Silesca Cabin

Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forest — hiking

Location: Montrose, CO, CO

Price: From $120 per night

Rating: 4.8 out of 5 (13 reviews)

Season: May through October

The historic Silesca Cabin, once used as a Ranger Station, is a semi-rustic dwelling with comfortable modern conveniences like electricity and refrigerator. Located 40 minutes west of the city of Montrose, the cabin is set back 100 feet from the main road, providing easy access with some privacy. The cabin is accessible in the summer and fall by passenger vehicle, when the road is dry.

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

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Drinking Water, Electric Hookups

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

Historic semi-rustic cabin with modern conveniences like electricity and refrigerator, located 40 minutes west of Montrose with good access and privacy. Offers diverse recreation including hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and hunting.

Wildlife alert: Wapiti, Coyote, Red Fox, Wild Turkey, and Merriam's Turkey present in area. One review mentioned seeing a long slithery thing in the pond.

Insider tips for Silesca Cabin: Book early as this is a federal campground with only 1 site Visit during dry season for easier passenger vehicle access; four-wheel drive recommended for wet conditions Cabin is set back 100 feet from main road for privacy despite easy access

Skip Silesca Cabin if: Expecting fully maintained facilities—reviews note the cabin is run down and requires self-cleaning. Sensitive to dust or water quality issues—reviews mention extremely dusty conditions and orange-colored water from toilets. You need hookups—no hookups available at this site.

Best time to visit Silesca Cabin: May-October — Official operating season. Summer and fall offer best road conditions for passenger vehicles; four-wheel drive recommended when road is wet..

Nearby campgrounds: Black Canyon Of The Gunnison South Rim Campground (MONTROSE, CO), Black Canyon Of The Gunnison North Rim Campground (Montrose, CO), East Portal Campground (Montrose, CO), Lone Cone Cabin (Norwood , CO).

Cell Phone Coverage at Silesca Cabin

Cell signal at Silesca Cabin (Montrose, 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.

CamperWatch
CamperWatch›CO›Silesca Cabin
Silesca Cabin — photo 1
Silesca Cabin — photo 2
See all photos
Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forest — hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Silesca Cabin

Share:
Montrose, CO, CO★ 4.8 (13 reviews)From $120/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

The historic Silesca Cabin, once used as a Ranger Station, is a semi-rustic dwelling with comfortable modern conveniences like electricity and refrigerator. Located 40 minutes west of the city of Montrose, the cabin is set back 100 feet from the main road, providing easy access with some privacy. The cabin is accessible in the summer and fall by passenger vehicle, when the road is dry.

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
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
Max RV20 ft
Hookups1 electric sites
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsElectric Hookups
Recreation
Picnic Tables
Family & Pets
Drinking Water

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 fully maintained facilities—reviews note the cabin is run down and requires self-cleaning✕ Sensitive to dust or water quality issues—reviews mention extremely dusty conditions and orange-colored water from toilets✕ You need hookups—no hookups available at this site

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early as this is a federal campground with only 1 site

Visit during dry season for easier passenger vehicle access; four-wheel drive recommended for wet conditions

Cabin is set back 100 feet from main road for privacy despite easy access

Best: May-October

Official operating season. Summer and fall offer best road conditions for passenger vehicles; four-wheel drive recommended when road is wet.

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: Wapiti, Coyote, Red Fox, Wild Turkey, and Merriam's Turkey present in area. One review mentioned seeing a long slithery thing in the pond.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
(970) 240-5300· Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forest
Getting there →

Follow Highway 90 southwest from Montrose. Watch for signs as the highway makes several turns as it weaves its way out of town. The pavement ends where the road begins to climb out of the Uncompahgre River Valley and enters lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management. In 20 miles, it enters the Uncompahgre National Forest. Silesca Cabin is about a half-mile further on the left side of the road.

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 — Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Silesca Cabin cost per night?+
Silesca Cabin costs $120 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Silesca Cabin open?+
Silesca Cabin is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Silesca Cabin have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Silesca Cabin?+
Silesca Cabin can accommodate RVs up to 20 feet.
How do I make reservations at Silesca Cabin?+
Silesca 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 Silesca Cabin?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Silesca Cabin is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Silesca Cabin open, and what are check-in times?+
Silesca Cabin 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.

$120 /night★ 4.8 (13)
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 Silesca Cabin cost per night?+
What season is Silesca Cabin open?+
Does Silesca Cabin have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Black Canyon Of The Gunnison South Rim Campground

MONTROSE, CO

From $20/night

Black Canyon Of The Gunnison North Rim Campground

Montrose, CO

From $20/night

East Portal Campground

Montrose, CO

From $20/night

Lone Cone Cabin

Norwood , CO

From $120/night

Own a campground nearby?

List free on CamperWatch — we take 5% only on bookings we send. No monthly fee.

List your campground →
$120 /nightNo booking fees
+TRIPCheck availability