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

Forest Service cabin or lookout

Silesca Cabin

Forest Service cabin or lookout in Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forest, Montrose County, Colorado. About 9,200 feet. 16.8 miles from Norwood.

Managed by
Forest Service Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forest
Elevation
About 9,200 ft As the Forest Service states
Sites
1 1 cabin electric
Longest rig
20 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
Electric
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

The historic Silesca Cabin, once used as a Ranger Station, is a semi-rustic dwelling with comfortable modern conveniences like electricity and refrigerator. Located 40 minutes west of the city of Montrose, the cabin is set back 100 feet from the main road, providing easy access with some privacy.

The cabin is accessible in the summer and fall by passenger vehicle, when the road is dry. Four-wheel drive vehicles are recommended when the road is wet.

Recreation

Hiking, mountain biking, single track dirtbiking, UTV & ATV riding, horseback riding, hunting and wildlife viewing are all available in the vicinity. Silesca Pond is a short walk north of the cabin. Silesca Cabin is located near a limited hunting area for Rocky Mountain Elk, Unit 61.

Facilities

The rustic cabin accommodates up to six guests.

Amenities include three bedrooms with six twin beds, electricity, refrigerator and a wood stove. Limited cooking utensils, dishes and cleaning supplies are provided. The kitchen and bathroom are located in the basement of this cabin. A campfire ring and picnic table are located outside.

No drinking water is available. Items to bring include food, bedding, warm clothing, toilet paper, flashlights, towels, dish soap and toiletries. Click here for more cabin details.

Natural Features

The cabin is perched in a meadow surrounded by spruce and aspen trees at an elevation of 9,200 feet.

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

What people do here

  • camping
  • hiking
  • horseback riding
  • hunting
  • mountain biking
  • off highway vehicle trails
  • off road vehicle trails
  • star gazing
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Silesca 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.

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 February 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.