Adams Ranger Station

Overview

Adams Ranger Station Cabin is located in the heart of the Nez Perce National Forest at an elevation of 5,150 feet. Adams Camp served as a way station along the Milner Trail as early as 1862. The Forest Service established the area adjacent to Adams Camp as an administrative site in 1919. Adams Ranger Station was built in 1932 for the District Ranger and his family. It last served as District headquarters in 1958. Since then, it has served as a work center, hosting a variety of summer crews.

The historic cabin is available for rent year-round, except during spring melt, which typically occurs from mid-March to late May. Winter access is approximately 30 miles from Fish Creek Snow Park along a groomed snowmobile route. The cabin must be reserved in advanced; there are no walk-ups.

Recreation

Many fun activities surround Adams Ranger Station, including numerous trails. Corral Creek, a nearby stock facility and trailhead, can accommodate horses and hikers. This trail system leads into the beautiful Gospel-Hump Wilderness.

The Milner Trail, Road #641, is open to off-road vehicles in the summer and snowmobiles in the winter.

Facilities

The cabin can accommodate up to eight people and has one futon, one double bed, two single beds and two cots. Bedding and blankets are not provided. There is a vault toilet, a propane cook stove (the oven part of the stove is not hooked up to the propane and does not work), dishes, silverware, cookware, bakeware, a table and chairs. Other amenities include propane lanterns, a broom, bucket, mop, snow shovels, axes, mauls and firewood rounds. Firewood rounds provided are for heating the cabin, not for campfires in the fire ring outside. You must provide your own firewood for the outside fire ring.

Water is not available on-site. Guests must bring their own or melt snow in the winter. It is recommended that visitors bring flashlights, extra batteries, matches, lighters, garbage bags, candles, lantern mantles, newspapers for lighting fires, warm clothes, rain gear, boots, white gas and small propane canisters, first aid kit, cabin shoes or slippers, maps of Nez Perce National Forest and the Gospel Hump Wilderness and lock combinations. Sleeping bags (0 to 20 degrees) may also be needed. Click here for more cabin details.

Natural Features

Adams Ranger Station is near the Gospel-Hump Wilderness and part of the Salmon River/Highway 95 Corridor. The landscape in this corridor varies from the emerald Salmon River pouring through steep canyon walls to sapphire Moore's Lake in the remote Gospel-Hump Wilderness.

The Gospel-Hump Wilderness has elevations ranging from 1,970 feet at the Wind River pack bridge on the Salmon River to 8,940 feet at the summit of Buffalo Hump. The northern part of the Wilderness is wetter and heavily forested; the southern part is dry and sparsely vegetated. The two parts are separated by a rugged, glaciated divide which contains the peaks for which the wilderness is named.

Wildlife in the area includes mountain lions, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goats and wolves.

Nearby Attractions

Guests may wish to visit the historic gold-mining town of Florence. It is now a ghost town with a cemetery and a few long abandoned buildings.

There are two ways to access this cabin in the summer:

1) From the town of Grangeville, turn south on the Grangeville-Salmon Road and follow the signs toward Gospel Hump and Salmon River. At mile marker 29, turn left (east) onto Hungry Ridge Road #309 and drive approximately 1 mile. Turn left at the signs for Adams Ranger Station/Wilson Cow Camp and climb the small hill toward the cabin with a front and side porch.

2) From Highway 14, at mile marker 17 on Highway 14, turn west up Hungry Ridge Road and look for the Adams Ranger Station and Wilson Cow Camp signs.

In winter, park at Fish Creek Snow Park and snowmobile Forest Road 221 all the way to Four Corners following the signs leading south toward the Salmon River and Gospel Hump Wilderness. Just before mile marker 29, turn left onto Hungry Ridge Road #309 and head east for approximately 1 mile. The route should be groomed all the way up to the cabin.