River House #5




The River House #5 was built in 1928 as one of nine cottages to house Bureau of Reclamation employees who were building the Owyhee Dam. During the Owyhee Project, this site was its own little community with housing provided for workers & their families, a store, a school, a post office, a restaurant, a movie theater, and just about anything a small town would have for its residents.
After the completion of the Dam in 1932 the majority of the buildings in the small town were relocated for other projects in the District, at that time the River House was used for the Irrigation District staff that lived & worked at the Dam. In 2024, the District reorganized the on-site Dam staff and converted the River House #5 into a 3rd Rental Cabin available for the public to stay in & enjoy this unique experience!
The River House is a beautiful 2 bedroom, 1 bath cabin that can sleep up to 11 guests, this cabin has a lot to offer with oak kitchen counters, a master bedroom with a queen size & a twin size bed, a 2nd bedroom with built in bunk beds featuring 2 full size beds on the bottom & 2 twin beds on top accessible by stairs, a fully furnished kitchen with appliances, a dining area that can fit up to 8 plus a bistro counter off the kitchen for any additional guest, a living room with couch that includes a pull out queen mattress, ceiling fans, heater, air conditioning, propane BBQ, picnic tables, and a beautiful place to relax and enjoy the outdoors of the Owyhee River Canyon.
Items that you'll need to bring with you, that we do not supply.
- Food & Beverages
- Body wash, Shampoo, Conditioner
Items Provided
- Fully furnished kitchen
- Paper towels & toilet paper
- Propane for BBQ
- Pillow, Sheets & comfoter for each bed
Rental Details
- Check-in time after 3 PM
- Check-out time before noon (12 PM)
- Payment made through Air BNB
- There will be "NO SMOKING" in the River House
- There will be "NO PETS ALLOWED" in the River House unless they are a service pet with documentation.
- "NO WADING BOOTS ALLOWED" in the River House.
- "NO PERSONS OVER 200lbs ON TOP BUNKS"
- If guest is requesting to add tent and/or RV booking to the cabin rental, an additional cost will be applied of $30/night for an RV/Camper & $20/night per tent. Guest is required to request & receive approval prior to reservation for the additional tent/camper amenity.
The River House experience allows our guests to escape from the day-to-day hustle residing in the Owyhee River Canyon. There is no cell phone service in the canyon. WIFI is provided in your check-in instructions
If you need to make a phone call, WIFI service can be used at the cabin or by the Visitor Center with your smartphone. If it is an emergency the Camp Host can be available to assist (Camp Host hours are 11am-5pm Tues-Sat)
The cabin is located in a very dry climate, we do our best to keep the lawn surrounding the cabins lush & green for our guests to enjoy. This does require frequent watering to the lawn areas of the compound. During the months of March - October, we water the lawn several days a week & from 2-8hrs a day depending on the temperature, with the longest watering occurring during the hot summer months. While we do hope the water doesn't interfere with enjoying your stay at the cabin & the lush green lawn enhances your experience, we ask that if there is any concerns or questions about the lawn watering, please reach out to us by message or speak with the Camp Host on site.

The River House is located just outside a restricted area of the Owyhee Dam Compound; You will notice two gates that says "STOP" and the two signs that say "NOTICE - RESTRICTED AREA AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY" beyond this point.
Please do not cross the fencing & gates beyond these signs.
You are permitted to occupy the grounds that surround the River House only; the facility beyond the fence is restricted, except for the Visitors Center, to speak to Dam personnel and/or during an emergency.
All guests are encouraged to use the river trail for access to the river above the facility and to stay near the high water mark throughout the facility. Use of facility road is for authorized personnel and/or an emergency.
There is no cell phone service in the canyon. If you need to make a phone call, WiFi service can be used at the Visitor Center & in the cabin with your smartphone. If it is an emergency the Dam office phone may be used for an "Emergency Only".
We hope you enjoy your stay at the River House #5
Disclaimer
Owyhee Irrigation District has the right to remove scheduled reservations from the calendar when necessary. There may be times when the district will need the cabins due to unforeseen maintenance or an emergency on the compound or at the Dam. The District will notify the guest as soon as feasibly possible, but we can not guarantee a length of time of notice