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Malheur National Forest › Blue Mountain Ranger District › Oregon
› Grant County
› Mount Vernon
› Murderers Creek Guard Station
› Campsite #1
Campsite #1 at Murderers Creek Guard Station, OR
$50
Cabin Site #1
| 2 people | |
| 2 | fair |
5/8
Campsite #1 Features: Back-In parking, Cabin Site
Campsite Reviews (25)
1.0 out of 5
| 5 star | | 48% |
| 4 star | | 36% |
| 3 star | | 0% |
| 2 star | | 8% |
| 1 star | | 8% |
@MarkieP08D5435 · Camped on Nov 7, 2025 at Campsite #1
We got there when it was dark and were unable to find the cabin with the directions provided. We had to turn back and go home.
No Service
@KenR7711474 · Camped on Aug 18, 2025 at Campsite #1
Nice cabin. Well kept and easy to get to. Paved roads all the way to it.
No Service
@MelindaMDC06B5 · Camped on Jul 11, 2025 at Campsite #1
Can you believe there's a refrigerator/freezer there?? That was our favorite thing! How civilized.We were fascinated/amused/annoyed by all the cows and the constant bellowing. They were noisy!! This very charming cabin was the perfect base camp for a weekend of exploring nearby lookout towers and trails.
No Service
@JasonC1063647 · Camped on Jul 3, 2025 at Campsite #1
I've been here a few times now. It's a great getaway for a couple of days and the creek is great depending on time is year.
No Service
@JosephL2308947 · Camped on Jun 30, 2025 at Campsite #1
This is a comfortable cabin in a very beautiful area. Nearby creek has plenty of water in June. The bed is comfortable. The heating stove was not operable, however, as it has been troublesome in a past visit also. The pilot was lit, but there was no way to get the stove to operate. I'll be back, as that is just a minor problem.
@TraciB0C4940F4 · Camped on Jun 27, 2025 at Campsite #1
We would stay again! We stayed two nights in late June and thoroughly enjoyed the solitude, natural beauty, birds, bats, and night sky. The small stream is a short walk behind the cabin and invites visitors to take a cold dip. The cabin is cozy with two functioning windows for cross ventilation. It has a table with two chairs, four metal folding chairs, and two picnic tables. The futon mattress was comfortable for two average sized adults. The nearby vault toilet was well maintained. Be aware. Cell service is iffy even in nearby towns so print or eletronically save driving directions. The kitchen isn't well equipped for typical cooking and dining. The very few pots, pans, and tea kettle have seen better days and there is limited cooking utensils and flatware. Plan on bringing lots of water! You'd be suprised how much you use. The propane appliances, stove, and lighting worked as advertised. If you enjoy an outdoor fire, you are required to have a shovel or shovel like tool and water to douse the fire. The site isn't entirely secluded, there is a road in front of the cabin and prior guests commented on traffic, namely ATVs, and others using the vault toilet. During our stay, the traffic was minimal and noone stopped to use the toilet. We caught and released two yellow jackets but otherwise weren't disturbed by insects or rodents. Lastly, we were fortunate to see four wild horses on the side of the road as we were heading to John Day to go on a guided tour of the Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site (https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=5). The nearby Clyde Holliday State Recreation Site is ideal for a picnic, walk along the John Day River, and replenishing your water supply (https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=8). The campground was closed during our visit.
No Service
@AlyssaG3253066 · Camped on Jun 16, 2025 at Campsite #1
Peaceful and remote but with much needed comforts
@BeckyD6F83DB91 · Camped on Jul 14, 2024 at Campsite #1
Wonderful guard station. Very small, but I expected that. Creek out back that was great for cooling off in. No cell service, which was great. Watched wild horses and lots of birds. Was great to have propane appliances, and the small stash of pots and pans and kitchen stuff was great as we forgot some stuff. Very nice paved road all the way out there.
