Grizzly Creek Guard Station

Medicine Bow-Routt NFs & Thunder Basin NG — fishing, hiking

Location: WALDEN, CO, CO

Price: From $90 per night

Rating: 2 out of 5 (5 reviews)

Season: Year-round

At an elevation of 8,500 feet, Grizzly Creek Guard Station is located between Walden and Steamboat Springs, Colorado, offering guests an unique lodging opportunity in the Routt National Forest. The area around the guard station offers a chance to view abundant wildlife and experience a variety of recreational opportunities year-round. The guard station is accessible by passenger vehicle when there is no snow; however, high clearance vehicles are recommended in the spring and fall.

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

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

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

Located at 8,500 feet in Routt National Forest between Walden and Steamboat Springs, this unique guard station offers year-round lodging with abundant wildlife viewing and recreational opportunities including fishing, hiking, biking, and winter sports. Real campers praise it as an incredible family experience with nice rustic accommodations and well-preserved history.

Wildlife alert: Greater Sage-Grouse, Short-eared Owl, Sandhill Crane, Willet, Red Fox, and White-tailed Jackrabbit documented in the area

Insider tips for Grizzly Creek Guard Station: Book early as a federal campground with limited availability (1 site only) Bring a lantern - no electricity despite amenities list indicating electric hookups Bring your own water supply - no running water available despite conflicting amenity descriptions

Skip Grizzly Creek Guard Station if: You require hookups or modern amenities - most sites have no hookups and facilities are rustic. You cannot access via high clearance vehicle - passenger vehicles not recommended in spring/fall due to snow. You need running water and electricity - this is a rustic experience with pit toilet only.

Best time to visit Grizzly Creek Guard Station: Year-round — Campground operates year-round with winter sports available; however high clearance vehicles recommended in spring and fall due to snow and road conditions.

Nearby campgrounds: Teal Lake Group Campsite (Walden, CO), Hidden Lakes Campground (WY), Dry Lake Campground (Co) (Steamboat Springs, CO), Dumont Campground (STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO).

Cell Phone Coverage at Grizzly Creek Guard Station

Cell signal at Grizzly Creek Guard Station (WALDEN, 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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Medicine Bow-Routt NFs & Thunder Basin NG — fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Grizzly Creek Guard Station

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WALDEN, CO, CO★ 2 (5 reviews)From $90/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

At an elevation of 8,500 feet, Grizzly Creek Guard Station is located between Walden and Steamboat Springs, Colorado, offering guests an unique lodging opportunity in the Routt National Forest. The area around the guard station offers a chance to view abundant wildlife and experience a variety of recreational opportunities year-round. The guard station is accessible by passenger vehicle when there is no snow; however, high clearance vehicles are recommended in the spring and fall.

Best for:AnglersHikersBoatersWildlife 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
HookupsNo hookups.
ADA sites1 sites
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsFishing
Recreation
Picnic Tables
Family & Pets
Electric Hookups

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 require hookups or modern amenities - most sites have no hookups and facilities are rustic✕ You cannot access via high clearance vehicle - passenger vehicles not recommended in spring/fall due to snow✕ You need running water and electricity - this is a rustic experience with pit toilet only

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early as a federal campground with limited availability (1 site only)

Bring a lantern - no electricity despite amenities list indicating electric hookups

Bring your own water supply - no running water available despite conflicting amenity descriptions

Best: Year-round

Campground operates year-round with winter sports available; however high clearance vehicles recommended in spring and fall due to snow and road conditions

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: Greater Sage-Grouse, Short-eared Owl, Sandhill Crane, Willet, Red Fox, and White-tailed Jackrabbit documented in the area

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
970-723-2700· Medicine Bow-Routt NFs & Thunder Basin NG
Getting there →

From Walden, take Highway 14 west for approximately 11 miles to Hebron. Turn right on County Road 24, driving west. Follow County Road 24 as it forks left and then right at intersections with County Roads 1 and 5. After approximately 10 miles, the road becomes Forest Service Road 60 and you arrive at the Grizzly Creek Guard Station.

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 — Medicine Bow-Routt NFs & Thunder Basin NG fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Medicine Bow-Routt NFs & Thunder Basin NG before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Grizzly Creek Guard Station cost per night?+
Grizzly Creek Guard Station costs $90 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Grizzly Creek Guard Station open?+
Grizzly Creek Guard Station is open Year-round. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Grizzly Creek Guard Station have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Grizzly Creek Guard Station?+
Grizzly Creek Guard Station is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Grizzly Creek Guard Station?+
Grizzly 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 Grizzly Creek Guard Station?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Grizzly 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 Grizzly Creek Guard Station open, and what are check-in times?+
Grizzly Creek Guard Station 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.

$90 /night★ 2 (5)
SeasonYear-round
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Grizzly Creek Guard Station cost per night?+
What season is Grizzly Creek Guard Station open?+
Does Grizzly Creek Guard Station have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Teal Lake Group Campsite

Walden, CO

From $20/night

Hidden Lakes Campground

WY

From $20/night

Dry Lake Campground (Co)

Steamboat Springs, CO

From $26/night

Dumont Campground

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO

From $26/night

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