This completely updated edition of the first complete guide to the cabins and fire lookouts available for rent in Oregon and Washington now covers a total of 61 properties (29 new!). Ranging from a luxurious cabin just off the road to a remote 60-foot tower deep in the wilderness, these scenic, secluded, and historic structures can be your own private place in the woods. During the mid-1970s to late 1980s, Tish McFadden worked for the United States Forest Service as an anthropologist and historian. She worked to preserve historic and prehistoric cultural sites, artifacts and architecture on public lands in the Intermountain and Pacific Northwest Regions. In 1988, after many years of fieldwork and federal employment, Tish put her attention to entrepreneurial pursuits and founded a music business in Ashland, Oregon called Rum Tum Music Company. In addition to teaching, performing, composing, and recording music, she writes lyrical stories for children and enjoys camping in the backcountry with her grown sons and big, gentle dogs. Tom Foley was born and reared on a small farm in the west of Ireland, but has spent much of his life traveling and working in other parts of the globe. He now lives with his son, Nino, in Ashland, Oregon, where he works as―among other things―a father, writer, photographer, and storyteller. 1 Hamma Hamma Cabin YOUR BEARINGS 50 miles northwest of Olympia 70 miles west of Seattle, approximately (via ferry) 75 miles northwest of Tacoma 170 miles north of Portland AVAILABILITY: Year-round, weather permitting. CAPACITY: Six people. No pets. DESCRIPTION: Single-story cabin with gabled and hipped roof lines. Living room, kitchen, two bedrooms, full bath. A delightful and very popular lodge in a beautiful setting. COST: $40 per night plus reservation fee. $25 refundable deposit is required. RESERVATIONS: Call the toll-free National Recreation Reservation Service at 1-877-444-6777 or make reservations online at www.ReserveUSA.com. HOW TO GET THERE: The road is paved all the way. During the winter months access may be limited to cross-country skis and snowshoes for the final four miles, though Hood River Ranger District tells us this happens only rarely. Consult them regarding current road and snow conditions prior to your departure. From Hoodsport, travel 14 miles north on US Highway 101 to Forest Road 25. Turn left. The sign reads hamma hamma recreation area. Continue on the Hamma Hamma Road six miles to a driveway on the right. Watch for the sign on the right: HAMMA HAMMA CABIN: OCCUPIED RESIDENCE. The cabin is about 100 yards up this driveway. The access road is gated; please respect the renter’s privacy. To view the cabin, walk the Living Legacy Nature Trail. ELEVATION: 560 feet WHAT IS PROVIDED: Living room, kitchen, two bedrooms, one bathroom with flush toilet. The only water available is to the toilet. Bring your own water for drinking, cooking and household uses. Potable water is available from a hand pump well at Lena Creek Campground two miles west on Forest Service Road 25 during the recreation use season (June-September). Propane heater, cook range, refrigerator, and lights. Propane is furnished. Inquire at Hoodsport office for accessibility for individuals with disabilities. WHAT TO BRING: Drinking water, or the means to treat the local water. Bring camping supplies as well as garbage bags (pack it in, pack it out), candles or a lantern for emergencies, first aid kit, sleeping bag/bedding, toiletries, washcloths and towels, dish soap, and bar soap. THE SETTING: If a contest were held to decide the most sought-after rental cabin in this book, Hamma Hamma would be the certain winner, and the runner up would surely be its sister cabin on the Olympic Peninsula, Interrorem. There are compelling reasons for this popularity, beyond the proximity to Seattle. Hamma Hamma is a rare and delightful place where one easily feels at home and at peace. It is more akin to a lodge than a cabin; its lovely living room is embraced by a semicircle of bay windows overlooking the Hamma Hamma River drainage. HISTORY: The skill and craftsmanship of the Civilian Conservation Corps, which constructed this fine Guard Station during 1936 and 1937, have earned Hamma Hamma Cabin a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. We were intrigued by the origin and meaning of the name “Hamma Hamma.” Having dismissed our suggestion that it was of porcine origin, possibly the name of a Native pork pie, the ever-resourceful Susie Graham of the Hood Canal Ranger District told us that, originally, it was thought to be the Twana Indian name for “Stinky Stinky,” but that further research indicates that it may be the Twana Indian name of the root of a rush that grows in the area. Local Girl Scouts have undertaken the maintenance of the cabin since March 1992. Please help them by keeping the site as you found it―or, at least, as you would like to have found it. AROUND YOU: The Olympic Pe