All bookings and reservations are managed by rec.gov. You can find the A-Frame’s booking page here. The A-Frame is open year-round, with the exception of some volunteer events and maintenance weekends. The cost is $20 per night, per person, plus a $6 reservation fee per booking from rec.gov. There is a two person minimum, and reservations open six months in advance. The A-Frame can be very popular on winter weekends, and may book immediately upon opening every year. Cancellations do happen, so keep checking back. Remember, this cabin can be booked by multiple parties, up to 20 people.

A – The A-Frame can accommodate up to 20 people.

A –  Yes, possibly. If you booked all 20 reservations, you won’t be sharing the cabin with another party. If you reserved 6 spots, you may be sharing the cabin with up to 14 other people, potentially from different parties.

A – Per Tilly Jane tradition, day trippers should be welcomed inside to look around, eat lunch or warm up by the fire when renters are present. Day users may be asked to leave if renters are departing and need to lock up the cabin.

A – You will receive the front gate lock code when you print/issue your permit from recreation.gov. The code is not included in your confirmation email, but will show up on your printed/issued permit. This permit can be printed/issued within 7 days of your arrival.

A – Make sure you’ve entered the correct access code. Sometimes one of the cylinders is off just a bit and the lock doesn’t open. Spin the dials, and try again. Push in hard on the hasp and pull on the lock. If you’re still having issues gaining access, send an email to this email address, which is monitored throughout the day: hello@fotjc.org

A – All reservations are managed through rec.gov, where you made your reservation. Review the ‘Fees and Cancellations’ tab for more information.

A – We follow rec.gov protocols. Review the ‘Fees and Cancellations’ tab on the A-Frame’s rec.gov web page. Otherwise, refunds will be issued for the following reasons only: Closure of Hwy 35, government shutdown, forest closure, emergency cabin closures. Beyond these, no refunds will be issued.

A – This depends. In summer months (usually July-October) you can drive up to the Tilly Jane Campground, about 1/4 mile from the the cabin. The A-Frame is located on trail #600A, which can be found by walking towards the Tilly Jane Guard Station, crossing Tilly Jane creek, walking past the Amphitheater and continuing to the Tilly Jane A-Frame. 

During winter months, you’ll need to park at Tilly Jane Sno-park and hike, ski or snowshoe 3 miles with an elevation gain of 1900 feet. This route follows the historic Tilly Jane ski trail. You could also follow the 9 mile Cloud Cap Road, however this is not well marked or maintained in the winter, and people have gotten lost. The Forest Service typically closes the Cloud Cap Road mid-October and re-opens it when the snow has completely melted, typically by early/mid-July. Please check with the Hood River Ranger Station for up-to-date information: (541) 352-6002

A – Yes. In the summer, a Northwest Forest Pass, or $10 day-use pass is required for parking at Tilly Jane Campground. 

In the winter, an Oregon Sno-park permit is required at Tilly Jane Sno-park between Nov. 1st and Apr. 30th. Find a retailer or purchase at Oregon DMV.

A – Winter: You’ll park at the Tilly Jane Sno-Park, either right by the trailhead signs, or in the parking area just before you hit the trailhead. Do not park in the Cooper Spur parking lot, you will be towed. An Oregon Sno-Park pass is required.
Summer: You’ll park in the Tilly Jane Campground parking area. You’ll need a NW Forest Pass or daily parking permit. This is NOT included within the cabin rental fee

A – For multiple reasons, dogs are NOT ALLOWED. Rodents can be a big problem in the cabin, and rodent control measures, including poison, are used throughout. Also, you may be sharing the cabin with other parties, some of whom may not love your dog as much as you do.

A – There are several large pots available, but they are reserved for melting snow or transporting water, not for cooking. Bring everything you’ll need to prepare your meals, including a camp stove. You may boil water in the provided pots, but it takes a long time to boil on the wood stove.

A – Either melt snow, or obtain water from Tilly Jane Creek (you may be required to dig an access hole in the winter). Water is not available at TJ campground. There are several 5-gallon buckets with lids available in the cabin specifically for hauling drinking water from the creek. There are several large pots for melting snow on the wood stove. We recommend all water be treated before drinking.

A – There is no electricity in the cabin. Two propane lanterns are available. You will need to bring 1 lb. green propane canisters if you plan on using them. Please leave the lanterns on the extended hooks provided. They are fragile, generate a lot of heat and are an extreme fire hazard. The extension hooks are designed to keep them away from the wood structure. Extra mantels are located on the message board. Please do not bring or use candles within the structure. We also recommend you bring a headlamp for your personal use.

A – Yes, a de-composting pit toilet has been installed within the alcove area, inside the gate and to the left. Toilet paper is not provided. No menstrual products, wipes or garbage into the toilet please; it will not compost. To “flush” the toilet, pump the foot pedal 7 times, and your business will drop into the pit.

