Brewery Creek Guard Station

Rio Grande National Forest — fishing, hiking

Location: SAGUACHE, CO, CO

Price: From $50 per night

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (11 reviews)

Season: May through October

Brewery Creek Guard Station is situated at an elevation of 9,500 feet in a densely wooded aspen grove overlooking Brewery Creek. The cabin is a few miles south of the Continental Divide on the northern end of the San Luis Valley in the Rio Grande National Forest. Built in 1935, the two room cabin was originally used by a forest ranger who oversaw the Poncha and Bonanza Districts of what was then called the Cochetopa National Forest.

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

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Electric Hookups, Fishing

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

Historic 1935 forest ranger cabin at 9,500 feet in a densely wooded aspen grove overlooking Brewery Creek with amenities like propane lanterns, cook stove, and well water. Google reviewers praise it as an authentic off-grid nature experience with fun fishing opportunities.

Wildlife alert: Moose, Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, American Beaver, Dusky Grouse, Great Horned Owl, and Williamson's Sapsucker verified in the area.

Insider tips for Brewery Creek Guard Station: Book early—this is a federal campground with only 1 site and high demand. From Saguache, take Hwy 285 north 15 miles to Villa Grove, then County Rd LL56 west about 13 miles to reach the cabin. The cabin includes a well for water and propane lanterns for lighting—rare amenities for a forest service property.

Skip Brewery Creek Guard Station if: You need RV hookups—no hookups available.. You prefer staying during winter months—seasonal closure November through April.. You want a tent camping experience—this is a cabin-only property..

Best time to visit Brewery Creek Guard Station: May-October — Campground operates seasonally during these months only..

Nearby campgrounds: Ohaver Lake (SALIDA, CO), Monarch Park (SALIDA, CO), Upper Crossing Guard Station (Saguache, CO), Hayden Creek (Cotopaxi, CO).

Cell Phone Coverage at Brewery Creek Guard Station

Cell signal at Brewery Creek Guard Station (SAGUACHE, 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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Brewery Creek Guard Station — photo 1
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Rio Grande National Forest — fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Brewery Creek Guard Station

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SAGUACHE, CO, CO★ 4.5 (11 reviews)From $50/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Brewery Creek Guard Station is situated at an elevation of 9,500 feet in a densely wooded aspen grove overlooking Brewery Creek. The cabin is a few miles south of the Continental Divide on the northern end of the San Luis Valley in the Rio Grande National Forest. Built in 1935, the two room cabin was originally used by a forest ranger who oversaw the Poncha and Bonanza Districts of what was then called the Cochetopa National Forest.

Best for:AnglersHikersWildlife watchersFamiliesSites:Tent
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
Max RV25 ft
HookupsNo hookups.
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsElectric Hookups
Recreation
Picnic TablesFishing
Family & Pets
Vault Toilets

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—no hookups available.✕ You prefer staying during winter months—seasonal closure November through April.✕ You want a tent camping experience—this is a cabin-only property.

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a federal campground with only 1 site and high demand.

From Saguache, take Hwy 285 north 15 miles to Villa Grove, then County Rd LL56 west about 13 miles to reach the cabin.

The cabin includes a well for water and propane lanterns for lighting

rare amenities for a forest service property.

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally during these months only.

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: Moose, Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, American Beaver, Dusky Grouse, Great Horned Owl, and Williamson's Sapsucker verified in the area.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
719-655-2547· Rio Grande National Forest
Getting there →

From Saguache, go north on Hwy 285 for 15 miles to Villa Grove. Take the Bonanza turnoff, County Rd LL56, on the left 0.1 mile north of Villa Grove. Stay on LL56 about 13 miles west to the "Brewery Creek " sign and make a left turn, crossing a bridge. Travel on Forest Road #880 for 1.5 miles. There are 2 boundary gates before the cabin gate, one is for private property next to the Bonanza Ranch, and the second gate is the Bureau of Land Management / Forest boundary. The cabin gate is to the righ

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 — Rio Grande National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Rio Grande National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Brewery Creek Guard Station cost per night?+
Brewery Creek Guard Station costs $50 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Brewery Creek Guard Station open?+
Brewery Creek Guard Station is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Brewery Creek Guard Station have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Brewery Creek Guard Station?+
Brewery Creek Guard Station can accommodate RVs up to 25 feet.
How do I make reservations at Brewery Creek Guard Station?+
Brewery Creek 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 Brewery Creek Guard Station?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Brewery Creek Guard Station is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Brewery Creek Guard Station open, and what are check-in times?+
Brewery Creek Guard Station is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
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●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.

$50 /night★ 4.5 (11)
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 Brewery Creek Guard Station cost per night?+
What season is Brewery Creek Guard Station open?+
Does Brewery Creek Guard Station have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Ohaver Lake

SALIDA, CO

From $28/night

Monarch Park

SALIDA, CO

From $24/night

Upper Crossing Guard Station

Saguache, CO

From $75/night

Hayden Creek

Cotopaxi, CO

From $22/night

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