Escape to the Pacific Northwest with a two week volunteer opportunity taking place at the Conboy Lake Wildlife Refuge. Located at the base of the majestic Mount Adams, the Conboy Lake Wildlife Refuge is distinguished by its wetland setting. Acres of conifer forests, shallow wetlands, and deep aquatic pools dot the land, and the refuge is home to wildlife such as elk, river otters, marten and the bald eagle. The Willard Springs Trail (located within the refuge) is a popular trail for hikers, allowing visitors to experience all that the rich habitat has to offer.

Human interaction with the land dates back thousands of years, and according to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, “Native Americans once depended on the area’s plentiful resources; in fact, they still do, collecting plants for food and religious purposes. These same resources drew settlers to the area, arriving in the 1870s.” The refuge’s ecosystem provided sustenance for various tribes, and the area sits at the base of Mount Adams, which is culturally and spiritually significant to many tribes within the region.

Within the sweeping Conboy Lake Wildlife Refuge lies the stately  Whitcomb-Cole House (also known as the Stephen S. Whitcomb Cabin). This pioneer home is an impressive 18 x 25 foot cabin that was built in 1875 by Stephen S. Whitcomb (an early settler of the area). The building is a one-and-a-half story side gable dwelling  with a porch addition. The exterior walls are constructed of hewn logs, and the structure is a rare extant example of late 19th-century frontier log architecture. The building contains chinking between the logs and a split-shingle roof. The cabin’s utilitarian design and construction reflected the practical, resilient, and pioneering nature of the earliest settlers of the Glenwood Valley.  The home was later occupied by John Cole, who built and expanded upon the grounds.

The Whitcomb-Cole House was originally located across from the Conboy Lake. In 1987, the structure was moved to its new location to advance preservation, accessibility, and monitoring of the cabin. It is one of the oldest standing buildings remaining in the area and serves as a symbol of Glenwood Valley’s settlement history. This cabin will be the heart of our next volunteer opportunity, and we hope you’ll step into this next adventure with us. Register today to join this special crew!