A – No. Please remove all garbage generated from your stay. If you packed it in, pack it out! You can help us out by removing any leftover items you might find.

A – First off, bring lots of warm clothing for your stay. A woodstove is available, but it’s a large structure and difficult to heat. Seasoned wood is provided, along with a splitting maul, hatchet and paper for starting a fire. We recommend you bring extra matches.

A – Yes, 6-7 cords of wood are carted over during the annual wood haul and cabin maintenance weekend which takes place on the first Saturday of every October. Once the wood is exhausted, it’s gone. Please be respectful of those that follow you and only burn what you need. Avoid overfilling the stove, and follow the wood stove operating instructions. Please do not use the wood for outdoor bonfires. 

A – There’s a 2nd story wood-floored sleeping loft. Bring sleeping bags and pads. There’s ample room upstairs to roll out your bag and pad. We recommend a 20-degree bag at the minimum. Bring extra clothes if you run cold. Earplugs are also highly encouraged, as you’ll be sleeping with up to 19 other people.

A – There are multiple hiking and snowshoeing trails in the area of the cabin. During the winter months they will be snow covered, so route finding is required. A Mt. Hood Wilderness map should be available at the cabin. We recommend you bring your own map for on-trail reference. Major landmarks include Polallie Ridge, The Stone Hut, Eliot Glacier and Cloud Cap Inn.

A – Do not use the roof as a sledding hill. Cedar shakes are extremely expensive. There are hills all around, or up near the Cloud Cap Inn and campground.

A – Unfortunately, there isn’t a telemetry station nearby. We recommend some of the following: NOAA point forecast, Temira’s Mt. Hood forecast, snow-forecast.com, NW Avalanche Center’s forecast, and Oregon DOT TripCheck. These are just a few different sources.  The best tool you can use is your brain.  Make smart decisions!

A – The cabin was built by the CCC in 1939 and served as a mountain retreat, basecamp and ski warming hut for the American Legion in its early years. It has had many caretakers over the years, including a church group in the 1970s. They built the concrete blocking system to support the structure. More recently, it was managed by a loose group of individuals led by Rich Kadney. Rich has since passed away, and the cabin was then managed by the Oregon Nordic Club, Portland Chapter. The ONC donated a wood stove and recently helped complete a multi-year restoration of the structure. Currently the cabin is managed by the all-volunteer non-profit Friends of Tilly Jane Cabins. While the cabin itself isn’t on the National Register of Historic Places, it is included within the Cloud Cap-Tilly Jane National Historic District. The nominating materials are in the “library” at the cabin. This is a good historical source.

A – Tilly Jane was the nickname of Caroline Augusta Elliott Ladd of Portland. She loved the area so much, they named it after her! She was married to famous Portlander William Ladd.

A – The burn area on the approach trail resulted from the Gnarl Ridge fire, which was started by lightning on 8/7/2008. The fire raged for several months before fall rains reduced the potential for the fire to spread, and ultimately the long winter extinguished it. You will notice that the fire came to within 50 yards of the cabin! While the Forest Service didn’t take extra precautions to protect the cabin during this fire, they did wrap the cabin in fire resistant sheathing during the Dollar Lake fire, which threatened the area again in late August 2011. Fortunately, this fire didn’t reach the Tilly Jane area, and the cabin dodged another bullet. While no one wants to see fire ravage our wilderness areas, they can be a natural process, and there are a few benefits we can enjoy. These fires have opened new areas to great skiing.

A – Yes and No.  We ask that you avoid having outdoor fires as they burn a lot of wood. Think about the next guests, because when the wood is gone, it’s gone.  We haul over 6 cords of wood in early October, and it needs to last the whole year!  There is a designated fire pit out back; please use this if you must have an outdoor fire. You are required to follow all Forest Service fire restrictions and burn bans. So, in the warmer months or in times of extreme fire hazards, play it safe and refrain from building a fire. For up to date fire restrictions, visit the Mt. Hood National Forest Fire Management website. There are several 5-gallon water buckets to help you completely douse your outdoor fire if you have one. Always keep these buckets full of water. You can fill them at Tilly Creek, a short walk from the cabin.

A – First, please treat the cabin with the respect it deserves. Treat it as you would your own home. We completed a multi-year restoration plan in the summer of 2020. This cabin is managed solely by volunteers. We always need volunteer help with different projects, and hold two work parties per year; one in July and the other on the first weekend in October. Please come to one of these events and show your support to help keep the cabin open! If you’d like to be added to the email distribution list, please send a note to: hello@fotjc.org.  You’ll receive 3 or 4 emails a year, including the annual cabin newsletter. Please use this email if you have any other questions not covered by this document.

A – The main cabin maintenance weekend serves to prepare the cabin for winter usage and occurs the 1st Saturday of every October.