Other lookout points
offer exciting panoramas as you do a driving tour through the
Fremont National Forest, including breathtaking views of the
Sycan Marsh.
The Lodge at Summer Lake was built in
the late 1940s, by Frank and Ruth Graves, who decided to open a
predecessor of the modern day Bed and Breakfast in hopes of
attracting the increasing number of waterfowl and big-game
hunters who were discovering the area.
The Graves' purchased
2 former barracks from Camp Abbott, now Sunriver, and moved the
buildings in 8-foot sections to the location where the Lodge now
stands, across Hwy 31 from the headquarters of the Summer Lake
Wildlife Refuge. The barracks were renovated over the next year
into a dining room that seated 12, a kitchen, 10 guestrooms, and
a gas station. The lodge officially opened for the October 1947
hunting season. From September - January, over 2000 hunters were
served good meals and hospitality. As the lodge gained
popularity, birdwatchers, hikers, and tourists began visiting
regularly. The dining facilities became a favorite with local
families.
Although electricity now lights the lodge
instead of kerosene and gas lamps, and 100-pound blocks of ice
no longer chill the icebox, during the cool months visitors
still warm their hands and spirits beside the wood burning stove
in the rear of the restaurant. A western-style facade was added
to the Lodge after the Graves' sold the property in about 1960.
The dining room was enlarged and a 7 unit motel was added out
back. The pumps are gone and further renovations are in
progress. Still, the Summer Lake Lodge remains a popular spot
for nature lovers. Hunters, biologists, and bird-watchers
migrate in and out of Summer Lake with the water fowl and
animals. Visitors continue to enjoy the refreshing friendly
spirit of the past in rural Oregon.
The staff members
at The Lodge find the dining experience to be one of their
greatest rewards. Located in a remote part of Oregon, the
restaurant is an important social center for many of the area's
residents as well as a wonderful stop for visitors.
The
Lodge offers a complete and varied breakfast menu, lunch
service, and a very excellent Dinner Menu which features old
favorites as well as fine dining meals designed to satisfy even
the most picky palette!
The Lodge presently has a three
acre bass pond, 7 motel units, 3 Lakeside Cabins, parking for
self-contained RVs, tent sites, and showers available. The local
area features horseback riding, bird watching, mountain biking,
hiking, hunting, and fishing.
Many geological wonders
and ancient petroglyphs can be found nearby. The staff at the
Lodge can provide you with information and touring ideas to
visit caves or hot springs, Hole-in-the-Ground, Fossil Lake,
Crack-in-the-Ground, and Fort Rock. They can give directions to
their favorite hiking trails in the Winter Ridge area of Fremont
National Forest or tell you about the best fishing lakes in the
area. Rock hounds will enjoy the fields of petrified wood and
thunder eggs. The possibilities are vast and the staff will
gladly provide you with lunches or guide you on day long
excursions!
For more info or above
fees/dates/hours info visit the:
Lodge At Summer Lake
.
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