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A white Tacoma with a camper shell parked on a rise above a broad, empty basin under building cloud.

Forest Service cabin or lookout

Aspen Guard Station

Forest Service cabin or lookout in San Juan National Forest, Montezuma County, Colorado. 9,250 feet. 10.6 miles from Mancos.

Reserve on Recreation.gov
Managed by
Forest Service San Juan National Forest
Elevation
9,250 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
1 1 cabin non-electric
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Montezuma County

Overview

You’re in for a treat when you rent Aspen Guard Station’s beautiful cabin. Built between 1938-1940, this cabin offers a visit to the past while being near enough to civilization to have a foot in both worlds. This old cabin housed the Forest Service Rangers who patrolled the forests, often on horseback, checking timber and livestock permits, helping neighboring cabin dwellers and the public, much like today.

Recreation

Hiking, wildlife sightings. Mountain bike riding, ATV/UTV access.

Facilities

Full Kitchen stocked with pots, pans, baking dishes, plates, glasses, cups, silverware, etc.

Two bedrooms - two full beds.

Flushing toilet.

Working shower.

Furnace and Heater.

Outdoor fire pit with cooking grill and log bench.

Picnic Table.

Natural Features

Located directly on Forest Service Road 561 in a grove of aspen trees with enclosing fence.

Nearby Attractions

Mesa Verde National Park

Durango to Silverton Train

Anazasi Visitors Center

Four Corners National Monument

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

The land around Aspen Guard Station

The ringed pin is this cabin or lookout; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Nearest campgrounds

Camping near

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated August 1, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.

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