Piney Guard Station

White River National Forest — lakeside, hiking

Location: MINTURN, CO, CO

Price: From $50 per night

Rating: 4.4 out of 5 (28 reviews)

Season: Year-round

Piney Guard Station is a rustic cabin that was constructed in the 1930s as a work station for Forest Service crews. structure has a single room and is built from logs. It is open both summer and winter with spring and late fall closures.Piney Guard Station can sleep up to four people.

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

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Drinking Water, Electric Hookups, Firewood for Sale

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

Piney Guard Station is a historic 1930s log cabin offering rustic year-round recreation in a scenic mountain location with access to biking, hiking, and winter sports activities.

Wildlife alert: North American Mountain Lion, Elk, Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel, Wilson's Warbler, Northern Flicker, Chipping Sparrow, Western Wood-Pewee, and Wandering Garter Snake documented in the area.

Insider tips for Piney Guard Station: Book early — this is a federal campground with high demand. Only 1 site available; verify current operational status before traveling due to seasonal closures in spring and late fall. Firewood available for purchase on-site.

Skip Piney Guard Station if: Expecting full hookups — no hookups available at this site.. Visiting during spring or late fall closures.. Seeking RV camping — only tent site available at this rustic cabin facility..

Best time to visit Piney Guard Station: Summer — Year-round operation with spring and late fall closures; summer offers optimal access for biking, hiking, and wildlife viewing.. Winter — Open winter season with access to snowshoeing and cross-country skiing on Forest Service roads..

Nearby campgrounds: Radium Recreation Area (Kremmling, CO), Elliott Creek Campground (Co) (Silverthorne, CO), Pumphouse Recreation Area (Bond, CO), Willows Campground (Co) (Silverthorne, CO).

Cell Phone Coverage at Piney Guard Station

Cell signal at Piney Guard Station (MINTURN, 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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White River National Forest — lakeside, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Piney Guard Station

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MINTURN, CO, CO★ 4.4 (28 reviews)From $50/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Piney Guard Station is a rustic cabin that was constructed in the 1930s as a work station for Forest Service crews. structure has a single room and is built from logs. It is open both summer and winter with spring and late fall closures.Piney Guard Station can sleep up to four people.

Best for:HikersWildlife 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 RV10 ft
HookupsNo hookups.
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking Water
Recreation
Picnic TablesElectric Hookups
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:✕ Expecting full hookups — no hookups available at this site.✕ Visiting during spring or late fall closures.✕ Seeking RV camping — only tent site available at this rustic cabin facility.

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a federal campground with high demand.

Only 1 site available; verify current operational status before traveling due to seasonal closures in spring and late fall.

Firewood available for purchase on-site.

Best: Summer

Year-round operation with spring and late fall closures; summer offers optimal access for biking, hiking, and wildlife viewing.

Best: Winter

Open winter season with access to snowshoeing and cross-country skiing on Forest Service roads.

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: North American Mountain Lion, Elk, Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel, Wilson's Warbler, Northern Flicker, Chipping Sparrow, Western Wood-Pewee, and Wandering Garter Snake documented in the area.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
970-827-5715· White River National Forest
Getting there →

Take I-70 east from Grand Junction, CO, about 126 miles or heading west from Denver about 119 miles to exit 157. Take Highway 131 north through the town of Wolcott about 5 miles. Turn right onto Forest Road #700 (Muddy Pass Road). From this location, you must follow seasonal access directions to the cabin, as detailed below: Winter season Accessing the cabin during the winter season ( November 23rd - May 20th ) depends on snowpack. If the snowpack is minimal, you may be able to use a high cleara

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 — White River National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at White River 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 Piney Guard Station cost per night?+
Piney Guard Station costs $50 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Piney Guard Station open?+
Piney Guard Station is open Year-round. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Piney Guard Station have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Piney Guard Station?+
Piney Guard Station can accommodate RVs up to 10 feet.
How do I make reservations at Piney Guard Station?+
Piney 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 Piney Guard Station?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Piney Guard Station is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Piney Guard Station open, and what are check-in times?+
Piney 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.

$50 /night★ 4.4 (28)
SeasonYear-round
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Piney Guard Station cost per night?+
What season is Piney Guard Station open?+
Does Piney Guard Station have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Radium Recreation Area

Kremmling, CO

From $25/night

Elliott Creek Campground (Co)

Silverthorne, CO

From $21/night

Pumphouse Recreation Area

Bond, CO

From $25/night

Forest campground camping

Willows Campground (Co)

Silverthorne, CO

From $21/night

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