American River Guard Station

This cabin was so fun for our family. We loved the rustic architecture, the location right on the river, and proximity to other outdoor activities.

There are four single beds in the bare bones upstairs room. The main bedroom has a comfy full size bed and the living room has a pretty good queen sized futon. There are no linens provided so bring your own. The kitchen has some well-used basics like pots and pans, cutting boards, dishes and silverware. The lack of water was not an issue for us as we filled a 5 gallon container at home which we used over the sink.

The overall vibe of this place is rustic, authentic and historical. It was a real treat and we will be back.

Had a wonderful time at the cabin, just me and my elderly father! Outhouse is very rustic and no running water was a small challenge but, overall, the cabin is cozy and comfortable. Plenty of cups, utensils, pots/pans, and even had a microwave! The property had lots of firewood too so we cooked over the open flames for most of our meals. Beautiful surroundings and the sound of the rushing river was relaxing- great spot for a fun weekend!

The key was not available in the lock box, No network in the area... Drove down 10 miles to call on the number provided for help... left two voice messages.. Got no response. Waited there for few hrs in the hope that some one would come with the keys and finally left the camp ground with a disappointment on my kids face.

Extream bad experience!!

We loved this cabin, the futon made a comfortable bed and they allow pets. We stayed here for my birthday enjoyed building wood fires in the stove and outside. We loved having a river in the cabins back yard. The hike to the old American Ridge ski lodge, was like a blast from the past, if you concentrated hard enough you could hear the murmurings of the past.

The cabin is cute and well stocked with toilet paper & matches. The wood stove burns thru wood really quickly do bring more than you think you'll need. The latch for the hook & eye to lock the latrine is broken so privacy is guarded by whatever heavy item you can find to hold the door shut.
The mattress in the main bedroom is stained ( gross! Please get a plastic mattress cover for the bed!) so we covered with blankets.
So nice to have electricity in the cabin! Lots of pots, pans, utensils & plates in kitchen.
Its adorable and well located. Parking was a sheet of ice so bring microspikes!
I left a flannel backed plastic tablecloth to protect the pretty wood table.
Overall great place, just needs a little more love.

Great visit as usual. Hiked the Sheep lake trail. Did some general cleaning. Swept the cobwebs off the sides of the house. The Futon mattress could used to be replaced. You feel like your rolling out. Brought up new sheers for the living room.

Enjoyed a nice warm wood stove. Buried who we named Whiskers. That decided to pass behind the cabin. Wasn't there the month before. Hopefully no one brought up a cat and lost it. Did our best to clean up hanging snags around the cabin. Trees do make noise when they fall. Especially feet in front of you 😳😳. Heard min 21 fall on trail 999 on the hike.

Really sweet location, cozy cabin, especially the main living room with the stove. Plenty of firewood in the back room.

Really awesome spot for a long weekend, nice that it has electricity, and the wood stove is great! Having the river right next to the house is also lovely. Would def come back. I’d recommend bringing a double sized mattress cover if you want to sleep on the double bed in the bedroom.

Just back from 3 nights at American River Ranger Station, our first time there. Wonderful spot, great cabin – we'll be back. Great setting, great wood stove, nice lounge, OK bed, big fridge, kitchen works. Easy to cart buckets from the river for washing up. Managed to break the paint seal on the bedroom window, which now opens with effort. Suggest bringing mattress cover as well as sheets, as mattress a little grotty.

This a an old, rustic cabin in the woods. Of course there might be mice! We were surprised not to see or hear any, but fully expected to, 'cos mouses got to mouse. And of course it's a little drafty. Heats up very well, though.

A big thank you to the regulars who have showered this cabin with love – putting up new curtains, fixing things, and leaving equipment for others to enjoy. Much appreciated!

We will start with the highlights. The setting of the cabin is beautiful. It is right off the highway and easy to get to. Check in was simple. Road noise wasn’t bad at all. After reading the most current reviews, we were a little bit worried about the outhouse and the broken bed, but UPDATE- both have been fixed! The outhouse was stocked with toilet paper and had a light. Fridge was in good working order. The cabin was mostly clean (see below). Plenty of games and movies to keep you entertained while off the grid!

Now, the low points. The cabin had a pretty bad odor. I have two teens and neither one wanted to sleep upstairs – the mattresses were stained and stinky. They said it felt like a mental hospital! We found evidence of mice or rats in a drawer in downstairs bedside table. We decided that my daughter could have the bed, my son could have the futon, and I would sleep on the living room floor with a camping mattress we brought. We got home from an evening hike, and there was a mouse scurrying about in the living room! That was enough for us and we left without even staying the night. Yes, I know that we were in a cabin in the woods. Wildlife is expected. But we had no way to escape the mouse. Advice to future guests- bring mouse traps!