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Cabin camping at Suttle Lake Lodge is an adventurous weekend getaway in winter. Last January, we spent a winter weekend at Suttle Lodge in the rustic cabins near Sisters, Oregon. Suttle Lake Lodge & Boathouse is a popular summer destination. The grounds and cabins feel a bit like summer camp for grown-ups. Even when we have camped at Suttle Lake, it’s fun to boat or hike around to the lodge side. Winter has a totally different feel! Here’s more info about renting Suttle Lake cabins in winter and things to do in the area. Think of it as a glamping or a step up from winter camping.
Suttle Lake cabins winter getaway
The rustic cabins at The Suttle Lodge & Boathouse are old forest service cabins. Similar to the ones you find at Silver Falls and other State Parks around Oregon. We stayed here just after they had opened in fall of 2015, and since then have camped at the campgrounds around Suttle Lake in summer. So it was fun to experience Suttle in the winter time. We played in the snow, did the loop hike and had some great campfire time with friends. And even trekked up to Scout Lake before heading back to Portland.
The Rustic Cabins
The rustic cabins are very affordable compared to the deluxe cabins and lodge hotel rooms. It’s similar to other cabin stays at Oregon State parks. And since they’re grouped together, it’s a great option for group trips, while still having your own sleeping space. The rustic cabins have power and a very small baseboard heater. And it’s BYO bedding or camping gear.
The weekend we went was pretty cold and no matter how high we cranked the heat, it couldn’t compete with the chilly outside temperatures. We froze the first night! The little wall heaters were just not cutting it so the next night we asked the front desk for a portable heater. They had a couple so two of our group had them. In the future, we would bring one from home just in case (especially if you run cold or have kiddos).
One of the fun things about the Suttle Lake cabins is the campfire area and group areas outside the cabins. There were also string lights that you can plugin around the cabin areas which was a cozy touch for winter camping and limited daylight hours. And after a summer season of almost no campfires while camping, it was nice to be able to have a winter campfire! Tip: you can buy firewood at the lodge front desk.
Suttle Lake Cabin Rentals:
Rustic Camp Cabins: $75+/night
Premium & Deluxe Cabins: $315+/night
Want a less adventurous experience? The hotel rooms and deluxe cabins all look lovely and a bit warmer for a winter stay!
The Lodge & Skip Bar
The Suttle Lodge is a great place for a quick warmup. Plus, while cabin camping it’s nice to plan for a meal of no cooking and get takeout from the lodge. They also make great cocktails!
Things to Do at Suttle Lake in Winter:
- Suttle Lake Loop Trail Hike – This 3.6 mile loop is an easy hike with great views of the lake. Depending on the snow level you can snowshoe or just hike. The loop takes you around the lake and past all three Suttle lake campgrounds. We also broke through the slushy shore ice to kayak in the lake (hooray for my super portable Oru Kayak!), but this depends on the weather and time of year.
- Scout Lake – less than 2 miles from Suttle Lake Lodge is the much smaller Scout Lake. Great for short hikes, playing in the snow (250 feet higher in elevation). Depending on snow – you may need AWD to get up the hill.
- Skiing or snowboarding at Hoodoo Ski Area – Hoodoo is about 9 miles west of Suttle Lake and one of Oregon’s smaller and less crowded mountains. Suttle Lodge usually does winter package specials for Hoodoo discounts as well, for ski and stay.
- Explore Sisters, Oregon – Suttle Lake is about 20 min NW of Sisters, Oregon – one of Oregon’s cutest little western towns and the unofficial gateway to Central Oregon. And Suttle is about 45-60 min to Bend, Oregon (things to do in Bend).
Note: It felt like Suttle Lodge was doing a good job with their COVID protocols (January 2021), and was a nice chance to do distanced cabin “camping” with friends.
Have you been to Suttle Lake in winter?
