Openings · last 7 days
2
Booking reality
Campsite Sniper detected 2 site openings here in the last 7 days
01 · Detected Opening History · the openings record · file CS-233248
When Short Creek Guard Station reopens
Short Creek Guard Station's openings record: every site-date Campsite Sniper detected turning available, logged and time-stamped. Refreshed hourly.
Openings · last 30 days
2
Openings · last 90 days
2
Only 2 openings in the last 90 days: not enough recent activity for a reliable pattern. A free Campsite Sniper alert watches around the clock instead, and pings you the moment one opens.
02 · Availability Outlook · Sep 18 – Oct 31, 2026 · of 1 monitored site
Of the 44 tracked site-nights (Sep 18 – Oct 31, 2026): 9 open for online reservation · 35 reserved.
Where the open windows are
79.5% of tracked site-nights are not currently open for online reservation. 9 of 44 remain open; here is where they are.
Load status
Sep 18 – Oct 31, 2026Not open online79.5%
Open site-nights9 / 44
Reserved (of online inventory)35 / 44
Weekday openings6
Weekend openings3
Of the open site-nights on mapped sites, 6 fall on weekdays and 3 on weekends (Fri–Sun).
Open dates by month
Sep 2026 – Oct 2026September holds the most room. 5 of 13 site-nights are still open there.
Holiday windows
Sites open per night · of 1 site| Window | Night | Sites open | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor Day | SAT Sep 5 | 0 | None open |
| SUN Sep 6 | 0 | None open | |
| MON Sep 7 | 0 | None open |
Labor Day: no online availability on any tracked night.
Availability
Most open site-nights · tracked window| Site | Open site-nights |
|---|---|
| 001 | 9 |
This site currently has 9 site-nights available.
Next windows
As of Sep 18, 2026 snapshotNext open dateSat · Sep 26
Next open weekendSat · Sep 26
The next bookable night is Sep 26; the first open weekend starts Sep 26. Campsite Sniper can watch later dates for you.
Stays and site detail
9 open site-nights across 1 site at Short Creek Guard Station, from the same hourly snapshot as everything above.
Multi-night stays. 2 2-night, 2 3-night openings where a single site is free for every night, per Campsite Sniper's current snapshot — soonest Sep 26 at site 001.
RV length. Longest recorded site here is 60 ft. 1 site takes 25 ft, 1 site takes 35 ft, 1 site takes 40 ft.
All 1 site with current availability
| Site | Max RV | Hookups | Open site-nights | Longest run | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | 60 ft | None | 9 | 5 nights | Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 18, Oct 19, Oct 20, Oct 21 |
About Short Creek Guard Station
Overview
Short Creek Guard Station is a great place to stay to enjoy the nearby Monument Rock and Strawberry Mountain wilderness areas, as well as the North Fork of the Malheur Scenic River. The cabin offers access to a variety of recreational activities, including hiking, hunting, fishing and viewing wildlife.
The cabin provides all the comforts of a home, including drinking water during the summer months. Guests are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.
Recreation
In the warmer months, popular activities include hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, fishing and wildlife viewing around the cabin and in the nearby wilderness areas and the North Fork of the Malheur Scenic River.
There are moderate hiking trails near the cabin, and rugged hiking trails in the wilderness. The wilderness provides over a hundred miles of trails. The riparian habitat of the river lends itself to picnicking, fishing and observing all kinds of wildlife. The wilderness has many wildlife viewing opportunities as well.
Facilities
The kitchen is equipped with a propane cook stove, sink, propane refrigerator, propane lights and a propane heater that heats the entire facility. The small indoor bathroom provides a flush toilet and a shower during summer months only. Additionally, the building is equipped with a propane hot water heater, which provides hot water to the shower and sinks during the summer months only.
A picnic table, two BBQ grills and a fire pit are located next to the building, under the shade of nearby trees.
