Yellowjacket Guard Station

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Yellowjacket Guard Station Bedroom
Yellowjacket Guard Station Living Room
Yellowjacket Guard Station
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Sites & Rates

Average nightly rates

1 total site · $75 avg/night

Cabins

1 site

$75/night

average

About Yellowjacket Guard Station

Yellowjacket Guard Station is a historic Forest Service Ranger Station and Work Center. Originally constructed in 1925 and remodeled in 1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, the structure is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Number of accommodations: 1

Seasonal information

2026 (Current year)

2026 Season availability

Current season
Upcoming seasons
Past seasons
Closed periods
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Currently open - Jun 8 to Oct 31

Campground Amenities

On Site Services

On Site Services

  • Propane
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001, Loop: YELLOWJACKET GUARD STATION

$75
/ per night
🏠 Cabin Unavailable

Site Details

Up to 4 guests
Driveway entry: Back-in
Campfire
Pet Friendly
View Site Details

Reviews (17)

What Guests Are Saying

The Yellowjacket Guard Station offers a charming, historic cabin experience with clean, well-supplied amenities like propane lights and a wood stove that keeps guests warm. Visitors appreciate the beautiful surroundings, plentiful hiking trails, and access to water from a nearby stream, making it an ideal spot for outdoor enthusiasts. However, some have noted the need for improvements to the outhouse, but overall, guests express a strong desire to return for another stay.

Review Summary

4.3
17 reviews
5
64.7%
11
4
23.5%
4
3
0.0%
0
2
0.0%
0
1
11.8%
2

Daniel C

Verified

July 23, 2026 Stayed at: 001, Loop: YELLOWJACKET GUARD STATION

5

Wonderful cabin. Clean and tidy, and well-supplied. The stream is flowing well and can supply water if you are prepared to purify it. Propane lights, stove, and fridge worked well. The road is long to get there, but had no problem reaching it in a Honda Civic. Made it to Middlefork Lookout as well, but that was only due to a recent re-grade. During four days, I saw three vehicles drive by. Lots of trails nearby in walking distance. Lots more nearby if you drive. Having 4wd or a ATV would be ideal, but enjoyable without as well. Bring sheets or mattress topper unless you want to use what is supplied. A few mice, but nothing extreme.

Quentin M

Verified

October 12, 2025 Stayed at: 001, Loop: YELLOWJACKET GUARD STATION

5

This is a beautiful, quaint, historic cabin to stay at. We did what was asked, bring our own water and pack out all our trash. It snowed some of the days we were there (It was early October) but the fire stove kept us warm the whole time. The propane oven/refrigerator felt luxurious when deep in the mountains. We had plenty of space, enjoyment, and comfort in the cozy home. We went on a small hike to Golden Trout Lake and it was beautiful. Lots of various types of fungi to look at and learn more about. I hear there are a bunch of mining towns that around the area, but we did not venture out too much to see them. Overall, this is a wonderful place to stay and I hope to plan another trip here in the future!

Quentin M

Verified

October 12, 2025 Stayed at: 001, Loop: YELLOWJACKET GUARD STATION

5

This is a beautiful, quaint, historic cabin to stay at. We did what was asked, bring our own water and pack out all our trash. It snowed some of the days we were there (It was early October) but the fire stove kept us warm the whole time. The propane oven/refrigerator felt luxurious when deep in the mountains. We had plenty of space, enjoyment, and comfort in the cozy home. We went on a small hike to Golden Trout Lake and it was beautiful. Lots of various types of fungi to look at and learn more about. I hear there are a bunch of mining towns that around the area, but we did not venture out too much to see them. Overall, this is a wonderful place to stay and I hope to plan another trip here in the future!

MARK B

Verified

October 7, 2025 Stayed at: 001, Loop: YELLOWJACKET GUARD STATION

4

Love this cabin! The only down side was the outhouse. It is pathetic. It stinks, it leans. A new vault toilet would be a much needed improvement.
Other than that it was great. No rodents in the cabin. Plentiful water nearby from the creek for washing. Good hiking in the area. Lots of places to explore. We were there for a week and never ran out of things to do.
Prepare well as you are far away from anyplace. Bring a saw and something to split with if it will be cold at night.

MARK B

Verified

October 7, 2025 Stayed at: 001, Loop: YELLOWJACKET GUARD STATION

4

Love this cabin! The only down side was the outhouse. It is pathetic. It stinks, it leans. A new vault toilet would be a much needed improvement.
Other than that it was great. No rodents in the cabin. Plentiful water nearby from the creek for washing. Good hiking in the area. Lots of places to explore. We were there for a week and never ran out of things to do.
Prepare well as you are far away from anyplace. Bring a saw and something to split with if it will be cold at night.

