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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

How a remote fishing lodge became a bucket list Oregon getaway

By Jamie Hale Oregonian Oregonian

PORTLAND – Fly fishers will tell you that the North Umpqua River has some of the best fishing around. The water is clear and cool, the fish can be caught in every season, and the scenery is absolutely astonishing.

You don’t have to catch fish to appreciate the beauty of the river, which flows through a remote section of Oregon’s southern Cascade Mountains, home to several stunning waterfalls and forested trails. But fishing culture here is inescapable – even in the places where you stay the night.

While the Steamboat Inn began its life as a place for fly fishers when it was built in 1957 on the river’s banks, today it is designed for travelers of all stripes: hikers, waterfall chasers, road trippers and anyone looking to unplug for a couple of nights in the mountains. For that last set of people, the ones who are trying to get away from it all, you can’t do much better than Steamboat.

A night in one of the lodge’s “cabin” rooms comes with a comfortable bed and modern amenities. Just outside a glass door is a long, shared deck overlooking the river. Here, it’s easy to spend hours in one of the reclined deck chairs, warmed by the dappled sunlight and calmed by the sound of the water rushing past.

While the Steamboat Inn advertises itself as a place to “disconnect to reconnect” with “no phones, no TV, no Wi-Fi, no distractions,” it’s not completely off the grid. It’s true that cell service is spotty at best, and it’s also true that TVs are nowhere to be found. The Wi-Fi password isn’t made available in the rooms, but it is posted in the lobby, meaning those determined to remain online can still certainly do so.

The question is, why would you?

Melinda Woodward, who owns the Steamboat Inn with her husband, Travis, said guests are sometimes nervous to stay in such a remote location where the invitation to unplug is explicit. Those who do choose to disconnect, however, don’t regret it: “It is really nice and I think sometimes we forget that,” she said.

The Woodwards bought the property in 2017, becoming only the third owners in the inn’s 60-year history. The couple had been looking for an opportunity to run a place like this, and Travis, an avid fly fisherman, convinced Melinda that the Steamboat was the right move. After the Archie Creek fire in 2020 burned right up to their property, however, the Woodwards decided suddenly to put the inn on the market – though they haven’t been in a hurry to sell the place.

“We decided to leave it up, but we’re not pushing it, we’re not in a hurry, and it’s going to take the right person,” Melinda Woodward said. “We panicked a little after the fires, but since then everything has calmed down and everything is back to how it should be.”

The property, which includes eight cabins, two suites, five two-bedroom cottages, and three three-bedroom homes, as well as a full restaurant and a cozy bar called The Library, is listed at $2.25 million – down from its initial price of $3.75 million when it went on the market in 2021. Woodward emphasized the desire to only sell to the right person, somebody who will be not just a business owner but also a steward of the inn and all its quirks.

“You just have to be willing to live remotely, accept that technology is not always going to be there for you, and enjoy working: working outside, working with the guests and telling everyone about the history of the place, and loving it and passing down the traditions,” she said.

The business began its life in 1957, when Frank and Jeanne Moore purchased the Steamboat Store, previously part of the old North Umpqua Lodge that had operated on the other side of the river for about two decades. The Moores constructed new cabins and that year opened the Steamboat Inn (the name “Steamboat” is a reference to old gold miners in the area, who called unsuccessful mining camps “steamboated”).

The business changed hands in 1975, when new owners Jim and Sharon Van Loan built new cottages and suites, and started hosting Winemakers Dinners (perhaps a throwback to the old Fisherman’s Dinners that took place at the North Umpqua Lodge), events that the Steamboat Inn still hosts today.

When the Woodwards bought the property in 2017, they faced the challenge of upgrading the old lodge while maintaining the aspects that have kept people coming back for generations. Today, “it keeps a rustic charm,” Melinda Woodward said. “Our guests come from all over the world,” she said. “And to do not just fishing.”

But while the clientele may have diversified, the fishing culture remains inescapable at this North Umpqua River institution.

Inside the cabins, tucked away into the nightstands, are copies of a book by Oregon lawyer and photographer Dan Callaghan from his time on the North Umpqua River. Interspersed among the scenic images of treetops and riverbanks is photo after photo of people fishing (including Callaghan) standing in the middle of the river, casting lines into the cool waters at dusk.

Make no mistake: This is still fly fishing country.