Bassam Guard Station

PSICC — riverside, fishing

Location: SALIDA, CO, CO

Price: From $75 per night

Rating: 4.7 out of 5 (25 reviews)

Season: May through October

Bassam Guard Station was built in 1911 as one of a network of remote stations to be used by the first forest rangers and guards to monitor grazing sheep and cattle, manage timber harvesting, apprehended poachers, and report fire, road and weather conditions on National Forest lands. This cabin provides visitors with access to many recreation opportunities in the remote back country. The cabin sits in a stand of Aspens at an approximate elevation of 9,700 feet, south of Bassam Ridge.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Drinking Water, Showers, Camp Host, Fishing, Firewood for Sale

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/bassam-guard-station to be notified when sites open up.

Historic 1911 guard station providing access to remote backcountry recreation with nearby Arkansas River opportunities for kayaking and whitewater rafting. Amenities include drinking water, showers, and a camp host on-site.

Wildlife alert: Plateau Fence Lizards present in the area; be aware when moving around camp and hiking.

Insider tips for Bassam Guard Station: Book early — federal campground with high demand and only 1 total site Bring your own RV hookups or plan for self-contained camping; no hookups available Day trip to Arkansas River is accessible from here for water sports (kayaking/whitewater rafting mentioned in official description) Firewood available for purchase on-site, so you can travel lighter

Skip Bassam Guard Station if: You need RV hookups — none are available at this site. You're visiting outside May-October — seasonal operations only. You want a developed multi-site campground — only 1 site total.

Best time to visit Bassam Guard Station: May-October — Campground operates seasonally during these months only per verified operational schedule.

Nearby campgrounds: Bootleg (Nathrop, CO), Turtle Rock Campground (Canon City, CO), Mount Princeton (SALIDA, CO), Chalk Lake (SALIDA, CO).

Cell Phone Coverage at Bassam Guard Station

Cell signal at Bassam Guard Station (SALIDA, CO): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

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PSICC — riverside, fishingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Bassam Guard Station

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SALIDA, CO, CO★ 4.7 (25 reviews)From $75/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Bassam Guard Station was built in 1911 as one of a network of remote stations to be used by the first forest rangers and guards to monitor grazing sheep and cattle, manage timber harvesting, apprehended poachers, and report fire, road and weather conditions on National Forest lands. This cabin provides visitors with access to many recreation opportunities in the remote back country. The cabin sits in a stand of Aspens at an approximate elevation of 9,700 feet, south of Bassam Ridge.

Best for:AnglersBoatersFamiliesSites:TentRV
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsShowersFirewood for Sale
Recreation
Picnic TablesCamp Host
Family & Pets
Drinking WaterFishing

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need RV hookups — none are available at this site✕ You're visiting outside May-October — seasonal operations only✕ You want a developed multi-site campground — only 1 site total

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

federal campground with high demand and only 1 total site

Bring your own RV hookups or plan for self-contained camping; no hookups available

Day trip to Arkansas River is accessible from here for water sports (kayaking/whitewater rafting mentioned in official description)

Firewood available for purchase on-site, so you can travel lighter

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally during these months only per verified operational schedule

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Plateau Fence Lizards present in the area; be aware when moving around camp and hiking.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
Getting there →

From Salida travel north on Highway 285 to the junction with Highways 24/285 near Johnson's Village. Turn right onto Hwys 24/285, passing through Johnson's Village. Stay on this highway for 5 miles, then watch for a sign on the left for County Road 307 (next to private property with railroad items on display). Turn right onto CR 307 and travel for 1.5 miles to the junction with CR 187. Turn right onto CR 187 and travel south for 7 miles to the intersection with CR 186. Turn left on CR 186 and tr

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — PSICC fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at PSICC before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Bassam Guard Station cost per night?+
Bassam Guard Station costs $75 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Bassam Guard Station open?+
Bassam Guard Station is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Bassam Guard Station have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Bassam Guard Station?+
Bassam Guard Station is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Bassam Guard Station?+
Bassam Guard Station is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Bassam Guard Station?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Bassam Guard Station is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Bassam Guard Station open, and what are check-in times?+
Bassam Guard Station is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$75 /night★ 4.7 (25)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Bassam Guard Station cost per night?+
What season is Bassam Guard Station open?+
Does Bassam Guard Station have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Bootleg

Nathrop, CO

From $20/night

Turtle Rock Campground

Canon City, CO

From $20/night

Mount Princeton

SALIDA, CO

From $25/night

Chalk Lake

SALIDA, CO

From $25/night

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