Godman Guard Station
2Heads up2 fires, nearest 12 mi
- Right now
- Taking bookingsSites offered on 18 of the next 30 nights read 16:45 UTC
- Sites
- 1All of them booked ahead
The place
the agency’s own description · what’s there · 11 notices
In the agency’s own words
Godman Guard Station was built in 1933-34 as part of an administrative complex and sits just outside the impressive Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness. This two-story, wood frame structure is surrounded by tall timbers such as Grand fir, Douglas fir, Engelmann spruce, Lodgepole pine, and subalpine fir. The complex is adjacent to the historic Godman Campground built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The cabin is located about 28 miles from Dayton, Washington in the Umatilla National Forest. Weather permitting, the cabin is typically accessible by automobile from June to November. Winter access requires skis, snowshoes or snowmobiles. A groomed snowmobile trail passes by the cabin. Keep reading
Recreation
Visitors to Godman Guard Station have access to many recreation opportunities. Hiking: Step out of the Godman Guard Station and into the backyard of the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness . This wilderness includes an expanse of 177,465 acres of rugged, basaltic ridges, steep canyons, rushing rivers and their tributaries, quiet beauty, abundant wildlife, and stunning views. Access nearest the cabin to the Wilderness is via West Butte Trail #3138. Be prepared for trailhead fees if you visit the areas developed trailheads, you can purchase a pass ahead of your trip or pay on site. Fishing: Many trails descend into the rugged river canyons and offer fishing opportunities. Check with the appropriate State Department of Fish and Wildlife for licensing and regulations. Hunting: Many species are at home in the area including whitetail deer, mule deer, black bear, elk, turkey and grouse. Horseback: Horseback riding is popular in this area during the summer and fall to access the wilderness. Due to sanitary reasons, horses are not allowed near the Godman Guard Station. There are hitching rails and feed bunks located at the barn less than 200 yards up the hill from the guard station. The barn is not available for use by the public but the hitching rails and feed bunks are available for use. There is a spring with trough located near the barn. Winter Activities: In the winter, campers enjoy snowmobiling, skiing, and snowshoeing in the area. Winter access to the guard station is by snowmobile, snowshoes, or cross country skis from the Touchet Corral Sno-Park near Bluewood Ski Area . The sno-park is a shared-use access point for a groomed snowmobile trail system. The cabin located adjacent to the Godman Guard Station is used by the local snowmobile club. This can create snowmobile traffic as they travel the groomed trail system and stop to use this facility as a warming shelter. Opportunities for other activities such as enjoying a drive to view the scenery, bird watching, nature viewing, and photography are prolific in this area.
Facilities
The two-story, wood frame structure sleeps up to eight people and features two bedrooms, a living area, and kitchen. An outhouse is available year-round. Furnishings include two bunkbeds, 3 single beds, recliner style chairs, a couch, a kitchen table and chairs. Also provided are a propane cook stove, heat, lights and refrigerator. Outside the cabin there is a firepit and picnic table. No water is provided. Guests should bring water year-round, plenty for drinking, cooking, and cleaning. A spring is nearby for those who wish to treat and boil water. Guests will also need to bring food, bedding, dishes, cooking utensils, pots and pans, trash bags and a first aid kit. General cleaning is expected before departure. Mop, bucket, broom, and cleaning supplies provided (water is not provided). Cleaning service is not always available between guests, please leave the cabin as you would like to find it. All garbage and food must be packed out.
Natural Features
Godman Guard Station is perched above the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness at an elevation of 5,600 feet. From the barn less than 200 yards up the hill from the cabin, expansive views of the wilderness can be seen. The Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness includes nearly 180,000 acres of rugged basaltic ridges, steep canyons, rushing rivers and their tributaries and abundant wildlife. Rocky Mountain Elk, bighorn sheep, white-tailed and mule deer, black bears, cougars, coyotes and pine martens inhabit the region.
Nearby Attractions
The cabin is 28 miles or a one-hour drive from Dayton. Groceries and fuel are available. The Tucannon Last Resort Store is also about an hour's drive away.
Charges & Cancellations
For Reservation Changes & Cancellation Fees, please see Rules & Reservation Policies.
What the agency tells you
Entry to the cabin is by combination lock; please call the Pomeroy Ranger District one week prior to your arrival at (509)-843-1891 for combination and to check on weather and road conditions. Office hours are Monday-Friday 7:30 am - 4:30 pm, CLOSED Weekends & Holidays.
Godman Guard Station is only accessible by wheeled motorized vehicle in the summer months, typically June to early November. From December 1 to March 31, the guard station can only be accessed by snowmobile or other over-snow vehicle, snowshoes, or by cross country skiing via a 13-mile route that may or may not have been recently groomed. Road and snow conditions can change quickly. Please check conditions before you go and plan accordingly. Sno-Park and Grooming Information https://parks.wa.gov/find-sno-parks/touchet-corral-sno-park Motor Vehicle Use Maps https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/umatilla/maps-guides/motor-vehicle-use-maps
We will no longer authorize refunds for inaccessibility due to inclement weather conditions.
