coming back!
Welcome to the official web site of Friends of Santiam Pass Ski Lodge! This is the official nonprofit organization dedicated to the restoration of the historic and beautiful “Santiam Lodge” as it is often called. The lodge is located at the 4800ft level of Santiam Pass on US Highway 20, just 20 miles west of Sisters, OR. We are in the beginning stage of restoration and are thrilled that you have visited this site to learn more about what is happening. Please read on for information about the lodge and news of the restoration process. Make sure to click “Become A Friend” so that we can keep you informed about the restoration.
The story
A piece of
Oregon history
Santiam Pass Ski Lodge is one of Oregon’s historic gems. The beautiful Civilian Conservation Corps built lodge was constructed in 1939-40 as a winter recreational facility in the High Cascades of Western Oregon. It was originally intended to be a ski lodge for the Three Fingered Jack winter sports area.
Accommodating up to sixty guests within its dormitories, the lodge was built in response to growing public demand for recreational facilities. It represents a significant period in US history, has a unique architecture and builders. It is truly irreplaceable.
built from the land
Santiam Lodge is an excellent example of the rustic architectural style of the era, and one of six lodges in the Pacific Northwest constructed with an original design by the CCC. The lodge included a ski shop, a large main lounge with stone fireplace, a dining hall, kitchen, office/caretaker’s quarter, recreation room and storage rooms. Materials for construction of the lodge were all derived from local sources. The stone for the foundation, fireplace and chimney were all quarried from Hogg Rock just to the west. Most of the lodge was built from timber milled from local trees. The lodge is truly irreplaceable: it represents a significant period in US history, has a unique architecture and builders.
Cherished by the community
Between the years of 1940 to 1986, Santiam Pass Ski Lodge was a favorite venue for diverse groups throughout Oregon. It was host to thousands of guests per year who visited for winter activities, summer camps, hiking, backpacking and rest for travelers over the Santiam Pass. Many visited the lodge for camps and retreats during the years it was operated by the Presbyterian Council of the Cascades. After 46 years of operation the lodge closed in 1986 and has not been in operation since.
Present day
It has been
greatly missed!
To this day the lodge is fondly remembered by those who visited it as part of a high school or college retreat, a stopping place while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, attendance at a church camp, or as a place to get warm after cross-country skiing. In 2003 the B & B Complex Fires devastated this section of our beautiful state. The herculean efforts of firefighters saved the lodge and the immediately surrounding trees. The forest surrounding the lodge was burned and the evidence of this is strikingly visible to this day. Yet, as you walk today among the once green forest you will see a new forest coming back! New trees are growing, and the area is slowly beginning to look like a forest once again. Someday the forest surrounding Santiam Pass will once again contain large and majestic evergreen trees. Many Oregonians very much want Santiam Pass Ski Lodge to “come back” alongside the forest that surrounds it. This is the goal toward which we are working. We would be so privileged if you would consider helping us in this endeavor.
“Many Oregonians very much want Santiam Pass Ski Lodge to come back alongside the forest that surrounds it.”
Our mission
restoration is beginning, but there is a long road ahead
The lodge has been vacant for 30 years. Despite this, its major structural components are in remarkably good condition. The goal is to restore the lodge to its original look and feel to be used as a multipurpose open community center. The lodge’s close proximity to US Highway 20 will allow it to serve travelers over Santiam Pass providing needed all-season ADA facilities for auto travelers. It will be a warm rustic place for travelers, hikers, skiers, sightseers and anyone who wants to enjoy the lodge's beauty. The lodge, as well as its outbuilding, will be used for information purposes; the trails above the lodge will provide educational and recreational activities.
How you
can help
Restoring this historic structure to its original beauty is going to be a labor of love. As much as possible the restoration will be funded by grants from private and public sources. We also need help from local community, business owners, and those in love with the preservation and legacy of the lodge. Become a friend of Santiam Pass Ski Lodge and we will keep you informed of the plans, progress and needs of this exciting endeavor.
Become a Friend of Santiam Pass Ski Lodge
We need your support. By becoming a friend and partnering with us in this restoration process, we strive toward a community with a shared passion for one of Oregon's most endangered, historical structures.
Stay up to date on upcoming campaigns and events
We want to continue to share our vision through newsletters and special announcements. Soon we will be opening up the opportunity to become a sponsor and partner with Friends of Santiam Pass Ski Lodge.
Partner in the restoration
Community involvement is the only way we can make this mission successful. As we feel that this building will provide an essential benefit to the local community as well as transit throughout Oregon's national forest, it is vital that we develop a strong community of passionate individuals willing to volunteer and give.
