Cabin rental · U.S. Forest Service · Ashley National Forest · Vernal, UT

Paradise Guard Station

Paradise Guard Station is located on the Ashley National Forest, approximately 25 air miles northwest of Vernal, in eastern Utah. Folklore states the district ranger built the cabin in his spare time in 1922 and it has changed very little since then. In 1929, the Bartlett Sawmill was built just 75 yards south. It burned down in 1940, but some remnants of the old facility still remain. The Ashley National Forest Vernal Ranger District has chosen to rent this guard station to the public so visitors can enjoy a rustic experience similar to that of the first rangers. Guests enjoy canoeing and fishing on Paradise Park Reservoir, and exploring local hiking, biking and off-road vehicle trails.

Cabin rentalReservable · Recreation.gov1 sitePets okFires ok
Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Paradise Guard StationPARADISE GUARD STATION6PARADISE GUARD STATION2PARADISE GUARD STATION3
Photos courtesy of Claire Wille 6/6/2024, usfs, USFS · Recreation.gov
4fires
active
Middle Beaver Rx (prescribed burn) · 23 mi away · 50 acres
3 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

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.

SiteEntryFits, ftSurfaceShadePeople / vehiclesFires
001Back-in60GravelPartial4 / 2Yes

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 3:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.

Amenities & rules

PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions

The guard station complex can sleep four to eight. The cabin contains two, twin-size bunk beds for four people, though no linens, bedding or pillows are provided. Level parking is provided for a maximum of one RV/camp trailer. Ample room for tent camping is available outside. There is no sink, stove, oven or refrigerator. The cabin has no water or plumbing, however there is a vault toilet outside for year-round use. A wood-burning stove is supplied for heat. A combination campfire ring and grill is located outside. Combination code required to enter cabin. (Some combination locks used have off-set entry lines.

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

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Paradise Guard Station20°30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 0.86 inches of precipitation, 13.5 inches of snowFebruary: 0.88 inches of precipitation, 13.2 inches of snowMarch: 1.19 inches of precipitation, 7.8 inches of snowApril: 1.23 inches of precipitation, 5.4 inches of snowMay: 1.56 inches of precipitation, 0.7 inches of snowJune: 0.93 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 0.91 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 1.18 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.66 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 1.54 inches of precipitation, 2.5 inches of snowNovember: 0.81 inches of precipitation, 7.6 inches of snowDecember: 0.89 inches of precipitation, 11.4 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 22.8°F averageFebruary: 27.5°F averageMarch: 38.2°F averageApril: 45.4°F averageMay: 54.4°F averageJune: 63.8°F averageJuly: 71.5°F averageAugust: 69.6°F averageSeptember: 60.4°F averageOctober: 48.0°F averageNovember: 34.1°F averageDecember: 23.0°F average0 in5 in10 in15 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Maeser 9Nw, 15 miles from the campground at 6,448 feet, station USC00425268 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 14 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 62 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

Follow the mileage indications below and look for signs on the ground when traveling to Paradise Guard Station. Leave with plenty of time to arrive at the guard station before dark. From Vernal, travel west on Highway 121/Maeser-Lapoint Highway, toward Lapoint.

Nearest townVernal, Utah
Coordinates40.6625° N, 109.9125° W · Directions ↗

Good to know

  • Please note that this cabin is RUSTIC.
  • If code is not working, try off-setting entry line).

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Middle Beaver Rx

    23 mi from the campground · 50 acres

  • Prescribed
    Hole In The Rock Rx

    23 mi from the campground · 85 acres

  • Prescribed
    D1 Pondo Rx

    24 mi from the campground · 532 acres

  • Prescribed
    Western Roughneck Rx

    30 mi from the campground · 472 acres

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

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearSportsman's Warehouse ↗24 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗25.6 mi

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

Explore

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.2 mi
    Deadman Lake ↗
    8.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 3 more
  • 1.6 mi
    Red Belly Lake ↗
    7.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 3 more
  • 2.4 mi
    Blanchett Park
    1.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 3 more
  • 2.4 mi
    Marsh Peak-Dry Fork ↗
    8.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.5 mi
    North Fork Dry Fork
    4.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.7 mi
    Sink Ridge ↗
    7.4 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 Ashley National Forest, which overlaps Uinta-Wasatch-Cache 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

The small white cabin sits at the edge of a grassy meadow surrounded by a dense spruce-fir forest, at an elevation of 10,000 feet. Paradise Creek, a tributary of the Whiterocks River, flows lazily through the meadow in front of the cabin.

Recreation

Paradise Park Reservoir is nearby, covering just less than 60 acres. Canoeing and fishing for rainbow and cutthroat trout are popular activities. Dead Lake, Mill Pond and Julius Park Reservoir are within a short distance. The Ashley-Karst National Geologic Recreation Area offers dramatic canyons, densely forested backcountry areas, and vast networks of caves. A variety of hiking, biking, horseback riding and off-road vehicle trails crisscross the surrounding area, including the 8.4-mile Deadman Lake Trail, which begins at Paradise Campground.

Guidebooks for Utah

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 Paradise Guard Station?

Sites at Paradise Guard Station are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Paradise Guard Station?

Check-in 3:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Paradise Guard Station have?

1 site, including 1 cabin.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are pets allowed at Paradise Guard Station?

Yes, pets are allowed at Paradise Guard Station. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Paradise Guard Station?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions. As of 2026-10-16, there are 4 active fires within 50 miles, so check current restrictions before you light one.

Source: Fire nearby

Is there cell service at Paradise Guard Station?

FCC coverage maps show AT&T 4G LTE at the campground point. Terrain changes that from one site to the next.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

What is there to do at Paradise Guard Station?

Paradise Park Reservoir is nearby, covering just less than 60 acres. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Paradise Guard Station?

Vernal, Utah.

Source: Getting there

What if Paradise Guard Station is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Whiterocks Campground (3.3 mi, first-come), Pole Creek Lake Campground (7.7 mi, first-come), and South Fork Camping Area (10.4 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby