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Long before luxury resorts, Hollywood stars looking to escape the spotlight found a quiet hideaway at an old stagecoach inn in Southern Oregon.
Long before luxury resorts, Hollywood stars looking to escape the spotlight found a quiet hideaway at an old stagecoach inn in Southern Oregon. Clark Gable came to fly-fish the Rogue River.
The Wolf Creek Inn, built around 1883, is the oldest hotel in Oregon, and it promotes itself as the oldest continuously operating hotel in the Pacific Northwest. Its guest list reads like a who’s who of the early 20th century.
Rick Obst via Flickr
Jack London, Carole Lombard, John Wayne, and Zane Grey all stayed under this roof, and the inn still carries the unhurried feel of a place where travelers once rested between long days on the road.
For a deeper dive into its past, read about Oregon’s oldest inn before you go. It’s a genuine step back in time, so leave any resort expectations behind.
What to Expect When Visiting the Wolf Creek Inn in Wolf Creek, Oregon
The inn sits on three acres managed by Oregon State Parks as a State Heritage Site, and it keeps its classical revival architecture and early 20th-century decor.
The restaurant is open to the public for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the grounds are free to explore from dawn to dusk, so even a quick stop to stretch your legs is worthwhile.
Victoria Ditkovsky – stock.adobe.com
Overnight guests get a historic experience with free Wi-Fi, though amenities are simpler than at a modern hotel, and select rooms welcome well-behaved pets.
If you love a good ghost story, you’re in luck. The inn has been featured on the Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures and is known for its paranormal tales.
Six Bit House, Stagecoaches, and State Ownership
Pioneer merchant Henry Smith built the inn, then called the Wolf Creek Tavern, around 1883 beside his apple orchard. It became a key stop on the 16-day stagecoach journey between San Francisco and Portland.
Smith had already run a hostel at Wolf Creek in 1870, known as the Six Bit House. The tavern served miners and stage travelers between Roseburg and Redding before the Oregon and California railroad was completed through the Siskiyou Mountains in 1887.
Because the Pacific Highway and, later, the interstate followed the same route, the tavern remained in service with little interruption. The State of Oregon acquired it in 1975, restored it between 1975 and 1979, and it’s now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In recent years, the inn has gone through renovations and management changes, including a closure for renovations in 2014, so check its current status before you go.
Plan Your Visit
The Wolf Creek Inn is just off Interstate 5 in Wolf Creek, about 18 miles north of Grants Pass. Check room rates, dining hours, and current operations on the Wolf Creek Inn website or the Oregon State Parks page.
Southern Oregon makes an easy road trip from either direction along Interstate 5, so the inn works well as a lunch stop or an overnight break.
Southern Oregon also offers Valley of the Rogue State Park for camping and riverside walks, and anyone into ghost stories can venture farther to haunted Hot Lake Springs.
FAQ
Can you stay overnight at the Wolf Creek Inn?
Yes. Rooms come with free Wi-Fi, and a handful are pet-friendly, though the vibe is old-fashioned and simple. Think of it as sleeping inside a museum rather than a resort.
Where is the Wolf Creek Inn located?
Wolf Creek is a tiny community in Josephine County, Southern Oregon, north of Grants Pass along the I-5 corridor. It’s a convenient break between Portland and the California border.
Who has stayed at the Wolf Creek Inn?
Silver screen legends like Gable and Lombard escaped here, and writers Jack London and Zane Grey spent time under its roof. John Wayne’s name is on the guest list, too.
