In the early 1950s, deep in the heart of Owen County, Cliff Barnes purchased the King family watermelon farm. Not being a farmer himself, Barnes dammed King Creek, turning fields of fruit into the gorgeous 50-acre lake we love today. It was at this time the first cabin on the property, Sunshine, was built. After purchasing the property from Barnes in the 1970s, Ernie and Josephine Robertson continued to build upon Barnes’s work by building five more cabins for family and friends to enjoy. During this time, the Robertson family changed the name from Barnes Lake to Wasatch Lake, a Ute Indian word meaning “beautiful vista.”

After over a decade of ownership, the Robertsons sold Wasatch Lake to two Indianapolis-based psychiatrists, Dr. Davis and Dr. Beauchamp. Known for their spirited gatherings, speedboats, and water skiing, the doctor duo continued the tradition of development by building the Longhouse Lodge overlooking the lake. Initially intended to be a weekend getaway complete with a restaurant and bar for wealthy Indianapolis patrons, the Lodge became a gathering place for cabin guests and an event venue, hosting weddings, family reunions, birthday parties, and company retreats.

After visiting and falling in love with Wasatch Lake in the early 1990s, Turner and Diann Woodard purchased the property from the doctor duo and quickly built Poplar Ridge and Wooded Glen cabins, bringing the total number of cabins to eight. Over the years, the Woodard family has continued to improve and upgrade the property, including a new home for the on-site property managers and a new check-in barn.

Our property managers, Ryan and Tara Cummings, joined the team in the fall of 2021. With a love of the outdoors and over 25 years of combined hospitality experience, Wasatch Lake is the perfect place for them to apply their passions. After meeting in Bloomington and moving to Indianapolis together in 2014, they knew they wanted to eventually leave the city for a home amongst the trees; a chance encounter led them to Wasatch Lake. They quickly fell in love with the property and have celebrated many of their own family milestones since moving to the lake, including two family weddings on Tara’s side of the family. Ryan and Tara, with the Woodard’s investment and support, have spearheaded five remodeling projects since 2021, and have several more slated for the future. The most recent project, our event space the Longhouse Lodge, wrapped in spring of 2025.

As we move into the fourth decade of Woodard family ownership, Turner and Diann’s son, Turner John, "T.J." Woodard, and his wife Megan have taken the reins. T.J. and Megan have three boys, Turner Jeffrey, Weldon, and Walker who (like their Dad when he was a youngster) are growing up with a love for Wasatch in their bones. T.J. and Megan and their boys, together with Ryan and Tara, are continuing the tradition of love for this oasis in Owen Valley.