Endangered Since 2018: Santiam Pass Ski Lodge
Sisters, Oregon (1939)
After 46 years of operation, the lodge closed in 1986 and had been ravaged by deterioration and vandals. Current operators Dwight and Susan Sheets have obtained a long-term lease from the U.S. Forest Service, listed the building on the National Register of Historic Places, and are working to repair and re-open the beautiful lodge for tourism and events.
Since restoration work began in 2019, the Sheets’ have focused on restoring the lodge’s exterior and utility infrastructure. Phase One is fully funded and the remaining work of this phase will be completed in the early summer of 2025. Work is moving to Phase Two, which is to bring the ground floor into full functionality. Work will address four areas of the ground floor and involve quite a number of skilled workers.
Santiam Pass Ski Lodge is one of Oregon’s historic gems. The Civilian Conservation Corps built lodge was constructed in 1939-40 as a winter recreational facility in the High Cascades of Western Oregon. It was originally intended to be a ski lodge for the Three Fingered Jack winter sports area. Accommodating up to sixty guests within its dormitories, the lodge was built in response to growing public demand for recreational facilities. It represents a significant period in US history, has a unique architecture and builders.