Cabin rental · U.S. Forest Service · Rio Grande National Forest · La Jara, CO

Elwood Cabin

Elwood Cabin sits in a saddle along the San Juan Mountains overlooking an open meadow, offering guests a unique lodging opportunity. The cabin was built in 1911 by the Mountain States Telephone Company as a "line shack" to support crews maintaining the transcontinental telephone line. Remnants of this old telephone line are still found along Iron Creek to the southeast. The cabin was also used as a Forest Service Station from 1950 until 1962, serving as living quarters for Forest Service employees who worked on numerous projects in the area.

Cabin rentalReservable · Recreation.gov1 site50 ft maxPets okFires ok
Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Elwood CabinElwood Cabin OuthouseFront of Elwood CabinElwood Vista
Photos courtesy of Jeremiah Martinez, US Forest Service · Recreation.gov

Site mix

Cabins1
This cabin is booked as a single unit on Recreation.gov. The booking page shows which dates are open and how far ahead they release. How the booking window works

Site guide

1 site. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteSurfaceShadeWater / sewerPeople / vehiclesFires
5106GravelPartialNo / No4 / –Yes

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.

Amenities & rules

Max vehicle length50 ft
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions

The one room log cabin is furnished with two bunk beds with single beds on the top and on the bottom of each bunk, accommodating up to four individuals total for the cabin. The cabin has a wood stove for heat, propane lighting and a propane stove. The kitchen is equipped with a table and chairs, cooking utensils, pots and pans and a fire extinguisher. Firewood is available in the adjoining shed. An outdoor vault toilet is also on-site. Guests must provide a sufficient supply of water for cooking, cleaning and washing. Guests are also encouraged to bring an additional light source in case of emergencies. Although the cabin has some amenities, guests do need to provide their own food, sleeping bags, linens, towels, dish soap, matches, first aid kit, avalanche equipment, toilet paper and garbage bags.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Getting there

From Del Norte, take U.S. Highway 160 west to South Fork. Continue west on U.S. Highway 160 for 8 miles to Park Creek Road. Travel 15 miles on Park Creek Road to Summitville Road. Turn right on FSR 380, the cabin is about 2 miles on the left.

Nearest townLa Jara, Colorado
Coordinates37.4042° N, 106.6386° W · Directions ↗

Supplies & services

RV sales & serviceRV sales & service ↗19.3 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗24.6 mi
Outdoor gearKristi's Mountain Sports ↗40.8 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Worth a stop

Summitville is a nearby ghost town where gold was first discovered in 1870, then mined until the early 1990s. When contaminants leaked off-site and flowed into the local watershed the government forced it to shut down. Now a water treatment plant is on the site as part of a federal clean up program.

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.7 mi
    Crater Lake
    0.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 3.3 mi
    Treasure Creek
    3.2 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 3.5 mi
    Hot Creek Stock Dr
    1.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 4.7 mi
    Bonito Pass
    0.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Rio Grande National Forest.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

Natural features

High in the San Juan Mountains at an elevation of 11,000 feet, this cabin provides guests with views of nearby peaks, meadows filled with wildflowers and alpine forests. While staying at such a high elevation guests will notice how light plays differently on the landscape and stars blanket the sky on clear cold evenings. Elk, deer, and other wildlife are often seen in meadows adjacent to the cabin.

Recreation

The area around Elwood cabin offers a variety of recreational opportunities year-round. Summertime brings excellent scenic tour opportunities in and around the Summitville area as well as exploration of several historical mining sites. Anglers have a spectacular backdrop to fishing streams such as Iron Creek or Treasure Creek. Nearby Platoro Reservoir, which feeds the Conejos River, provides excellent fishing for trout and salmon. Great hiking can be found around the area, as it spans both the Rio Grande and San Juan National Forests, as well as the South San Juan Wilderness. In winter, the Elwood cabin area can be blanketed with as much as ten feet of snow, requiring preparation and knowledge of winter travel. Snowmobiling, skiing and snowshoeing are popular activities in the area.

Guidebooks for Colorado

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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Elwood Cabin?

Sites at Elwood Cabin are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Elwood Cabin?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Elwood Cabin have?

1 site, including 1 cabin.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Elwood Cabin?

The longest site here provides 50 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.

Source: Will my RV fit

Are pets allowed at Elwood Cabin?

Yes, pets are allowed at Elwood Cabin. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Elwood Cabin?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions.

Source: Recreation.gov

What is there to do at Elwood Cabin?

The area around Elwood cabin offers a variety of recreational opportunities year-round. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Elwood Cabin?

La Jara, Colorado. Summitville is a nearby ghost town where gold was first discovered in 1870, then mined until the early 1990s.

Source: Getting there

What if Elwood Cabin is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Stunner Campground (4 mi, first-come), Mix Lake Campground (6.2 mi, first-come), and Tucker Ponds Campground (9.1 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby