The National Park Service provided the planners and the Civilian Conservation Corps provided the labor to construct Octagon Shelter. The building’s architecture is affectionately known as “parkitecture.” The Civilian Conservation Corps commonly used this style in parks around the country.

Parkitecture is reminiscent of the craftsmanship of early carpenters. It includes the use of heavy beams, low silhouettes, horizontal lines, and colors and materials found in local surroundings. The Octagon shape here was more complicated, yet it still looks like a natural, almost native part of the landscape. A large grassy playfield sits next to and in harmony with the shelter.

Today, the Octagon Shelter may be reserved at recreation.gov by groups and families with up to 50 people for a fee. The shelter is an eight-sided pavilion with seven picnic tables, two fireplaces, and an outdoor grill. It is enclosed from October 15 – May 14 and open-sided the rest of the year. Electrical outlets for normal, two-pronged household appliances such as coffee pots and crock pots are available. It does not have centralized heat. Drinking water is available at a fountain from May 1 to September 15. Restrooms with flush toilets are available year-round.