Accommodations and Food

The number of lodgings on the North Umpqua River [1] is limited to a few properties that range from rustic quarters to full-service resorts.

About four miles east of Idleyld Park is the Dogwood Motel (28866 N. Umpqua Hwy., Idleyld Park, 541/496-3403, www.dogwoodmotel.com [2], $65 and up). Here you’ll find clean modern units, some with kitchenettes, located on tidy well-kept grounds.

The Steamboat Inn (42705 N. Umpqua Hwy., Steamboat, 541/498-2230 or 800/840-8825, www.thesteamboatinn.com [3], Mar.–Dec., $175 and up) is the premier dining and accommodation property on the North Umpqua, situated in the middle of a stretch of 31 miles of premium fly-fishing turf. The inn’s rooms and cabins are extremely popular, so reservations are a must.

It’s an ideal getaway from civilization, near the hiking trails [4], waterfalls [5], and fishing holes [6] for which the Umpqua is famous. Lodging is in handsomely furnished riverside cabins, cottages, and suites; a number of three-bedroom ranch-style houses are also available.

The outstanding dining room at the Steamboat Inn serves main dishes of beef, fish, poultry, lamb, or pork served with fresh vegetables and homemade bread. Considered one of the top dining experiences in the state, the Steamboat also has a wide selection of Oregon wines. The inn serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner to its guests; nonguests may also dine.

The prix fixe Evening Dinner ($50) and Winemaker’s Dinner ($85) are served nightly during the summer and on weekends the rest of the season. The chef can also accommodate any food allergies, strong dislikes, and vegetarian diets. Reservations are recommended.

Near the summit of the Cascade Mountains about 75 miles east of Roseburg [7] and 13 miles from Diamond Lake is Lemolo Lake Resort (2610 Birds Point Rd., Idleyld Park, 541/643-0750, www.lemololakeresort.com [8], cabins $145 and up, hotel rooms $80 and up). Formed by a Pacific Power and Light dam, Lemolo Lake has good fishing for German brown trout as well as kokanee salmon, eastern brook trout, and rainbow trout. The lake is sheltered from wind by gently sloping ridges, and there are many coves and sandy beaches along the 8.3 miles of shoreline. Waterskiing is permitted on the lake. Boats and canoes can be rented, and many miles of snowmobiling and cross-country skiing trails are nearby.

The resort has both housekeeping and standard cabins as well as modest hotel rooms.

Diamond Lake Resort (Diamond Lake, 541/793-3333 or 800/733-7593, www.diamondlake.net [9]) is a rustic mountain resort with enough modern amenities to suit the tenderfoot in any season. It offers lodging, restaurants, groceries, a service station, a laundry, and showers. Two-bedroom cabins start at $189; lodge and motel rooms start at $89. Lodgings are popular as base camps for a Crater Lake [10] excursion. Mountain bikes, paddle boats, kayaks, canoes, and fishing boats as well as an equestrian center keep you out of the modest accommodations and busy enjoying the spectacular surroundings.