A spacious hotel bedroom with a comfortable bed, checkered bedspread, and a view to the outside at The Tallman Hotel.

Over one 100 years of inspiring and sheltering travelers and adventurers.

A vintage black and white photo shows the historic Tallman Hotel, with classic cars and people gathered outside its entrance.

Family-started, and family-focused.

Rufus Tallman was drawn to California from Syracuse, New York, for the very same reason that many other young men in the early 1800's were; the promise of gold and quick good fortune. He came to California via the Panama Canal and was one of the first white settlers in Lake County to cultivate the agricultural area just north of Clear Lake. Tallman married Mary Ellen Moore from nearby Scotts Valley in 1861, and the couple had 13 children, the last born in 1893, when Mary Ellen was 47 years old.

While the original opening date of the Tallman Hotel is unknown, it was built according to various accounts around 1874... and burned to the ground on October 29, 1895. The total cost in damages was around $4000 in 1895 money, which would be well over $150,000 in damages today.

Luckily, the Tallman House Hotel was in a transportation hub, and the Tallman’s were able to quickly rebuild their hotel with locally sourced redwood and a more modest floor plan.

A family-run business for decades.

After Rufus and Mary Ellen passed away, control of their hotel passed to their children, and their daughter Winnie took up the reigns along with her husband Hank Riffe.

She continued the hotel’s wonderful legacy of providing exceptional hospitality and care by cooking meals for guests, preparing rooms, and doing the laundry by hand and by flatiron, along with the help of a Chinese cook and many relatives.

Unfortunately, after the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the original Tallmans inherited the hotel, they were no longer interested in running it, and it fell into disrepair and neglect.

A vintage black and white photo shows the historic Tallman Hotel, with classic cars and people gathered outside its entrance.

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A classic black and white photo displays the historic Tallman Hotel building with cars parked outside, capturing a bygone era.

Restored to former glory and beyond.

In 2003, Lynne and Bernie Butcher purchased the long-vacant hotel. Under the superb guidance of the Candra Scott & Anderson design firm and the help of numerous local craftsmen, the Tallman Hotel was lovingly brought back to life after almost 40 years of neglect.

Extra care was taken to ensure that historic details were lovingly preserved, and that the hotel was modernized only in such a way as to remain true to its original historic details and architecture, including the Blue Wing Saloon, which was the original restaurant on the property that had been torn down during Prohibition and was brought back to life in 2005, with the hotel opening up for guests the following year.

A history of Narrow Gauge Inn:

The Narrow Gauge Inn is a historic property that was originally built in 1952 by Swedish immigrants Rudy and Lucy Stauffer. As a result, it was originally named the Swiss Melody Inn to reflect their cultural heritage and love for the mountains and forests around the Inn.

The Stauffer family also purchased and restored the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad, which still runs to this day and is easily accessible by a walking trail that joins the two properties. Eventually, the Stauffer family sold the Inn so they could concentrate fully on their railroad operation. The new owner, George Cordingly, renamed the inn to the Narrow Gauge Inn to honor the neighboring railroad. He expanded the property and added a restaurant; one of the first in the area. In 1990 he also added a historic 1952 fire truck which was lovingly restored and placed in a garage on the property for guests to look at and enjoy.

A black and white pencil illustration of Narrow Gauge Inn.

Now, having been in operation for over 70 years, the Narrow Gauge Inn is a historic mountain lodge that has been a mainstay in the community and surrounding Fish Camp area for hikers, fishers, boaters, and all sorts of outdoor enthusiasts. We warmly welcome you to help us continue our tradition of providing outstanding service and a beautifully cozy place to stay in the Sierra Mountains. From our family to yours, welcome to Narrow Gauge Inn. Now you’re home.

Explore Stays

A view of the facade of Narrow Gauge Inn with a backdrop of the forest against blue skies.

In 2008, the Tallman Hotel was added to the California Register of Historical Resources as a Point of Historical Interest #SPHI-LAK-010. Now, guests can roam the halls and step back in time to the California gold rush or Prohibition era. Visitors can even visit the Blue Wing Saloon and see the hotel’s original 1902 Kimball upright piano, which has been donated to the property by descendants of Rufus and Mary Ellen Tallman.

Visit our Press page for more information on the historic Tallman Hotel.

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