Inside Oregon's Desert Government House: The Forgotten Cabin at Batch Lake

Deep in Oregon’s Jordan Craters Wilderness, near a secluded body of water called Batch Lake, stands a mysterious cabin made of basalt stone, known locally as the Government House.

Built in the 1930s by Clarence Anderson, a trapper during the Great Depression, this rugged homestead once served as a base for a muskrat trapline across the remote lava flats west of Cow Lakes. When the Bureau of Land Management took over the area decades later, the small cabin became a sort of "government house," serving as an official shelter for researchers studying the surrounding volcanic landscape.

Today, the cabin remains silent among the basalt and sagebrush. Its weathered roof was replaced after the 1986 range fire, and its walls still stand firm against the desert wind.

In this video, I hike across the black lava flow to uncover what remains of this forgotten outpost—part trapper’s refuge, part government relic, and a complete desert mystery.

Location Note
Exact coordinates are intentionally omitted to protect the site from damage. Please respect the landscape and leave no trace behind.

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