Overview
The Jack Creek Guard Station is available mid-June through October, weather permitting. This was the northern ranger cabin for the historic Encampment Ranger District, built by Ranger Evie Williams in 1934, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The one-room cabin can accommodate up to four people with two bunk beds, a combination wood/propane cook stove, simple table and chairs. There is no indoor plumbing, a vault toilet is located within walking distances . Water is available during the summer months from the freeze-proof hydrant outside and from the Jack Creek Campground nearby . Items to bring include bedding/sleeping bag, food, dish soap and sponge, trash bags, first aid kit, flashlight, towels and washcloths, personal items. Basic cooking and eating utensils are provided. Utensils need to be cleaned and put away after use. The garbage is pack-in, pack-out. Saddle/ pack animals may not be be kept within the Jack Creek Guard Station area. Campers, tents or trailers may not be set up at this facility. Please clean up after your pets.
The Jack Creek Guard Station is located southwest of Saratoga, Wyoming, offering visitors a unique lodging experience in the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests.
The guard station once served as the northern ranger cabin for the historic Encampment Ranger District. It was constructed by Ranger Evie Williams in 1934. Oral history states that Ranger Williams spent most of his construction dollars on the material for the foundation and chimney, and used his own funds to finish the windows and roof.
The guard station is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and offers guests recreation and relaxation in a delightful natural setting. The cabin is typically open from mid-June through mid-October and is accessible by vehicle. Basic amenities are provided, but guests will need to pack in some of their own supplies and gear.
Recreation
Lake and Pond Fishing
Areas for Lake and Pond Fishing at Sierra Madre Area
Brush Creek/Hayden Ranger District Office
Hog Park Boat Dock and Ramp
Hog Park Campground
Hog Park Picnic Site
Lake View Picnic Site at Hog Park
River and Stream Fishing
Areas for River and Stream Fishing at Sierra Madre Area
Big Creek-Holroyd Park Trailhead
Bottle Creek Campground
Bottle Creek Group Picnic Site
Brush Creek/Hayden Ranger District Office
East Fork - Encampment River Trail
Encampment River Wilderness
Hog Park Campground
Huston Park Wilderness
Jack Creek Campground
Jack Creek Crew Quarters
Jack Creek Guard Station
Purgatory Gulch Trailhead
Day Hiking
Areas for Day Hiking at Sierra Madre Area
Baby Lake Trailhead
Big Creek Park Trailhead
Big Creek-Holroyd Park Trailhead
Bottle Creek Campground
Bottle Creek Group Picnic Site
Bottle Creek Trails
Brush Creek/Hayden Ranger District Office
CDNST - Deep Jack Trailhead
CDNST - Pipeline Trailhead
CDNST - Red Mountain Trailhead
Commissary Park Trailhead
East Fork - Encampment River Trail
Encampment River Wilderness
Green Mountain Falls Trailhead
Green Mountain Trailhead
Hog Park Campground
Huston Park Wilderness
Jack Creek Campground
Jack Creek Crew Quarters
Lost Creek Campground
Purgatory Gulch Trailhead
Backpacking
Areas for Backpacking at Sierra Madre Area
Baby Lake Trailhead
Brush Creek/Hayden Ranger District Office
CDNST - Deep Jack Trailhead
CDNST - Pipeline Trailhead
CDNST - Red Mountain Trailhead
Commissary Park Trailhead
East Fork - Encampment River Trail
Encampment River Wilderness
Green Mountain Trailhead
Huston Park Wilderness
Purgatory Gulch Trailhead
Viewing Wildlife
Areas for Viewing Wildlife at Sierra Madre Area
Brush Creek/Hayden Ranger District Office
Hog Park Campground
Jack Creek Crew Quarters
Jack Creek Guard Station
Sandstone Cabin
Viewing Plants
Areas for Viewing Plants at Sierra Madre Area
Brush Creek/Hayden Ranger District Office
Hog Park Campground
Jack Creek Crew Quarters
Jack Creek Guard Station
Viewing Scenery
Areas for Viewing Scenery at Sierra Madre Area
Brush Creek/Hayden Ranger District Office
Encampment River Wilderness
Green Mountain Falls Trailhead
Hog Park Campground
Huston Park Wilderness
Facilities
The one-room cabin is furnished with two sets of bunk beds and can accommodate up to four people. Heat is provided by a combination wood and propane cook stove. Basic cooking and eating utensils and propane lights are supplied.
Water is available during the summer months from a hydrant just outside or a hand pump at Jack Creek Campground, one mile away. There is no indoor plumbing, but a vault toilet is located nearby. A picnic table and campfire ring are also outside the cabin. Please use propane side of stove for cooking and heat. There is no trash service; this is a pack-it-in, pack-it-out facility.
Natural Features
From open, high expanses to valleys and canyons that rise steeply to snowy ranges, the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests encompass mountain ranges, tributaries to the North Platte River and the Colorado River, and a mix of forested ecology with spruce, lodgepole pine, subalpine fir, aspen and shrub lands.
The Jack Creek Guard Station sits in a clearing with lodgepole pine, aspen and mixed conifer forest at an elevation of 8,500 feet. Wildlife viewing is abundant in the area, including elk, deer, bear and moose.
The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.
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
Road
Primitive Road
Road
Primitive Road
Trail
Roads open to all Vehicles, Yearlong
Roads open to all Vehicles, Seasonal
Roads open to highway legal vehicles only, Yearlong
Roads open to highway legal vehicles only, Seasonal
Special Designation, Yearlong
Special Designation, Seasonal
Trails open to all vehicles, Yearlong
Trails open to all vehicles, Seasonal
Trails open to vehicles 50" or less in width, Yearlong
Trails open to vehicles 50" or less in width, Seasonal
Trails open to motorcycles, Yearlong
Trails open to motorcycles, Seasonal
Special Designation, Seasonal
Trails Open to Wheeled Vehicles Only < 50" in Width, Yearlong
Trails Open to Wheeled Vehicles Only < 50" or Less in Width, Seasonal
Wilderness Area
Wilderness Study Area