Swan Guard Station

Should have indoor water source.

We sadly didn’t end up staying here because the fly infestation was particularly bad. This was mid September so maybe it’s worse this time of year? The flies were swarming in every room, including the bedrooms and we didn’t feel comfortable staying with our toddler. Hopefully it gets better soon!

We have been coming here for years and love it!

Our stay at the Swan Lake Cabin was a nice treat along the southern portion of the refuge. The cabin has a nice stove, a big refrigerator, lots of items to create meals in the cabinets and the water is just up the hill!

We loved our two night stay and would absolutely rest our tired hiking legs here again; there are ample trails nearby or within a reasonable drive.

A wonderful glamping experience. The cabin is comfortable, warm, the kitchen is well equipped with pots, pans, utensils and dishware. The dining table comfortable sits six. The living room has a 3-person sofa and two armchair. There is light reading and heaps of board games. They also provide a high quality JBL Charge 3 bt speaker. There's a single bed private bedroom downstairs. A queen size+ single bed in the bedroom on the left, upstairs. A double + 3 single beds in the bedroom on the right, upstairs. The fire ring, 30 'from the front door has 4 steel benches comfortably sits 8. The cabin doesn't have running water although thankfully it does drain. The clean and potable is a stones throw away. The cabin provides jugs to fill so you can drink or do dishes. There's a pit toilet outside which surprisingly doesn't have light so bring a headlamp. It wouldn't be difficult to run a 20' cable to add a light for those after dark restroom stops. Another shortcoming is a lack of shower. The cabin has electricity and gas so why couldn't there be a way to fill a tank from the well and have a gas heater for a shower, since it already has plumbing to drain the kitchen sink. As a final note, the cabin has no wifi and poor signal. I've found the trick is to dedicate a phone placed on the kitchen window sill (best reception) and use it as a hotspot for music streaming and looking up Scrabble dictionary.
In summary, it's a wonderful alternative to sleeping in a tent. And fantastic place to spend 2-3 nights among friends in a cozy and clean wood cabin. I've rented twice and I'll rent it again in the future.

Great for the money!

Went out for the Solstice weekend with friends and it was very cozy. The area is stunning. There is a great little trail across the road, and the cabin is well kept. You might want to set a mouse trap once you get in. We only saw one, but they are around. Enjoy!

Well, tried to give five stars but the page does not allow me to select Excellent in either chrome or safari :(. This was our second visit to the cabin, this time with friends and we loved it. We recommend bringing plenty of water, otherwise there is a pump about 100 feet away from the cabin and a water container on site.

Great stay as usual, but bad smell coming from kitchen area.

An awesome get away with lots of amenities. The cabin is very clean, well maintained and spacious. Having electric and heat is a great bonus. There’s a water pump up the hill and a container provided. It sometimes takes a little perseverance to make the water flow, but it does work!
No WiFi and cell service is very minimal but we like it that way! The swan lake day use area nearby is a great place to spend the day swimming or paddle boarding, but remember to bring cash or pay online in advance (at recreation.gov). There are several other lakes along the road as well that are worth exploring if you like to kayak or paddle board.
Don’t forget a flashlight to get to the toilet at night, and lots of insect repellant!
We’ve been here a few times now and will definitely return!