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

Forest Service cabin or lookout

Cape Horn Winter Rental

Forest Service cabin or lookout in Salmon-Challis National Forest, Custer County, Idaho. 6,660 feet. 14.4 miles from Stanley.

Managed by
Forest Service Salmon-Challis National Forest
Elevation
6,660 ft As the Forest Service states
Sites
1 1 cabin electric
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Custer County

Overview

Cape Horn Winter Rental is located in beautiful Elk Meadow, approximately 16 miles northwest of Stanley, in central Idaho. It sits at an elevation of 6,660 feet. Guests enjoy the area for its endless winter recreation opportunities, including cross-country skiing, back country downhill skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling.

Recreation

The Cape Horn area offers unlimited cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling opportunities in the surrounding meadows, and downhill skiing is available on the slopes behind the cabin. Click here for an Idaho OHV safety message.

Facilities

The cabin is open for reservations during the winter only. In the summer, it is used by Forest Service employees as a guard station.

The cabin can comfortably accommodate four people on one double bed and one single bed, each with mattresses, and one couch. More people can use sleeping bags on the floor, but due to the cabin's size, group size is limited to eight people. Guests need to bring their own food, toiletries, towels, bedding and trash bags.

The cabin is equipped with electricity, which powers the lights and a standard four-burner stove and oven, but due to heavy snowfall on power lines, electricity cannot be guaranteed at all times. Be prepared to cook meals on the wood stove if the power is out. Firewood is provided, though it may need to be split.

A table and chairs and additional seating is provided, along with a battery powered lantern and a wooden rack for drying clothes. The water system is turned off during the winter season so the indoor flush toilet and running water are not available. A vault toilet is located behind the station.

Natural Features

The cabin is situated in a stand of lodgepole pines. On clear days, the cabin's front porch affords breathtaking views of the rugged Sawtooth Mountain Range to the south.

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

What people do here

  • camping
  • winter sports

The land around Cape Horn Winter Rental

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 September 15, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.