The cabin has one queen-sized bed in a private bedroom and a large couch in the living room. Guests will need to bring their own bedding (blankets, linens, pillows and/or sleeping bags), as well as flashlights or a lantern for emergencies, a first aid kit, towels, garbage bags and dish soap, among other necessities. The cabin will need to be cleaned and all garbage carried out prior to leaving.
No Pets allowed in the Guard Station.
Natural Features
The cabin is situated in a corner of a small meadow surrounded by tall ponderosa pines, at an elevation of about 5,000 feet. It is about 38 miles from the town of John Day, in eastern Oregon.
A babbling creek runs alongside the cabin and a variety of wildlife make its home in the area, including elk, deer, antelope, black bears, bighorn sheep, grouse, as well as many species of birds. Nearby, the Monument Rock and Strawberry Mountain wilderness areas, as well as the North Fork of the Malheur Scenic River, offer vast opportunities for exploration.
The Strawberry Mountain Wilderness has an extremely diverse ecological makeup, with five of the seven major life zones in North America and around 378 kinds of animals and approximately 22 fish species.
1 monitored siteRVs up to 60 ftNo hookups1 shadedWaterfrontRiverfrontFire pitsMax party 3
Getting there
From the town of Prairie City, OR., turn South (right) onto South Main Street. Follow South Main Street to the junction with Bridge Street, turn left onto Bridge Street. Follow Bridge Street past the local cemetery, the road then changes to County Road 62. Continue on County Road 62 approximately 7 miles to the junction with Forest Road 13. Turn left and follow Forest Road 13 East approximately 16.5 miles, the guard station will be on the right at the junction of Forest Road 13 and Forest Road 16.
Short Creek Guard Station District Office: 327 Sw Front St., P.O. Box 337 Prairie City Or 97869, Prairie City, OR 97869541-820-3800
BirdingCampingFishingHikingHorseback RidingHuntingMountain BikingSnowmobilingWildlife Viewing
View on Recreation.gov ↗ Get directions ↗
03 · Field Photos · roll CS-233248 · facility
Photo gallery
Roll CS-233248 · Short Creek Guard Station · Prairie City OR7 frames · facility
FAQ
How do I get a reservation at Short Creek Guard Station?
Reservations for Short Creek Guard Station are made through Recreation.gov. 79.5% of tracked site-nights are not currently open for online reservation; 9 of 44 remain open. Campsite Sniper has also detected 2 site openings here in the last 90 days, so further dates may appear. Pick a site on the map to see its calendar, or set a free Campsite Sniper alert. You complete the reservation yourself on Recreation.gov.
Does Campsite Sniper book this campground for me?
No. Campsite Sniper sends alerts and direct Recreation.gov links. It never books, pays for, holds, hoards, or resells reservations.
How current is this availability data?
Campsite Sniper re-checks public Recreation.gov availability for this facility every hour and republishes whenever anything changes. This facility's data last changed at Sep 18, 2026 16:19 UTC; an older timestamp means nothing has changed since that time, not that checking stopped. Always confirm final availability on Recreation.gov when you book.
How often do new openings appear at Short Creek Guard Station?
Campsite Sniper detected 2 site-date openings at Short Creek Guard Station in the last 7 days, 2 over 30 days and 2 over the last 90.
Can I get a multi-night stay at Short Creek Guard Station?
2 three-night openings are showing, counting only runs where the SAME site is free for all three nights. The soonest starts Sep 26 at site 001. Confirm and book on Recreation.gov.
Which sites at Short Creek Guard Station fit a 35-foot RV?
1 of the 1 site that support RV analysis has a recorded maximum of 35 ft or more; the longest recorded is 60 ft.
Which month has the most availability at Short Creek Guard Station?
September 2026, with 5 open site-nights in the current snapshot of 13.
When is the next open date at Short Creek Guard Station?
As of the Sep 18, 2026 snapshot: the next open date is Sat, Sep 26 and the next open weekend starts Sat, Sep 26. Detected openings can add earlier dates at any time; a free Campsite Sniper alert catches those the moment they appear.
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