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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

Matterhorn Cabin

Forest Service cabin or lookout in Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forest, San Miguel County, Colorado. 9,484 feet. 2.9 miles from Ophir.

Reserve on Recreation.gov
Managed by
Forest Service Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forest
Elevation
9,484 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
1 1 cabin electric
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
San Miguel County

Overview

The Matterhorn Cabin is a great destination for anything from a family reunion to a week-long ski trip. This modern facility offers comfortable accommodations for groups of 12 or more and is available during the fall and winter months. Located just off the highway, it is easily accessible by passenger cars and is only 15 miles from the town of Telluride.

Recreation

Ski right from the cabin door onto groomed cross-country ski trails! Neighboring the cabin is a groomed cross-country ski area that offers 10 kilometers of groomed trails for classic skiing, skate skiing and snowshoeing.

The Telluride Ski Area is just a 15-minute drive from the cabin, offering world-class skiing and snowboarding. Snowmobilers will enjoy riding the Lizard Head meadows (three miles away) or riding groomed trails in the nearby Alta Lakes area. Local guide services offer heli-skiing, snowmobiling, backcountry skiing, dog sledding and ice climbing trips.

Facilities

This 1,800-square foot cabin has electricity, running water, a furnace, woodstove and washer/dryer. It comfortably sleeps 12 people in the five bedrooms (two twin bunk beds/mattresses each) and upstairs TV room (two double sleeper couches). The kitchen has two refrigerators, two electric ovens, one microwave oven, cookware, coffee maker, dishes and utensils. The two bathrooms each have flush toilets and showers. There is a land line phone in the cabin. Cell phone reception is unreliable. Cleaning supplies, garbage bags, toilet paper, dish soap and sponges, firewood, and a garbage dumpster are provided. Bring food, sleeping bags, bed pillows, bath towels and toiletries.

Natural Features

Visitors can expect a large facility set back roughly 100 feet from the road within a forested setting. Guests will have a prominent view of Sheep Mountain (13,188 feet) from the front porch.

Nearby Attractions

Nearby winter attractions include the Telluride Ski Area, Lizard Head Wilderness and the resort towns of Telluride and Mountain Village.

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

The land around Matterhorn Cabin

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 February 25, 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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