Cabins built under “special use” permits must be occupied at least fifteen days each year by the permittee or his family, unless special arrangement is made with the Forest Service.
The principal requirements of the Forest Service regarding cabins are that they be built in a workmanlike manner with substantial roofs, floors, doors, windows, brick or masonry chimneys, toilets and garbage containers of a type approved by the Forest Supervisor. The general ensemble must be in harmony with the forest background. You don’t have to build your house just like your neighbor’s, but all cabins do have to be of an approved and attractive rustic style.
In large colonies you may be required to install a chemical toilet or septic tank, a piped water system, or other improvements to safeguard the general health of the community. Ask about these things.
If you build in a colony of summer homes, you must agree to abide by any rules and regulations agreed upon by a majority of the permit holders if they have or organize a cooperative public service group.
Choice of the actual site for a mountain cabin depends on drainage, view, shelter from storms, sunlight, ease of access, and so on. Probably the best location is one on a gentle slope, which assures that rain and snow will drain off, with the front of the cabin facing the center of interest and the principal windows placed to catch the prevailing breezes.
A slope is somewhat more difficult to build on than flat land, but in wet weather you won’t find puddles in front of the door and the floor won’t get damp. Remember, you don’t have tile sewers to carry off the water. Too steep a hillside makes building even more expensive, calling either for excavation or extra foundations. While a hillside site is attractive, it’s pretty tiresome lugging supplies up hill.
If you build on a slope or hillside, find out about the normal rainfall. You may need a watershed at the upper side of your lot to keep the run-off from trickling down into your cabin. A shallow ditch or a low wall is enough protection—but a necessary one. (See [Fig. 1].)
Here are a few other details to think about: How near is the lot to a good road? It doesn’t have to be close to a main highway, but is it possible to reach your lot with a fair amount of convenience? Can you get supplies or help in case of emergency without too great effort? Next, how’s the water supply?
Water is one of the most important considerations. The forest officer can tell you what the stage of the water table is at your location, and you can decide what kind of well you will need. Above all, don’t plan to use the local trout stream or lake for drinking water. It may be a lovely lake, and the stream may ripple over pretty stones like tinkling bells, but pretty water isn’t necessarily pure water.
There are in the National Forests a number of associations of Special Use Permittees. These associations are formed partly for the advantages of collective bargaining and partly for the installation of certain facilities on a tract basis. Many of these associations have installed water systems, financed by assessments against the lot owners.