Elwood Cabin

Rio Grande National Forest — riverside, fishing, hiking

Location: La Jara, CO, CO

Price: From $50 per night

Rating: 4.2 out of 5 (18 reviews)

Season: Year-round

Elwood Cabin sits in a saddle along the San Juan Mountains overlooking an open meadow, offering guests a unique lodging opportunity. The cabin was built in 1911 by the Mountain States Telephone Company as a "line shack" to support crews maintaining the transcontinental telephone line. Remnants of this old telephone line are still found along Iron Creek to the southeast.

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

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Camp Host, Fishing, Firewood for Sale

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

Historic 1911 cabin in the San Juan Mountains offering solitude and panoramic meadow views. Campers praise its rustic charm and peaceful setting, with a 4.8/5 rating highlighting awesome solitude and great views.

Wildlife alert: Mountain lions present in area; also yellow-bellied marmots, wapiti, golden-mantled ground squirrels, muskrats, red-tailed hawks, and various warbler species.

Insider tips for Elwood Cabin: Book early—this is a federal campground with only 1 site and high demand. Firewood available for purchase on-site. Camp host present for assistance. Fishing and hiking accessible from the location.

Skip Elwood Cabin if: You need hookups—no electrical, water, or sewage connections available.. You want modern amenities—this is a rustic, primitive cabin.. You're unfamiliar with mountain weather and wildlife—elevation unknown but in San Juan Mountains..

Best time to visit Elwood Cabin: Year-round — Campground operates year-round with winter sports listed as available activity..

Nearby campgrounds: Platoro Cabin 1 (La Jara, CO), Off Cow Camp Cabin (Del Norte, CO), Lake Fork(Rio Grande Natl Fore (Antonito, CO), Big Meadows Reservoir Campground (South Central Co) (DEL NORTE, CO).

Cell Phone Coverage at Elwood Cabin

Cell signal at Elwood Cabin (La Jara, 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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Rio Grande National Forest — riverside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Elwood Cabin

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La Jara, CO, CO★ 4.2 (18 reviews)From $50/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Elwood Cabin sits in a saddle along the San Juan Mountains overlooking an open meadow, offering guests a unique lodging opportunity. The cabin was built in 1911 by the Mountain States Telephone Company as a "line shack" to support crews maintaining the transcontinental telephone line. Remnants of this old telephone line are still found along Iron Creek to the southeast.

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
SeasonYear-round
Stay limit14 days
Max RV50 ft
HookupsNo hookups.
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsCamp Host
Recreation
Picnic TablesFishing
Family & Pets
Vault ToiletsFirewood for Sale

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 hookups—no electrical, water, or sewage connections available.✕ You want modern amenities—this is a rustic, primitive cabin.✕ You're unfamiliar with mountain weather and wildlife—elevation unknown but in San Juan Mountains.

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

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

Firewood available for purchase on-site.

Camp host present for assistance.

Fishing and hiking accessible from the location.

Best: Year-round

Campground operates year-round with winter sports listed as available activity.

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: Mountain lions present in area; also yellow-bellied marmots, wapiti, golden-mantled ground squirrels, muskrats, red-tailed hawks, and various warbler species.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
719-274-8971· Rio Grande National Forest
Getting there →

From Del Norte, take U.S. Highway 160 west to South Fork. Continue west on U.S. Highway 160 for 8 miles to Park Creek Road. Travel 15 miles on Park Creek Road to Summitville Road. Turn right on FSR 380, the cabin is about 2 miles on the left. From the junction of FSR 250 in the Alamosa Canyon and FSR 380, follow FSR 380 about 8 miles, the cabin is on the right. Access to the cabin in the summertime can be accomplished with just about any vehicle; however, when the dirt roads are wet they tend to

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.
  • Bear country — store all food in bear boxes or locked vehicle at all times.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Elwood Cabin cost per night?+
Elwood Cabin costs $50 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Elwood Cabin open?+
Elwood Cabin is open Year-round. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Elwood Cabin have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Elwood Cabin?+
Elwood Cabin can accommodate RVs up to 50 feet.
How do I make reservations at Elwood Cabin?+
Elwood Cabin 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 Elwood Cabin?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Elwood Cabin is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Elwood Cabin open, and what are check-in times?+
Elwood Cabin is open Year-round. 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★ 4.2 (18)
SeasonYear-round
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Elwood Cabin cost per night?+
What season is Elwood Cabin open?+
Does Elwood Cabin have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Platoro Cabin 1

La Jara, CO

From $75/night

Off Cow Camp Cabin

Del Norte, CO

From $25/night

Lake Fork(Rio Grande Natl Fore

Antonito, CO

From $29/night

Big Meadows Reservoir Campground (South Central Co)

DEL NORTE, CO

From $29/night

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