Bedrooms
Sleeping Capacity
43 reviews
Elwood Cabin offers a beautiful, rustic retreat in a serene mountain setting, appreciated for its comfort and charm. Guests praise its cleanliness and well-stocked amenities, as well as the cozy wood stove that keeps the cabin warm even in cold weather. While there are some concerns regarding pests and access issues, many visitors express a strong desire to return, highlighting the cabin's appeal for those seeking a unique escape into nature.
Based on guest feedback
4.2
Based on 43 reviews
Showing 43 reviews
January 12, 2025 Stayed at: 5106, Loop: ELWOOD
Cabin was infested with Pack Rats and mice. The cabin needs a new front door that seals, and the ceiling inside needs a log jam sealent to keep the pack rats and mice from coming into the cabin.
Helpful
November 23, 2024 Stayed at: 5106, Loop: ELWOOD
After cleaning up a little pile of mouse carcasses and trash scraps, this place quickly became paradise. What a wonderful winter getaway!
Helpful
November 23, 2024 Stayed at: 5106, Loop: ELWOOD
After cleaning up a little pile of mouse carcasses and trash scraps, this place quickly became paradise. What a wonderful winter getaway!
Helpful
September 3, 2024 Stayed at: 5106, Loop: ELWOOD
Elwood is amazing and we thoroughly enjoyed our third stay there.
Now for the not so amazing and honest review.
The area Elwood is located in although remote is far from an unknown area especially around any holiday, very busy.
Also the cabin has been there for well over a century and the animals have kept up on that fact especially the rodents. They have developed a taste for the wires in your vehicle. I highly recommend bringing your worse truck up here for that reason.
I always spray a liquid fence type product all over my vehicle’s wiring in the backcountry, this time I missed a few bundles but the rodents did not unfortunately.
Other reviews state a similar issue but in the log book at the actual cabin there are many many other cautionary tales about your wires.
Be warned it is a persistent issue. If none of that bothers or concerns you then you will fall in love with Elwood cabin!
Helpful
September 3, 2024 Stayed at: 5106, Loop: ELWOOD
Elwood is amazing and we thoroughly enjoyed our third stay there.
Now for the not so amazing and honest review.
The area Elwood is located in although remote is far from an unknown area especially around any holiday, very busy.
Also the cabin has been there for well over a century and the animals have kept up on that fact especially the rodents. They have developed a taste for the wires in your vehicle. I highly recommend bringing your worse truck up here for that reason.
I always spray a liquid fence type product all over my vehicle’s wiring in the backcountry, this time I missed a few bundles but the rodents did not unfortunately.
Other reviews state a similar issue but in the log book at the actual cabin there are many many other cautionary tales about your wires.
Be warned it is a persistent issue. If none of that bothers or concerns you then you will fall in love with Elwood cabin!
Helpful
July 30, 2024 Stayed at: 5106, Loop: ELWOOD
The Conejos ranger district assured us the cabin was open and accessible to our 4x4 vehicle, as it had been stocked by rangers in a pickup the week before.
None of the approaches to the cabin were accessible due to snow drifts within one mile of cabin.
Once again we called ahead to be sure our vehicle could make it and were assured it was open and ready.
We ended up staying in Platoro after determining we couldn’t dig through the snow drifts.
Honestly not even a snow machine would have made sense as the road was mostly clear with sporadic heavy drifts very close to the cabin.
Bummed we couldn’t make it and feel cheated that we were given false information.
Helpful
July 30, 2024 Stayed at: 5106, Loop: ELWOOD
The Conejos ranger district assured us the cabin was open and accessible to our 4x4 vehicle, as it had been stocked by rangers in a pickup the week before.
None of the approaches to the cabin were accessible due to snow drifts within one mile of cabin.
Once again we called ahead to be sure our vehicle could make it and were assured it was open and ready.
We ended up staying in Platoro after determining we couldn’t dig through the snow drifts.
Honestly not even a snow machine would have made sense as the road was mostly clear with sporadic heavy drifts very close to the cabin.
Bummed we couldn’t make it and feel cheated that we were given false information.
Helpful
October 11, 2023 Stayed at: 5106, Loop: ELWOOD
We loved the cabin and location, it was a fantastic 3 nights. The cabin is in a perfect location for viewing wildlife as we saw a Moose and deer in the meadow. We also had a surprise on Tuesday morning with snow falling all day which made the stay even better. We stayed nice and toasty warm with the wood burner and supplied firewood. We didn’t realize that the cabin was so well stocked with everything we would need to make our meals. Thanks to all the renters and forest personnel who maintain the Elwood cabin
Helpful
October 11, 2023 Stayed at: 5106, Loop: ELWOOD
We loved the cabin and location, it was a fantastic 3 nights. The cabin is in a perfect location for viewing wildlife as we saw a Moose and deer in the meadow. We also had a surprise on Tuesday morning with snow falling all day which made the stay even better. We stayed nice and toasty warm with the wood burner and supplied firewood. We didn’t realize that the cabin was so well stocked with everything we would need to make our meals. Thanks to all the renters and forest personnel who maintain the Elwood cabin
Helpful
September 15, 2023 Stayed at: 5106, Loop: ELWOOD
Elwood Cabin is an absolutely lovely old little cabin, very cosy. The location is beautiful with panoramic mountain views and expansive meadows.
Elwood pass is a great daytime adventure if you have the proper vehicle.
My wife and I have stayed here the last two Labor Day weekends in a row (‘22,’23) and it has been a really good way to end the summer.
The value for this cabin with its location
and the provided fire wood is quite high in my opinion. Elwood is a special gem and thank you to everyone that maintains it and leaves it that way.
If you stay here and love the mountains and Mother Nature then you will have found a new favorite place!
Helpful
15571 County Road T.5, La Jara, CO 81140 United States
Elevation: 3,517 ft
From Del Norte, take U.S. Highway 160 west to South Fork. Continue west on U.S. Highway
160 for 8 mi to Park Creek Road. Travel 15 mi on Park Creek Road to Summitville
Road. Turn right on FSR 380, the cabin is about 2 mi on the left.
From the j...
From Del Norte, take U.S. Highway 160 west to South Fork. Continue west on U.S. Highway
160 for 8 mi to Park Creek Road. Travel 15 mi on Park Creek Road to Summitville
Road. Turn right on FSR 380, the cabin is about 2 mi on the left.
From the junction of FSR 250 in the Alamosa Canyon and FSR 380, follow FSR 380 about 8 mi, 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 get slick.
In winter, the trail access to the Elwood Cabin is on the unplowed portion of Forest Road 380,
which starts southeast from the junction, but makes a bend and continues south-southwest to the cabin. The 2 mi ski to the cabin is generally easy with a
400 ft elevation gain. The Elwood Cabin is visible below the road on a knoll projecting into a
large open park. Allow from 1.5 - 2 hours or longer, depending on snow conditions, for the trip.
Last updated: October 23, 2026
Our team is here to help you find the perfect spot for your next adventure.
Replies within minutes
La Jara, CO
