CCC Camp: Wrangle Gap Shelter
Quoting from The Forest Service directions to the Wrangle Campground: “From Jacksonville, OR, travel south 6.5 miles on Highway 238 to Ruch, OR and turn left on to Upper Applegate Road (County Road 859). Continue approximately 8.5 miles and turn left on Forest Road 20. Continue 18 miles to Wrangle Gap and turn left on to Forest Road 2030. Continue less than 1 mile to the campground.”
This is probably the best road to the shelter. It is possible to take Forest Road 20 from the other end, off Interstate 5 and past the Ashland Ski area, but the road is very rough in places. We recommend that nobody try this in Winter when the roads are closed.
The Wrangle Gap Shelter is on the National Register of Historic Places (National Register # 00000505). The documentation for the site indicates that the shelter was built by the Civilian Conservation Corp in 1935-1936. The site was intended as a community kitchen for recreational use by the public.
The engraving on the front of the stone fireplace (somewhat obscured by vandalism) states “This Kitchen is for Community use. Courtesy Demands That No One May Use Facilities Exclusively.”
The Forest Service on-line information on the Wrangle Campground also indicates the site includes a cabin built in the 1930’s by the Soil Conservation Service. It was used as a shelter for workers who recorded snow depth in the area before measurements were automated. The cabin is a short distance down Road 2030 from the Wrangle Shelter.