Everything else this campground posts · 8
Check-in time is 1:00 pm and check-out is 11:00 am.
No running water available; no indoor restrooms, shower or bath facilities. No potable water at this site; guests must bring plenty of water for drinking, cooking, and cleaning.
Please bring your own garbage bags and clean the facility before your departure; this is a 'pack it in, pack it out' site. All garbage and food must be packed out.
This is a non-smoking facility. All Forest Service cabin rentals prohibit smoking.
Please contact the Pomeroy Ranger District prior to arriving at the guard station to check any restrictions or conditions, such as fire closures, road, weather or storm conditions that may affect the quality of your stay. Guests are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety.
This is a remote cabin that may be unoccupied for extended periods of time. Mice may be present in the cabin. Please do your part to mitigate rodents by picking up food and cleaning thoroughly. If you have children or a dog, please be aware that this facility may have mouse poison (d-con) placed within its perimeter.
Don't Move Firewood: Please protect Pacific Northwest forests by preventing the spread of invasive species. Firewood can carry insects and diseases that can threaten the health of our western forests. You can make a difference by obtaining and burning your firewood near your camping destination. Visit Dontmovefirewood.org for further information.
One dog is allowed at this facility; no other pets are permitted.
Tents and rigs
- Sites
- 1 · 1 cabin
- Hookups
- None
- Accessible sites
- None listed
- Pets
- Allowed
Facilities
- Toilets
- Yes, the record doesn't say what kind
- “An outhouse is available year-round.”
- Drinking water
- None, bring your own
- “…there is a firepit and picnic table. No water is provided. Guests should bring water year-round,…”
Around the campground
- On the water
- River
- Hiking
- Historic site
- Winter sports
Something open on 9 of the next 18 bookable nightsread 16:45 UTC
Every site here is reservable, and the record lists none held back for anyone who drives up.
OpenBookedClosedNot on the booking system
The one site on offer is taken this Friday and Saturday. 1 is free on Mon, Oct 26. read 16:45 UTC Why the weekend fills and the week doesn’t
Watch for a cancellation
Full? Watch it.
One email when a night opens, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We read recreation.gov once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time a site in your window is free for the nights you asked for.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
Tell me when the season opens
Watch for the season to open
One email when the season goes on sale, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We check once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time the agency has that season on sale.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.
Every line of the receipt · 12
What you actually pay
“For Reservation Changes & Cancellation Fees, please see Rules & Reservation Policies.” · this campground’s own terms
Who keeps the booking fee
The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →
How we know this receipt · 6
recreation.gov availability, read 16:45 UTC · rules read Sep 9, 2026 · rates Oct 1, 2026 · How we know all this
The sites
1 sites · the site map
All 1 sites
Toilet distances are OpenStreetMap’s, measured for 1 of the 1 sites listed. A site with no reading is unknown, never far.
The price is derived by CAMPANAC, not published per site: the per-night rate this campground publishes for each site’s own site type. 1 of the 1 sites listed carry one, and a site whose type has no published rate sits out of the price rather than being called free.
Measured shade is NLCD Tree Canopy Cover 2024 (USDA Forest Service / MRLC) read at the site’s own coordinate, 27% canopy or more, and only for the sites the agency gave no Shade value. It never changes the agency’s own shaded count beside it.
| AREA GODMAN GUARD STATION | 001 | cabin nonelectric | 113 ft | 50 ft | $75 |
Getting there
the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number
Where it is
Tucannon Guard StationUmatilla National Forest · 12 miFrom Dayton, take 4th street south for 6 blocks, and turn east on Eckler Mountain Road for about 15 miles. Turn right at the Y intersection. Continue on Forest Road 46 for 12 miles to Godman. The guard station will be on the left. The site is accessible to vehicles from mid to late-June through mid-October to early-November. Call the Pomeroy Ranger District for road and weather conditions at (509) 843-1891 Mon-Fri 7:30 am - 4:30 pm Closed Weekends & Holidays. Winter use requires skis, snowshoes or snowmobiles.
For winter use- From Dayton, Washington, take 4th Street south. Follow road directions to Bluewood Ski Area. Before the entrance to the ski area, park in the available snowmobile parking at Touchet Corral. Travel the groomed snowmobile route, taking all lefts to Godman, approximately 13 miles. Directional signs lie along the route, put up by the local snowmobile club. Although guests may ski to the cabin, the route is difficult and for advanced skiers only. A Washington State Sno-Park permit is required to park at the Sno-Park. Play close attention to weather forecasts as winter weather can change quickly.
The weather
the next four days
Next four days, and the thirty-year normal
Forecast
NWS forecast for Dayton, WA
The land, and who answers for it
what threatens it · who answers for it
Roadless country, and what’s coming for it
You’re camping on ground somebody wants. We track the threats and the comment deadlines.
Who answers for this land
Godman Guard Station is in Washington’s 5th congressional district. Its representative, Michael Baumgartner (R), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: F. See every public-lands vote →