Whiskey Spring and Mt. McLoughlin

Whiskey Spring and Mt. McLoughlin. . Early-day explorers, settlers, and rangers named some the the places in the forest. "Whiskey Spring" apparently received its name as part of an "alcoholic" theme, along with "Rye Spring" and "Bourbon Spring" to the south. Also a few miles to the south is "Skeeter's Swamp" named for a local settler, not the blood-thirsty insect., You are now in the Rogue River National Forest. Formerly called the "Crater National Forest," is was established in 1906 by President Theodore Roosevelt., Whiskey Spring Campground, a short distance away, offers restrooms and a one-mile interpretive loop trail around a beaver pond., Skeeter Ranger Station was built in 1911, after the big fire year of 1910. From remote cabins such as this, Forest Service fire guards patrolled the woods on horseback., Mt. McLoughlin has been a "mountain of many names." The Takelma called it "Alwilamchaldis." The first trappers knew is as "Sastise" [or Shasta]. The name change to Mt. Pitt was the result of an early map-making error. Although many people still call it "Mt. Pitt," the name McLoughlin dates back over 150 years. It honors pioneer Dr. John McLoughlin, considered the "Father of Oregon."