No Service
@MichaelD829846 · Camped on Jul 2, 2024 at Campsite #1
Nice little cabin in a great spot in the forest. Would definitely return for another visit
@JAMESS8693241 · Camped on May 27, 2024 at Campsite #1
Nice rustic cabin. Great location for observing birds, deer, wild horses, and other wildlife - including bears. I observed bear poop and tracks in the area, but had no in person meetings. I did have some up close and personal meetings with deer and wild horses. Cabin has a beautiful view next to Murderer's creek with ducks, quail, and other birds. A great base for hiking/exploring the Malheur Forest. The Cabin is old and well worn so don't expect luxury. Expect lots of bugs including ticks, mosquitos, and wasps/mud daubers. I Recommend bringing a supply of bug spray/repellant, both personal and something like RAID Hornet Spray for outside around the cabin. The gas Stove and refrigerator works great. The mattress has a cover, which had quite a few bugs on it. I covered it with a tarp and used a bit of DEET spray before putting my sleeping bag down. As noted there is no water or electricity, so bring plenty of water and I recommend a battery powered lantern or two. There are propane powered lights, however they produce Carbon Monoxide so it is advised you open the windows when using, which makes it a bit cold at night or early morning. There is a gas "fireplace" that functions as a heater, however it did not work when I was there. It got down to freezing in the early morning so some heat would have been nice. I just had to drink lot of coffee. Note: When you first enter the cabin, when working the combination lock - after you line up the combo PUSH the Hasp IN then PULL. If you line up the combo then pull it doesn't want to release. If you do the "Push - Pull " thing it pops right open. Be sure to bring garbage bags - there is no disposal or garbage cans on site. There is a well maintained vault toilet separate from the cabin, FS keeps it stocked with toilet paper. As everyone has noted there is no cell service. I had to drive down to the main road Highway 26 - about a 30 minute drive, to get ATT service on my phone. Overall a great experience!
No Service
@marioM6460407 · Camped on Sep 7, 2023 at Campsite #1
This was a cool little cabin in the middle of the forest. It was a fun stay. The cabin was equipped with eating supplies and the bed was comfortable.
Good
@DavidH4978786 · Camped on Aug 11, 2023 at Campsite #1
Very quiet location with dark skies and varied wildlife. The cabin was well furnished and comfortable with its propane powered appliances and lights. If you come in from HWY 26 along Fields Creek Road, be sure to go all the way to the end of the road at the T intersection, then turn left, not toward the campsite that the sign points to. There are a lot of bees, wasps and flies. Screens on the windows work well, but if you are allergic be aware. The building is the home of many rodents, which will wake you from time to time at night.We were not able to make unlock the cabin with the supplied combination. We tried both locks many times forward, backwards, and all ways we could think of, but in the end had to remove the hasp in order to enter. Bring a phillips screwdriver in case this happens to you. This issue wasnt mentioned in the guestbook by previous users so we may have been doing something wrong.. We replaced the hasp when we left.
No Service
@VictoriaH58791 · Camped on Aug 7, 2023 at Campsite #1
The cabin was amazing. The location was great. The lack of cell service was exactly what my mind needed. The refrig and stove worked perfectly. The bed wasn't too uncomfortable. The front porch was perfect for enjoying the sun, until the afternoon, when it was almost swarmed with bees. The worst part of the whole thing was the mice or other critters in the walls that woke me up at 3am every day. I also didn't care for whatever critter decided they needed to wander across the kitchen counters at night, pooping all over :-) Would I stay there again? Maybe, but only after I knew for sure the wall critters were gone!
Major Issues
@LauraR9755561 · Camped on Jun 12, 2023 at Campsite #1
We spent 3 nights with our two dogs. It was beautiful and quiet. We had six cars drive by but none stopped to use the vault toilet. The kitchen was well stocked for cooking /eating. My gift was to organize the drawers with the miscellaneous goods piled in them. We had hoped to see the wild horses but had to make do with their hoof prints. Fishing in the creek was good. Bring a cover sheet or blanket for the futon. There is a waterproof mattress cover on but it is soiled. The CO device wasn't working and the smoke detector was wonky. Both were reported. We would definitely come again.
No Service
No Service
@LauraR9755561 · Camped on Jun 12, 2023 at Campsite #1
We spent 3 nights with our two dogs. It was beautiful and quiet. We had six cars drive by but none stopped to use the vault toilet. The kitchen was well stocked for cooking /eating. My gift was to organize the drawers with the miscellaneous goods piled in them. We had hoped to see the wild horses but had to make do with their hoof prints. Fishing in the creek was good. Bring a cover sheet or blanket for the futon. There is a waterproof mattress cover on but it is soiled. The CO device wasn't working and the smoke detector was wonky. Both were reported. We would definitely come again.
