Overview Miner's Retreat is an old Forest Service cabin that allows guests to relax in the outdoors and also step back in time to when the cabin was used during the bygone gold mining days. Miner's Retreat is part of the Fremont Powerhouse complex, a hub for mining built in the early 1900s. It is one of four cabins located at the site near the town of Granite, and provides great flexibility for larger groups. The surrounding valleys once teemed with mining activity, primarily gold. The Fremont Powerhouse was built in 1908 as an economical method for mining. Two dams were constructed at Olive Lake, and water from the lake was piped through an 8-mile wood and steel pipeline to the powerhouse to generate electricity. Homes were constructed to shelter workers who monitored the pipeline. Today, these same shelters are where visitors can stay overnight. The cabin is uphill from the Fremont Powerhouse, flanked by Caretakers Cabin and Hilltop Hideaway. Winter access may require skis, snowshoes or snowmobiles. Click here for a virtual tour of the area. Recreation Guests can hike on trails into the North Fork John Day Wilderness or go mountain biking on forest roads.
Source: rec_gov · last verified 2026-05-19