Utah / Uintah County / Ashley National Forest

Colton Guard Station

Open — Open for reservations year-round except November, April, and May. Vehicle access is available approximately June 1 to October 31; winter access December 1 to March 31 requires snowmobile, cross-country skis, or snowshoes. From mid-September to mid-June, the cabin is winterized with no water or indoor toilet available.

About

Colton Guard Station sits in Colton Hollow at 8,500 feet elevation, approximately 5 miles west of U.S. Highway 191 near Vernal, Utah. Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933 during the Great Depression, this historic complex served as a residence for rangers who patrolled the Ashley National Forest on horseback before modern vehicles. The Ashley National Forest Vernal Ranger District now rents this guard station to provide visitors with an authentic rustic experience similar to early forest rangers. The complex includes a cabin that sleeps three people on one twin bunk and one twin bed, plus a bunkhouse behind the cabin accommodating up to eight additional people on twin mattresses. The kitchen features a sink, propane range, table, and four chairs. Heat is provided by a wood-burning stove, and solar lights are available but not reliable. Tent camping is permitted outside. From mid-June to mid-September, the cabin has running water, but from mid-September to mid-June, water and indoor toilets are unavailable. An outdoor vault toilet is available year-round. Surrounded by aspens and pines with abundant wildlife and summer wildflowers, the location offers excellent access to hiking, biking, horseback riding, and off-road vehicle trails in summer. Winter brings snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing opportunities right from the front door. The site is within 30 miles of Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area and near the Ashley-Karst National Geologic Recreation Area with its dramatic canyons and cave networks.

Directions

From Vernal, travel north on U.S. Highway 191 for approximately 20 miles. Turn left (west) on Forest Road 020. Continue northwest on paved Forest Road 020 for approximately two miles. Turn left (southwest) at Forest Road 019 and continue for less than a mile to an intersection with Forest Roads 028 and 019. Turn left, continuing south on Forest Road 019 for approximately 1.75 miles, where the road turns sharply right (west). Follow the hairpin turn down into a ravine to Colton Guard Station.

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