No Service
No Service
@JAMESS8693241 · Camped on May 15, 2023 at Campsite #1
Cabin is cozy and has a surprising amount of amenities. There is a propane powered stove/oven, Refrigerator, and Propane lights. The refrigerator is full sized and has a freezer and refrigerator section and works very well. The Stove oven and burners lights easily and works very well. And the lights keep the place well illuminated at night, however they do produce a bit of heat. There is a sink - as noted on the website NO running water, But if you bring you own water you can wash etc. with the sink. There is also a nice gas fireplace if you need heat. And there is a bed, although be sure to bring a tarp or something to cover the mattress before you put down your bedding or sleeping bag, because it is a bit dirty. Outside there is a "vault" toilet with toilet paper stocked. and there is a small shed if you need to stow something. In addition there is a drive way on one side well suited for an RV. There is also a fire pit with grill and two very sturdy picnic tables. It is about 100 feet from the creek which is peaceful and great to listen to. Also lots of animals and birds around and I heard animals at night including rodents under the floor, and deer or horse in the driveway walking on the gravel. Great place to get away and enjoy nature.
No Service
@BobbiM9177915 · Camped on Oct 1, 2022 at Campsite #1
Beautiful scenery. Peaceful, quiet, and private. Exactly what I was looking for.
@JoelV5334309 · Camped on Sep 18, 2022 at Campsite #1
We expected less and were pleasantly surprised!
@BrentJ7571517 · Camped on Aug 26, 2022 at Campsite #1
What a stellar location. Fantastic scenery, very few other people, extremely quiet and serene. Beautiful area, great hikes, lots of wildlife. Super awesome location for stargazing. The little field mice inside the cabin kept me up at night though, so the stay wasn't near as restful as I would have liked. Tip: being double the water you think you'll need.
No Service
@SteveL9386340 · Camped on Aug 20, 2022 at Campsite #1
Very Nice stay, one of my favorite in the us. In the midlle of nowhere with beautifull wildlife. Just great.
@SarahA136 · Camped on Jun 4, 2021 at Campsite #1
LOVED this little cabin. Most reviews I saw of it mentioned that the bed was old. The futon was replaced on 6/4, so was brand new when I got there.
Now, the bad part of the experience: the code emailed to me for the lock, twice, was wrong. Since there's no cell service anywhere near the cabin, I was unable to access my reservation, and ended up having to sleep in the driver seat of my vehicle the first night. The next morning, I drove to John Day, where I finally was able to get a connection, check this site, and see that my code was off by one digit. Once I was in the cabin, I saw from the guest book that others had the same problem. So, don't trust the number they email, check your reservation on the site.
Otherwise, it it as advertised, a cute little rustic cabin, suitable for one person or a couple. Easy to get to, and very private. I was glad I had got in the cabin on the 2nd night there, when I heard wolves howling at dusk. I didn't hear or see any other large wildlife, and didn't get to explore the trails much due to being tired from spending the night in my vehicle.
Now, the bad part of the experience: the code emailed to me for the lock, twice, was wrong. Since there's no cell service anywhere near the cabin, I was unable to access my reservation, and ended up having to sleep in the driver seat of my vehicle the first night. The next morning, I drove to John Day, where I finally was able to get a connection, check this site, and see that my code was off by one digit. Once I was in the cabin, I saw from the guest book that others had the same problem. So, don't trust the number they email, check your reservation on the site.
Otherwise, it it as advertised, a cute little rustic cabin, suitable for one person or a couple. Easy to get to, and very private. I was glad I had got in the cabin on the 2nd night there, when I heard wolves howling at dusk. I didn't hear or see any other large wildlife, and didn't get to explore the trails much due to being tired from spending the night in my vehicle.
No Service
@NicoleK443 · Camped on May 28, 2021 at Campsite #1
Awesome location!! Considering how accessible the cabin is, it is amazingly quiet! The property/stove/fridge/fireplace are amazing!! Please stop complaining about the quality of the bed. If you know anything about government spending, the new futon will cost $2K and we will all end up paying for it for years! The bed isn't bad at all. If you're picky, bring an inflatable!
@StevenL974 · Camped on Oct 26, 2020 at Campsite #1
The bedding is absolutely horrendous. It is a very old old unclean sofa sleeper. The mattress is uneven, worn and lumpy. Bring your own bedding like cots or something. The kitchen area had multiple areas with rodent droppings. This place good shelter, but in the rough side.
No Service
@ChrisS193 · Camped on Sep 14, 2020 at Campsite #1
Located in a nice area with some interesting hiking areas nearby. Fields Peak is a good hike (did that last year) this year drove an hour over to Seneca and did the Strawberry Mountain hike.
@TeresaL410 · Camped on Aug 31, 2020 at Campsite #1
Please remove the sleeper sofa. Just tell people to bring an inflatable mattress.
No Service
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