Cabin rental · U.S. Forest Service · Salmon-Challis National Forest · Challis, ID

Cape Horn Winter Rental

Cape Horn Winter Rental is located in beautiful Elk Meadow, approximately 16 miles northwest of Stanley, in central Idaho. It sits at an elevation of 6,660 feet. Guests enjoy the area for its endless winter recreation opportunities, including cross-country skiing, back country downhill skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling.

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Cape Horn Winter Rental 6CAPE HORN WINTER RENTAL 7CAPE HORN WINTER RENTAL 4CAPE HORN WINTER RENTAL 9
Photos courtesy of SCNF · Recreation.gov

Site mix

Cabins with electric1
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.

SitePeople / vehicles
00110 / –

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 12:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

The cabin is open for reservations during the winter only. In the summer, it is used by Forest Service employees as a guard station. The cabin can comfortably accommodate four people on one double bed and one single bed, each with mattresses, and one couch. More people can use sleeping bags on the floor, but due to the cabin's size, group size is limited to eight people. Guests need to bring their own food, toiletries, towels, bedding and trash bags. The cabin is equipped with electricity, which powers the lights and a standard four-burner stove and oven, but due to heavy snowfall on power lines, electricity cannot be guaranteed at all times. Be prepared to cook meals on the wood stove if the power is out. Firewood is provided, though it may need to be split. A table and chairs and additional seating is provided, along with a battery powered lantern and a wooden rack for drying clothes. The water system is turned off during the winter season so the indoor flush toilet and running water are not available. A vault toilet is located behind the station.

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

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Cape Horn Winter Rental10°20°30°40°50°60°January: 1.80 inches of precipitationFebruary: 1.44 inches of precipitationMarch: 2.02 inches of precipitationApril: 1.69 inches of precipitationMay: 1.67 inches of precipitationJune: 1.48 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.62 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.55 inches of precipitationSeptember: 1.01 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.60 inches of precipitationNovember: 2.00 inches of precipitationDecember: 2.32 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 11.3°F averageFebruary: 15.9°F averageMarch: 25.6°F averageApril: 34.0°F averageMay: 43.2°F averageJune: 50.0°F averageJuly: 57.1°F averageAugust: 55.5°F averageSeptember: 47.7°F averageOctober: 37.4°F averageNovember: 24.0°F averageDecember: 11.4°F average0 in0.5 in1 in1.5 in2 in2.5 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Stanley, 14 miles from the campground at 6,249 feet, station USC00108676 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 18 inches a year.

Getting there

The guard station it is less than two miles by skiing cross-country from State Highway 21 or approximately four miles by following the Stanley-Landmark Snowmobile Trail. If you are a first time renter, it is important to get detailed directions.

Nearest townChallis, Idaho
Coordinates44.3727° N, 115.1190° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Rx Lowman Wui

    25 mi from the campground

  • Prescribed
    Paradise Rx

    47 mi from the campground

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Explore

  • under 0.1 mi
    Cape Horn Trail, to Guard Stat
    1.6 mi trail · snowshoe, ski
  • 1.7 mi
    Swamp Creek ↗
    4.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
  • 2.4 mi
    Cape Horn Lakes
    1.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 3 more
  • 2.7 mi
    Hay-Knapp Creek ↗
    29.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more · national_recreation_or_other
  • 3.1 mi
    Beaver Creek / Seafoam Road (W ↗
    13.5 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski
  • 3.1 mi
    Trap Creek
    0.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more

Trailheads within three miles

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 Boise 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.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Natural features

The cabin is situated in a stand of lodgepole pines. On clear days, the cabin's front porch affords breathtaking views of the rugged Sawtooth Mountain Range to the south.

Recreation

The Cape Horn area offers unlimited cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling opportunities in the surrounding meadows, and downhill skiing is available on the slopes behind the cabin.

Guidebooks for Idaho

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

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

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Cape Horn Winter Rental?

Sites at Cape Horn Winter Rental are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Cape Horn Winter Rental?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Cape Horn Winter Rental have?

1 site, including 1 cabin with power.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are there showers or a dump station at Cape Horn Winter Rental?

The water system is turned off during the winter season so the indoor flush toilet and running water are not available.

Source: Recreation.gov

What is the nearest town to Cape Horn Winter Rental?

Challis, Idaho.

Source: Getting there

What if Cape Horn Winter Rental is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Thatcher Campground (1.3 mi, first-come), Beaver Creek Campground (3.3 mi, first-come), and Lola Creek Campground (3.8 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby