Operations of the Skyliners Lodge in the Deschutes National Forest 11 miles west of Bend will continue this summer with a new group stepping in to oversee events and educational programs while taking on a major roof renovation project.

Managing the 88-year-old lodge will be NatureConnect, formerly known as Central Oregon Children’s Forest, a coalition of local organizations focused on outdoor education for kids.

The future of the lodge became uncertain in November when the High Desert Education Service District — an agency that links school districts in Central Oregon with state funding and programs — announced it did not plan to renew a long-term permit with the U.S. Forest Service past June 30, 2025, as costs to run the lodge became too expensive. Now, the district will maintain its permit with the forest service while Nature Connect runs the facility by renting it out for educational and private events. Money generated from rentals will go to field trips and outdoor learning initiatives, according to a press release.

“We see Skyliners Lodge as an essential part of getting kids outside,” said Katie Chipko, executive director of NatureConnect Central Oregon. “It’s a hugely popular field trip destination that is so close to Bend and while it feels remote and tucked away, it’s so accessible and easy to use. The lodge provides access to nature for thousands of students each year.”

NatureConnect received a $128,000 grant from Visit Bend, the city’s tourism agency, to fully replace the Skyliners Lodge roof with fire-resistant cedar shakes. The repair will take place in August.

Other than that, the wooden lodge is in “quite good” condition, she said.

Skyliners Lodge was built in 1937. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. According to documents in the national register, the lodge is “among the outstanding rustic mountain resort developments” built with federal funding in reaction to the Great Depression, along with the famous Timberline Lodge, which was constructed in the same year. The lodge was named for the Skyliners Club, a snow sports group that pioneered outdoor recreation in Central Oregon.

The lodge was leased to the Cascade Science School as part of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, according to The Bulletin’s archives. The education service district took over in 2010.

“It was innovative and ambitious for an ESD to take something like this on and they have shepherded that space without much credit or recognition,” Chipko said.

NatureConnect, a 501c3 nonprofit, is a better fit for running the lodge than the educational district, which was funded through state school tax dollars, said Sara Johnson, the district superintendent. The district has limited staff and was having to pay out of pocket just to keep the lodge open, she said.

“We never wanted to see it closed, we just knew we couldn’t carry the financial burden of it,” Johnson said in an interview.

“We are thrilled to place this incredible outdoor learning resource into the capable hands of NatureConnect,” Johnson said in a press release. “Their expertise and dedication to outdoor education will ensure that Skyliners Lodge continues to serve as a vital hub for school field trips and community connections to nature.”

According to Chipko, the lodge has hosted some kind of youth educational event, like field trips or summer camps, for 150 days of the year, on average.

Other events at the lodge could include weddings, family gatherings, meetings, and youth programs. NatureConnect is booking events 18 months in advance, Chipko said. Some planned weddings that were canceled when the district announced ceased operations were never rebooked, she said.

“The summer calendar is open,” she said.