Zig Zag River Cabin

About this space

Stay along a bank of the Zig Zag River in the foothills of Mt. Hood in this handcrafted cabin. Set at the end of a quiet, forested street just off Hwy 26, this cozy cabin offers solitude surrounded by majestic beauty. With a rustic wood and handmade tile interior, the cabin has a classic feel with modern convenience. Outside, the mountains offer visual serenity, and the river creates a dreamy audio ambiance that drowns out road noise and makes it an ideal space to truly “get away”.

The space

For weather at cabin, use “Welches, Oregon” in your favorite app. For mountain, “Government Camp” at mid-mountain and “Timberline Lodge” higher up.

This cabin was handbuilt in 1973 by a Pacific Northwest stoneware artist and contains many special treatments throughout. Inside, there is plenty of seating downstairs – leather swivel chairs, one small sofa, a round 3-4 person table that overlooks the river and mountains, and a 12-foot long dining table. Heat is supplied via baseboard heaters downstairs and wall heaters upstairs. The cabin has Wifi, newer carpet, 55″ SmartTV , and a turntable with two boxes of vinyl. We also have a fully-stocked kitchen along with spices and condiments. The fireplace comes with an evenings worth of wood for $20 . More wood is available upon request.

Outside, the Zig Zag River flows over rocks and a log that creates a natural fall, and the property is comprised of three lots with big trees and native plants and there are many “sit and relax” options. The upper deck, immediately outside of the bedroom loft, has a couple of chairs and amazing views. The lower deck has perimeter bench seating, a 4-person patio set, and a gas grill. At different points along the river are a hammock (in summer), gliding bench, and moveable chairs. If you want to go for a stroll, there is a path leading east (upstream) from the property that enters the Mt. Hood National Forest and has direct access to the clean running Zig Zag River. Downstream a few hundred yards is the confluence of the Zig Zag and Sandy Rivers, and you can access the river by foot and witness the silty Sandy mix with the clear Zig Zag; it’s quite a natural spectacle.

Our cabin may be (maybe not, too) a bit more expensive than comparably sized cabins in the area, but the specific location is very unique with quick and easy access to Highway 26, yet no road noise. A real sense of being on the doorstep of wilderness, with groceries, dining, and hiking all just a few minutes away!

Guest access

You have access to the entire house and property with the exception of closets, workshop, outhouse/storage shed and woodpile. There are storage shelves in the downstairs hallway and a clothes dresser and hanging rod in the upstairs bedroom.

Other things to note

The WiFi signal here is strong. We’ve had a few guests do remote work with streaming, etc and they’ve been very pleased with speed/performance.

There is no bathtub in the cabin.

The large, dorm-style bedroom is upstairs and provides little privacy. As seen in the photos, the queen and one king are directly across from each other, but the king by the stairs does have a bit of visual privacy by way of a partial wall.

Also, there is no A/C but it has never needed it even on Summer’s hottest days due to being shaded and a reliable breeze coming down the river. In fact, it is advisable to bring cool weather clothing during the summer for cool mornings and evenings