Upper Crossing Guard Station

About

Upper Crossing Guard Station is a historic Forest Service cabin located at 8,400 feet elevation in the Rio Grande National Forest near the Continental Divide. The cabin served as the original headquarters of the old Cochetopa National Forest during the early 1900s and sits in an area once favored by Ute Indians. The brief dirt road leading to the cabin follows the old stagecoach route, still bearing historic graffiti that served as advertisements for stagecoach stops. The fully renovated cabin offers modern amenities rarely found in backcountry rentals: electricity, propane heat, a wood-burning stove, running water (tested monthly), and a full bathroom with an ADA-accessible shower. The kitchen is also ADA-accessible and includes a refrigerator, stove, and hot water. Sleeping accommodations consist of three bunk beds that sleep up to 9 people. Outside amenities include a picnic table, fire ring with grill, horseshoe pit, and a vault toilet. The cabin sits at the confluence of two creeks providing excellent fishing for rainbow, cutthroat, brown, and brook trout. Surrounding public lands offer hiking in summer, hunting in fall, and cross-country skiing and snowmobiling in winter. Despite its remote setting, the cabin is easily accessible year-round via Highway 114, though winter visitors may need to snowmobile, snowshoe, or ski the final half-mile from the maintained road.

Directions

From Saguache, take Highway 114 west for approximately 22 miles. The turnoff is 1 mile past County Road NN14, between mile markers 39 and 40. Look for the Upper Crossing sign. Turn east for a short distance until the road ends in a T, then turn right and go 0.5 mile. The cabin will be on the left. From Gunnison, remain on Highway 114 until approximately 4 miles past Buffalo Pass Campground entrance. Access to the cabin is only allowed via this route; the road south of the gate crosses private property.