Reese River Valley Ranger Station - Bend OR

City:: Bend, OR
Site Type:: Parks and Recreation, Lodges, Ranger Stations and Visitor Centers
New Deal Agencies:: Work Relief Programs, Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)
Started:: 1933
Completed:: 1933
Quality of Information:: Moderate
Marked:: No
Site Survival:: Extant

Description

This former ranger station was erected in 1933 by the CCC and originally existed in Bridgeport, CA. It was later moved to Reese River Valley and remained active until the 1980s. After falling into neglect, a volunteer group of former National Forest Service employees known as the ‘Smokeys’ were able to relocate this ranger station to Bend, OR at the High Desert Museum where it was fully restored and put on display in 2009.

According to the architectural historian for the (Bend) region’s national Forest Service, this station is the only surviving building of its type that has not been subjected to major renovation or modification over the past 75 years.

Access to this former ranger station is only available during operating hours by the High Desert Museum. A metal gate closes off automobile access after-hours just off Hwy 97. The ranger station resides just west of the main entrance to the museum and near a visitors parking lot. The GPS coordinates to the original location of this ranger station are at: N 38.59.881 / W 117.28.097 from a topography map where this former ranger station once resided (the Yomba Tribal Council complex is located just south of these coordinates).