Jennifer H
VerifiedOctober 4, 2020 Stayed at: 001, Loop: YELLOWJACKET GUARD STATION
What a delightful stay! The cabin is way off the beaten path, well-stocked, and in a gorgeous location. This was the perfect escape from 2020.
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18 reviews
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.
Based on guest feedback
4.1
Based on 18 reviews
Showing 18 reviews
October 4, 2020 Stayed at: 001, Loop: YELLOWJACKET GUARD STATION
What a delightful stay! The cabin is way off the beaten path, well-stocked, and in a gorgeous location. This was the perfect escape from 2020.
Helpful
October 4, 2020 Stayed at: 001, Loop: YELLOWJACKET GUARD STATION
What a delightful stay! The cabin is way off the beaten path, well-stocked, and in a gorgeous location. This was the perfect escape from 2020.
Helpful
June 17, 2021 Stayed at: 001, Loop: YELLOWJACKET GUARD STATION
Terrible experience. This cabin is in a gorgeous location but very poorly managed. I called the person in charge of this cabin before I went and despite asking, “Is there anything else I should Know?” I was not told any of the following. The road going in is long and really not well suited for a regular passenger car but it is passable just VERY slow going. The cabin itself is a disappointment. It really doesn’t deserve to be treated like an abandoned structure. The stove, oven and refrigerator were non operational. There were instructions for lighting the pilots on the oven and stove but I don’t travel with the required screw driver. There were no instructions for the refrigerator and we needed it to store insulin for a child. Forest service does not provide wood for heat although they don’t tell you to bring your own. Most forests specifically tell you NOT to bring your own to avoid spreading pests. There are no functioning smoke detectors. There are no shovels to help extinguish a campfire or assist if a fire should get away. The only outhouse is up a hill and it is reached by a very narrow trail. Nothing about this location is ADA compliant and because of its historic nature it’s not required to be but they also don’t tell you that. It was dirty upon arrival and just generally gross. Also LOTS of ticks. Came home early and called forest service to report the issues. Doubt anything will be done.
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June 17, 2021 Stayed at: 001, Loop: YELLOWJACKET GUARD STATION
Terrible experience. This cabin is in a gorgeous location but very poorly managed. I called the person in charge of this cabin before I went and despite asking, “Is there anything else I should Know?” I was not told any of the following. The road going in is long and really not well suited for a regular passenger car but it is passable just VERY slow going. The cabin itself is a disappointment. It really doesn’t deserve to be treated like an abandoned structure. The stove, oven and refrigerator were non operational. There were instructions for lighting the pilots on the oven and stove but I don’t travel with the required screw driver. There were no instructions for the refrigerator and we needed it to store insulin for a child. Forest service does not provide wood for heat although they don’t tell you to bring your own. Most forests specifically tell you NOT to bring your own to avoid spreading pests. There are no functioning smoke detectors. There are no shovels to help extinguish a campfire or assist if a fire should get away. The only outhouse is up a hill and it is reached by a very narrow trail. Nothing about this location is ADA compliant and because of its historic nature it’s not required to be but they also don’t tell you that. It was dirty upon arrival and just generally gross. Also LOTS of ticks. Came home early and called forest service to report the issues. Doubt anything will be done.
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October 20, 2021 Stayed at: 001, Loop: YELLOWJACKET GUARD STATION
This was our 2nd stay here. Fall is a wonderful time to visit. The cabin was clean and in good condition. Lots of beaver dams to check out on Meadow Creek (note, the trailhead for Meadow and Beaver Creek is at the same location on Beaver Creek- don't go by the map). The trail by Beaver Creek is good for biking or an easy hike, and it's closed to ATV's after Labor Day.
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October 20, 2021 Stayed at: 001, Loop: YELLOWJACKET GUARD STATION
This was our 2nd stay here. Fall is a wonderful time to visit. The cabin was clean and in good condition. Lots of beaver dams to check out on Meadow Creek (note, the trailhead for Meadow and Beaver Creek is at the same location on Beaver Creek- don't go by the map). The trail by Beaver Creek is good for biking or an easy hike, and it's closed to ATV's after Labor Day.
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July 4, 2022 Stayed at: 001, Loop: YELLOWJACKET GUARD STATION
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!
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July 4, 2022 Stayed at: 001, Loop: YELLOWJACKET GUARD STATION
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!
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July 5, 2024 Stayed at: 001, Loop: YELLOWJACKET GUARD STATION
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!
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July 5, 2024 Stayed at: 001, Loop: YELLOWJACKET GUARD STATION
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!
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311 Mcpherson St, Salmon, ID 83467 United States
Elevation: 1,880 ft
From Salmon, Idaho, take Highway 93 south 5 mi, to a right turn at Shoup Bridge onto Forest Road 021 and travel 44.5 mi to Cobalt Work Center facility on Panther Creek Road 055. Continue 8 mi south on Panther Creek Road, where you will come to Por...
From Salmon, Idaho, take Highway 93 south 5 mi, to a right turn at Shoup Bridge onto Forest Road 021 and travel 44.5 mi to Cobalt Work Center facility on Panther Creek Road 055. Continue 8 mi south on Panther Creek Road, where you will come to Porphury Creek turnoff to the right, heading west. Continue approximately 11 mi along Porphury Creek Road/Forest Road 112 to Yellowjacket Guard Station.
From Challis, Idaho, take Highway 93 north 8 mi, to a left turn on Morgan Creek Rd. Travel 6 mi and take a slight right onto Forest Road 055/ Morgan Creek Rd. Continue 26.7 mi and take a left on Porphury Creek/ Forest Road 112. Continue approximately 11 mi along Porphury Creek Road/Forest Road 112 to Yellowjacket Guard Station.
Yellowjacket Guard Station is accessible via Highway 93, which is approximately 8 miles from Challis, Idaho, and 5 miles from Salmon, Idaho.
Last updated: November 4, 2026