You Can Still Stay Here, If You Dare

At the Dawson House Lodge in Chemult, a real 1929 Oregon roadside lodge, guests have shared strange stories for decades. Some describe footsteps when no one else is in the hall, a laugh with no apparent source, or a television snapping to static in the middle of the night. Whether paranormal or not, the reports have helped make this little Highway 97 stop one of Oregon's most intriguing places to spend the night.

And yes, you can still stay here. The historic lodge remains open for overnight guests, so the question is not whether the stories are old, but whether you will have one of your own.

Those creepy girls from THAT MOVIE. / Image via / Warner Bros.

A Historic Lodge Along Highway 97

Chemult is an unincorporated Klamath County community that grew as a railroad town in the 1920s. In 1929, Dick Dawson built what was then called the Hotel Chemult, a 12-room hotel with two upstairs bathrooms. It welcomed travelers on the new Highway 97 and worked as a boarding house for railroad and highway workers moving through the area.

That mix of railroad life, road travel, and a small town with few places to stop gives the old lodge its particular atmosphere. Travel Oregon's history of the property notes that the hotel later passed through several local owners, while Chemult's early residents traded stories of the town's rowdier days. It is easy to picture why a building that saw so many late-night arrivals and weary travelers has collected a lifetime of legends.

A steam engine rolls through the Bend area, possibly on its way to Chemult. / Image via / OHS

Strange Stories From the Dawson House

For more than 50 years, guests have reported unexplained activity at the lodge, especially in the Trupp, Jessup, and Cowboy rooms. Stories surrounding the Dawson House include shadowy figures on the porch at night, a young girl reportedly running through the hallways, and a figure said to appear behind people in mirrors. These are guest and local accounts, not verified facts, but they have become part of the lodge's enduring reputation.

One former guest described the following experience after staying in the Cowboy Room:

"My husband and I stayed in the Cowboy Room in the early 2000's. I was awoken by the sound of footsteps running up and down the outside porch, then the tv was on full blast static. Felt the presence of a man in the room behind me, not malicious. Hid under the covers silently begging my husband to wake up. Felt someone pressing on my arm and hip – like trying to climb over me into the bed and pulling on the covers. It was then my husband woke up and said, please leave the room. And he did. It was super creepy!"

--Jennifer Morse, 2018

A room in Dawson House Lodge / Image via / Trip Advisor

Another account shared with That Oregon Life describes an overnight stay in the Trupp Room:

"We stayed here in August 2015 for one night. We were enroute to Crater Lake and chose to stay here due to it's convenient proximity. We knew nothing about the Lodge or the town, just knew it was available and within our budget. Immediately upon arriving (like in the parking lot) my husband and I looked at each other. A skeptic through and through, he said "Are you scared right now? Because this feels weird." I was nervous, but chalked it up to the dated style, being hungry, and being on the road all day. We went in and were offered three rooms. We chose the Trupp Room (knew nothing about it). We had bags and our dog in the car. Our dog is well traveled and has never had an issue settling himself right down in a hotel. He froze as he crossed the threshold, tail tucked under, and crouched down. We had to drag him up the stairs and into the room. As soon as I entered, I had an image of a woman in an old fashioned dress flash into my mind. I felt that she was standing in a corner watching us. It was 8PM and there were no other lodging options in the area, so I just kept my mouth shut. We went across the street to Subway to grab food and we both commented that there was something extremely creepy, though I said nothing about the woman. Went back, tried to settle down, watched TV, just avoided turning off the lights in spite of being very tired. The dog was restless and upset all night. Around 1AM, we finally agreed to turn off the light and sat there in the dark (pitch dark, btw). My husband reached for my hand and said "I just needed to make sure you were still here...This is scary." I drifted in and out, but was woken at one point by loud footsteps going up and down the hall, our doorknob rattling. We both heard it, but then it stopped. Figured it was late arrivals. Dozed again, but woke up to lights in the room, shining up from what I believed were the floorboards, Okay, I thought, just someone turned the light on down below, go to sleep. I had the sensation that we were going to be locked into the room and unable to get out. I, who have had paranormal experiences since I can remember, was terrified. Dozed off again and woke just before 5AM. My husband woke, too, and asked if I wanted to leave. I was out of bed in seconds, as was he. As soon as my feet hit the floor, I realized it was carpeted and no way was the light that was shining up coming from floorboard cracks. That pushed me faster. We brushed teeth, pulled on clothes, and got out of there. As we carried bags out to the parking lot, we realized there were no other guests there, it was just us...No idea who was walking the hall and pulling on our doorknob. We didn't speak of the incident, it was too intense, for a few more days. Only then did I tell him about the woman who I believe was there the whole night. We then looked up the Lodge and found the stories...Seems like we can solidly confirm the Trupp Room haunting!"

--Anonymous, 2016

A former employee also shared this account in 2020:

"I work at the dawson house. I heard footsteps when I'm alone. I'm only 15 and I've been at this place for 7 months and I just now realized how haunted this really is. I heard stories about this place. the most haunted room I know is the Trupp room. footsteps running down the hall and that creepy doll at the end of the stairs. I get weird vibes about it."

--Anonymous, 2020

Image via / Dawson House Lodge

Decades of Reported Paranormal Activity

In 2008, ten investigators from the Klamath Falls-based group Haunted Hunters made an overnight stay with EVP devices, night-vision-equipped digital cameras, audio recorders, and walkie-talkies. A video recorder captured what the team believed was a small child saying, “Mommy.” The group also reported sounds they could not explain, while one investigator in the Jessup Room said the television turned itself on to a static screen, then did it again after she had switched it off.

In a 2013 interview with the Herald News, then-owner Colleen Riley said guests had told her about experiences, though she was not persuaded by every account. She added that the cat would occasionally race down the hallway as if startled, and offered a reassuring conclusion: “If they are ghosts, they’re nice ghosts.”

Dawson House is not Oregon's only historic overnight stop with a spooky side. If these stories leave you wanting another haunted-hotel detour, take a look at the historic Wolf Creek Inn near Grants Pass, another Oregon property where guest stories and old walls make for a memorable combination.

Can You Still Stay at the Dawson House?

Yes. Dawson House Lodge is still operating and offers overnight lodging at 109455 Hwy 97 N in Chemult, Oregon 97731. The property is a convenient base for travelers headed toward Crater Lake, Diamond Lake, and the high country around Highway 97.

For current availability, room details, and booking information, visit the official Dawson House Lodge website or call 541-365-2232. If you go, keep an open mind. The lodge's history is fascinating either way, but it may be hard not to listen a little more closely once the lights are out.