This summer we discovered our favorite way to escape the noise of every day life, connect with the wild in and around us, and enjoy our public lands. Though there are countless ways to enjoy natural and wild places, the USFS cabin rental program provides a unique experience to convene with some of the most beautiful places throughout our country.
Spread all over the country with a large concentration in the American West, most of the cabins and towers were built in the early to mid 1900s. Every structure in the rental pool is unique. Many of the structures do not have indoor restrooms, running water or electricity. Several of the cabins are only one room while others are larger two-story structures that were once privately-owned cabins or ranger stations. In the summer and fall, a portion of the cabins are accessible by vehicle while others require a hike in, but in the winter, getting to the cabins requires a hike, cross-country ski, or snowmobile ride.
From coordinating with the local USFS office ahead of time to packing in bedding and supplies to perhaps hiking or skiing to the cabin to cutting your own firewood and waking up every couple of hours to keep the cabin warm to sometimes sharing indoor space with mice and chipmunks to cooking meals on an outdoor stove, over the campfire, atop the wood stove, or on a propane camp stove to using a campground pit toilet or wood-seated old-school out house when nature calls, almost every aspect of staying in a USFS cabin or tower requires a bit more work than a typical vacation rental or cabin-getaway. In our experience, the reward is well worth the (mostly enjoyable) work. The privacy and peace offered by these special places is matched by the exceptional recreational access, incredible views, and intriguing spaces provided by every rental we’ve stayed at thus far.
Maintained by the USFS, the cabins are available on a first come, first serve basis by booking through the National Recreation Reservation System. The cabins are pack-in, pack-out with each rental having a different variety of supplies on-hand. The local USFS office can be contacted for updates on supplies, firewood, and road access.
Some of you may be wondering why we are sharing this information. And we get it. Most of us out here in the west are here, in part, because of the lack of crowds. But here’s the thing, our public lands are just that, public lands, for the public. We like having our pick of the nights at favorite cabins as much as you do; however, we believe that the more people that experience public lands, connect to the natural world, and personally see the value of public land access, the better. So get out there, keep warm twice by cutting the wood that will feed the fire you cook your meals over and will sustain the fire that will keep you warm all night. And hey, make sure to enjoy the outhouses, some of which offer the most sensational views.