Brenda E

Verified

September 25, 2025 Stayed at: 001, Loop: YELLOWJACKET GUARD STATION

5

The description says it all. It is isolated. There are trails close by if you like to walk/ hike. It is a bit of a drive to get to the Bighorn Crags trailhead and Yellowjacket lake. If you have a side by side or other ORV, folks who have been there posted in the log book that they enjoyed riding around the area. There was plenty of firewood and having the propane appliances and lights were great. The temperature did dip down into the thirties. The wood stove kept us very cozy. You may want to bring something to start your fire with(fat wood for example). There isn’t an experience like this in Michigan. We enjoyed it very much.

Brenda E

Verified

September 25, 2025 Stayed at: 001, Loop: YELLOWJACKET GUARD STATION

5

The description says it all. It is isolated. There are trails close by if you like to walk/ hike. It is a bit of a drive to get to the Bighorn Crags trailhead and Yellowjacket lake. If you have a side by side or other ORV, folks who have been there posted in the log book that they enjoyed riding around the area. There was plenty of firewood and having the propane appliances and lights were great. The temperature did dip down into the thirties. The wood stove kept us very cozy. You may want to bring something to start your fire with(fat wood for example). There isn’t an experience like this in Michigan. We enjoyed it very much.

Emmeline H

Verified

July 5, 2024 Stayed at: 001, Loop: YELLOWJACKET GUARD STATION

5

We loved our stay at the cabin. It did take us a day to figure out how to turn the gas oven or the lights on (the guard flame was out and we are not familiar with either a gas oven or gas lights). A short paragraph on how to turn them on would be nice. The cabin had plenty of firewood and was reasonably clean (a dead mouse in a cupboard, but something like that is to be expected). Regardless, we had a great time at the cabin and will definitely be back!

Emmeline H

Verified

July 5, 2024 Stayed at: 001, Loop: YELLOWJACKET GUARD STATION

5

We loved our stay at the cabin. It did take us a day to figure out how to turn the gas oven or the lights on (the guard flame was out and we are not familiar with either a gas oven or gas lights). A short paragraph on how to turn them on would be nice. The cabin had plenty of firewood and was reasonably clean (a dead mouse in a cupboard, but something like that is to be expected). Regardless, we had a great time at the cabin and will definitely be back!

Carolyn N

Verified

July 4, 2022 Stayed at: 001, Loop: YELLOWJACKET GUARD STATION

4

We absolutely loved staying here! Enjoyed the peacefulness and the flowing stream!

Yellowjacket Lake is a beautiful place to check out! Too much snow our second day here but could drive in with our sxs two days later!

Middle Fork Peak Lookout is another beautiful place! We drove our sxs within a mile of lookout!

We don’t expect this to be a 5 star motel but we do believe that the guard station could be cleaner. The propane refrigerator did not work; the freezer portion barely kept food cool.

The bottom line is we would stay here again! We can’t begin to say how much we enjoyed our 4 nights here!

Location Yellowjacket Guard Station

Address:
311 Mcpherson St
Salmon, ID, 83467
United States

Highway access

Yellowjacket Guard Station is accessible via Highway 93, which is approximately 8 miles from Challis, Idaho, and 5 miles from Salmon, Idaho.

Elevation: 1880 feet

Distance to downtown

57 mi drive to downtown Salmon (about 2 hr 30 min)

Policies & Rules

General

  • No walk-ins allowed; reservations must be made via this National Recreation Reservation Service website
  • Water is not available at the facility; guests will need to bring their own
  • Bring garbage bags; this is a pack it in, pack it out facility
  • Hay brought in for horses must be certified weed-free
  • The guard station remains locked; the combination code for the back door can be found in the reservation confirmation letter
  • Fire restrictions may be in effect, prompting possible closures
  • Due to the remoteness of this rental and budget/personnel constraints, the Forest Service cannot guarantee all services and amenities including a supply of firewood
  • Guests should be aware of the risk of exposure to hantavirus when visiting remote cabins; click here to learn more
  • Click here for more information on the Salmon-Challis National Forest
  • Don't Move Firewood: Help prevent the spread of tree-killing pests in our national forests by obtaining firewood near your destination and burning it on-site. For more information visit dontmovefirewood.org.

Nearby Campgrounds

Nearby destinations


Last updated: September 7, 2026

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Managed by USDA Forest Service