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A dark green Toyota pickup with a roof tent parked in tall dry grass as mist closes in.

Forest Service cabin or lookout

Egan Basin Guard Station

Forest Service cabin or lookout in Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Franklin County, Idaho. 10.1 miles from St. Charles.

Reserve on Recreation.gov
Managed by
Forest Service Caribou-Targhee National Forest
Sites
1 1 cabin non-electric
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Franklin County

Overview

Egan Basin Guard Station is a rustic retreat in the Montpelier Ranger District of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest of southeastern Idaho, near the Utah border. The Montpelier area is known for its abundance of year-round recreational opportunities. The guard station is accessible by SUV/4 wheel drive during warmer weather. Snow conditions may exist in the Fall and spring. The cabin is used as a warming hut during the winter months and is not reservable (December 1 to April 30). The cabin provides few amenities, so guests should be prepared to haul most of the gear and supplies they'll need to make their stay comfortable.

Recreation

Guests can enjoy nearby trails for hiking, mountain biking and off-road vehicles ( Idaho OHV safety message ). Winter sports include snowmobiling and cross-country skiing.

Anglers can fish in nearby Beaver Creek. Hunting areas are located nearby.

Facilities

The guard station has a maximum capacity of 15 people. This is a single-room A-frame cabin with a table and chairs, two single beds and a sleeping loft. A wood stove is provided for heat and firewood may be available.

A picnic table is just outside the cabin. An outhouse with vault toilet is located on-site.

Water and electricity are not available. Guests must provide their own drinking water. A cook stove, light sources, cookware, kitchen utensils, bedding and emergency supplies are not provided.

Guests must bring trash bags to pack out their garbage, and are expected to clean the cabin before leaving.

Natural Features

Egan Basin Guard Station is situated in an open meadow surrounded by mixed conifers and aspens. Wildflowers dot the landscape in the summer. The cabin sits at an elevation of 7,500 feet surrounded by the limestone and dolomite peaks of the Bear River Mountains.

Large populations of deer, elk and moose inhabit this rugged backcountry. Pikas and marmots make their home here as well. Beavers are often spotted in the mountain streams.

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

What people do here

  • biking
  • camping
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • hunting
  • winter sports

The land around Egan Basin 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. The federal record’s point for it sits at a very different height from the one the agency describes, so the pin may be off: trust the directions above over the map.

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 May 22, 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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