Govt Mineral Springs Guard Sta

Larger cabin than many and in decent shape. We were worried that our annual cabin stay might not happen this year due to the FS cutbacks but soo far so good. Cabin is quite well stocked with cooking items. Refrigerator is working but I suggest setting it at 2 or 3 to avoid items freezing. Note that no campfires are allowed at cabin site. If you want one, you must use a ring at the nearby camping spots. Left message with FS that right half of sink is clogged - let's see if/when if gets fixed!

If I had to make one improvement, which is unlikely because the entire stay was 5 star, it would be the beds. The mattresses are very old, with little support. So make allowances for that.
We appreciate the the forest service has kept this cabin available to the public. It's worth every penny.

What a hidden little gem! There's a few things that aren't really updated on the description.

- There IS a working fridge. It's gas powered, and keeps ice frozen and foods cold.
- The fireplace is a GAS fireplace now, not a wood fireplace. So don't worry about bringing wood.
- Super quiet, and far enough away from the campground that realistically the pit toilet is private for the cabin.

We loved staying here. Make sure to bring your food in mouse-proof containers, and wash the pans/bowls/plates BEFORE using them. The mice go wherever they please I think.

Fantastic. A home stood still in time. In the forest. Was prepared for much more ‘roughin it’ but home was well stocked and functioning. Easy peesy gas lanterns and stovetop and refrigerator! Definitely read the codex of guest logs, scary stories, and history of the cabin.

Beautiful location

First off who sharpened the Knives? Wow that was amazing....minus the no fireplace or propane fireplace due to not working. Had a good time. Did not see mice but did notice new droppings in morning..I don't understand how a propane fireplace is used. Me gas any thing scares me. And I see it as more a firehazard..

Tucked away in old growth trees, this is a true gem in the Gifford Pinchot.
So cozy and rustic. Already booked another stay!

This is my second time staying here and it’s a nice little cabin in the woods. I went alone this time so only really stayed in the downstairs of the house but there are 2 rooms with 4 beds upstairs. One of the rooms is very large with twin beds and a closet and the other with a bunk bed. Downstairs there are two futons but one seemed slightly broken. As other reviews have said, bring extra lights as it’s pretty dark in the kitchen and the dinning room with only one gas lamp in each. In the dinning room there is a big table, lots of books, some puzzles, and games in a closet space and this room has a radiator. The fridge and stove worked well and there are plenty of kitchen supplies for cooking. My main complaint is that there is not a directional sign to point you in the direction of the cabin and the one way sign makes it seem like it would be to the right when it’s actually to the left. Since there is no cell service there, this is an easy mistake and had me going the wrong way in deep snow with a backpacking bag on. I did have cell service about 10 minutes from the snow park and it’s about 20 minutes to a dollar general if you forgot something. Overall, it’s definitely a rustic cabin but felt mostly clean and was a nice retreat for the weekend. Final thoughts, I do think the proposed fee going up to $100 per night when it was $65 last year is a bit steep for a place with no running water and a snow walk to the bathroom. It makes it a little unaffordable for smaller groups.

I love this cabin! It’s a peaceful place. To make your trip more enjoyable, please note: bring extra battery operated lanterns (the downstairs rooms are dark), the fireplace wire is loose and sometimes takes work to get the fire going, and a futon is broken (totally sleepable though). Enjoy your stay!

Still plenty of snow but the hike in wasn’t bad. Sleds are handy if you have a lot of gear. Shoveled some of the pathways around the doors. Had some issues getting the gas fireplace insert to start but once on it worked fine. The wall heater really can pump out the heat. Loved reading the history of the cabin and the journal entries. Had fun discovering all the summer cabins around there. That was a surprise.