Stay in history
The Twin Pines Lodge and Cabins was established by local businessman O.E. Stringer. He started the basic cabin camp with small frame cabins in 1929. As his business flourished, new cabins and service buildings became more elaborate and he chose a rustic style of log architecture.
Construction on the main lodge began in the spring of 1939. O.E. Stringer and his wife designed the building, and Ernest Johnson, also known as "Rough Log" Johnson, a local tie hack, assisted with construction. The lodge was finished in 1941, and is an excellent regional example of log architecture with arts and crafts detailing. It is considered one of northwest Wyoming's most significant log buildings. Although not exclusively arts and crafts in "style,” owner and builder O. E. Stringer was influenced by arts and crafts designers as well as the National Park Service's rustic architecture that is found in Yellowstone National Park.
The lodge’s interior boasts several unique features. The woodwork found in the lobby consists of a stairway banister and a balustrade made of gnarled wood gathered from a diseased patch close to Pelham Lake, which lies at the base of Lava Mountain.
The hanging chandelier in the lobby is fashioned from an old oxbow found on the prairie in a nearby area. Two old kerosene lamps (converted to electricity) hang from the bow.
The centerpiece and showcase of the lodge a polished stone fireplace that sits on a ten-foot concrete base in the basement. The stones were gathered from the nearby Wind River and were hauled by a wheelbarrow from the river to the building site.
The fireplace was built by a professional from Jackson, Bill Woodward, who also had the help of Fritz Peterson, a well-known oldtimer around Dubois. Mr. Stringer had been told to be sure and let the fireplace "cure" before starting a fire. He didn't wait quite long enough, and to this day, a small crack can be seen running up the entire length of the fireplace.
Throughout the lodge and cabins, you’ll find a collection of Western art and beautiful local photography capturing the wildness of the surrounding country, both past and present.
The small and intimate lodge and cabins complex, the Twin Pines Lodge and Cabins has been proud to host guests for generations.