A gravel road curving into a high mountain valley at first light, the peaks catching the sun.

Forest Service cabin or lookout

Buckhorn Ranger Station

Forest Service cabin or lookout in Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG, Larimer County, Colorado. 8,277 feet. 15.2 miles from Estes Park.

Managed by
Forest Service Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG
Elevation
8,277 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
3 3 cabin electric
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

The Buckhorn Ranger Station has three cabins, an office and large garage. In August 2022, the Buckhorn Ranger Station was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Buckhorn Ranger Cabin was built in 1933 by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Guests need to bring bedding, including pillows, blankets and/or sleeping bags, as well as towels, toiletry items, and food and beverages. Cooking pots, table and chairs, dishes, and utensils are provided.

The Ranger Cabin is a fully-furnished two-bedroom cabin with indoor plumbing and electricity. It can accommodate up to six people and has two single beds in one bedroom, a queen bed in the second bedroom and a futon in the living room. The cabin is also equipped with a woodstove. The kitchen has running water, a stove and oven, refrigerator, microwave, and toaster.

The Assistant Ranger Cabin is a one-bedroom cabin with two twin beds and a futon in the living room. The cabin has a propane heater, a full kitchen with gas stove and refrigerator, and a bathroom with shower.

The Bunkhouse is an efficiency cabin that is planned to be wheelchair accessible. It has a kitchen with eating area and a small living room/bedroom area.

Recreation

Danner Hill Trail (AKA Donner Pass Trail) is located just north of the site and heads to the south towards Lookout Mountain. Forest Road 100 (West White Pine Road) heads north of the site to the original location of the West White Pine Fire Lookout that was relocated by helicopter to Fort Collins, Colorado.

The area is popular for biking, hiking, OHV and motorized riding, hunting, and scenic drives.

Facilities

Beyond the specific cabin details above, the overall facility has a two fire pits, a horseshoe court and charcoal grills.

Natural Features

The Buckhorn Ranger Station is located on a large broad open terrace in the narrow Buckhorn Canyon just off Box Elder Creek, a tributary of Buckhorn Creek. West and East White Pine Mountains are located to the north, Lookout Mountain and Crystal Mountain are located to the south and Pingree Pass and the Mummy Range are located to the west.

Nearby Attractions

The Golden Eagle Disc Golf Course is locate just across Larimer County Road 44H.

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

What people do here

  • backpacking
  • biking
  • climbing
  • disc golf
  • fire lookouts/cabins overnight
  • hiking
  • historic & cultural site
  • hunting
  • information site
  • off highway vehicle trails
  • photography
  • picnicking
  • scenic drive

The land around Buckhorn Ranger 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.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

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.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated August 27, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.