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

Forest Service cabin or lookout

Podunk Guard Station

Forest Service cabin or lookout in Dixie National Forest, Kane County, Utah. 8,101 feet. 12.4 miles from Alton.

Managed by
Forest Service Dixie National Forest
Elevation
8,101 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
1 1 cabin non-electric
Longest rig
30 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Kane County

Overview

Podunk Guard Station is located next to the East Fork Sevier River, in the Dixie National Forest in southern Utah. The cabin was constructed in 1928 and has been used by generations of Forest Service employees.

Guests enjoy exploring local trails on foot, horseback, mountain bike and off-road vehicle. The river offers fishing and swimming opportunities.

Recreation

Recreational opportunities in the area include hiking, mountain biking, off-roading and fishing. The Paunsaugunt, Fremont and Great Western OHV Trail Systems can be accessed easily from the guard station.

Facilities

The two-room cabin can sleep six people on two, twin-size bunk beds located in the bedroom, and a double-size futon in the living room. No linens or bedding are provided.

The kitchen is equipped with a propane cook top range and oven, a table and chairs. No pots, pans, dishes or utensils are available. Guests must bring their own cooking and eating euipment. A wood stove is provided for heat, firewood is not guaranteed. The cabin has seasonal water running water in the kitchen sink only (when temperatures are freezing the water will be turned off).

A vault toilet, picnic table and campfire ring are located outside.

Natural Features

The cabin sits in a narrow mountain valley just above the meandering East Fork Sevier River. The meadow is surrounded by mature spruce trees, and grasses and willow thickets line the riverbanks.

Average summer temperatures range from 74 degrees during the day to 42 degrees at night. September temperatures range from 68 to 37 degrees; October temperatures range from 57 to 27 degrees.

Nearby Attractions

Tropic Reservoir is 8.5 miles north of the cabin. Boating, canoeing and fishing are popular activities. Anglers fish for brook, rainbow, brown and cutthroat trout. A boat ramp is located on the west side of the reservoir.

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

What people do here

  • biking
  • boating
  • camping
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • hunting
  • picnicking
  • swimming site
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Podunk 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.

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.