“Crag Rat Hut is an interesting name”
… and we’re proud of it
What is this place?
The Crag Rat Hut is the official clubhouse of the Crag Rats, America’s oldest mountain rescue organization. The Hut is used primarily by the Crag Rats and rented out as an event venue as availability allows.
The Crag Rats were formed in 1926 and are a charter and current member of the Mountain Rescue Association.
The Crag Rats are an all volunteer, non-profit organization based out of Hood River, Oregon covering Mt. Hood and the Columbia Gorge.
Rental income helps to support the Crag Rats search and rescue mission.
What is a Crag Rat?
In 1923, a group of Hood River Valley residents, who frequently climbed together, were called out to search for a lost boy, their first informal search and rescue mission. In 1926, the climbers were again called upon to search for another lost boy on Mt Hood, joining the Forest Service, US Army, and mountaineering groups from Portland. After several days, these Hood River climbers found the boy and returned him safely to his family, whereupon reporters asked the men the name of their group. These men were not officially organized as a group, but under the spotlight of a media interview, they recalled the tag one of the wives hung on the them for their frequent mountain ventures to climb amongst the crags, thus declaring themselves the Crag Rats.
The Crag Rats soon became well-known regionally and nationally for their search and rescue accomplishments, and were a charter member of the national Mountain Rescue Association in 1959. The Crag Rats still wear their signature black and white checkered shirts, adopted in the 1920’s, and remain very active at their primary focus of search and rescue on Mt Hood and in the Columbia Gorge.
Learn more about the Crags Rats and how to donate to the non-profit organization by visiting their website.
Join Us:
We are always open to finding new qualified and enthusiastic members. You must have a passion for the mountains and helping other people. To get started, we do require that you are a resident of Hood River, Wasco, Klickitat, or Skamania counties and have at least climbed Mt Hood and Mt Adams. For more information and to learn about our other qualifications, please contact us.