I will start by saying my wife and I fully support the USFS and know they are underfunded and understaffed, but we want to warn you... The cabin is in a good location and right on the river, but the rest is not so nice and this is what we found. There is an outhouse, which is fine and we were aware of, but there was vomit on the floor and very little toilet paper left, with no extra rolls available. Inside the cabin we found original floors that appeared t have never been cleaned. it is VERY rustic and not clean. The mattresses are filthy and there is a bucket under the kitchen (hidden behind a curtain) that collects all the drain water and it was putrid. The worst of it was there is obviously an active mouse population inside. We found feces on all the counters and stove. The mice had chewed up the foil under the heating coils to get whatever crumbs they could. The refrigerator was dirty with some old food left inside and just before leaving I had a mouse run in front of me through the bedroom. We chose not to stay as it was obviously a health hazard. I called the local ranger station to let them know of the mouse problem and was told I would receive a call back, but never did. I also filed a claim to get a refund and only received one day of rent in return, despite it being a three night reservation, with no recourse for an appeal. If you don't mind what I outlined above you will have a good time, but I am certain there is no one to clean the cabin except for the previous renter. I've left messages at the ranger station on two occasions and have never received a call back. I do not believe they really care and would not count on any of the problems being fixed in the near future.

They only change the lockbox code here every few months so dozens of people (likely locals) could have access to the cabin while you're there. When we showed up there wasn't even a key in the lockbox. Beautiful area but cabin is in disrepair. If you don't have the resources to effectively manage and maintain the cabin then you shouldn't rent it.

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 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!

The downstairs bed broke and there was no one to report it to. M

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We've stayed at the American River Guard Station before many years ago and were very excited to take a mid-winter getaway. Unfortunately, the cabin has not been well maintained or looked after, the paint is literally peeling off the ceilings & there is water damage as well. The cabin upon entering was very dirty. Whoever "cleaned" it before us, did not do a good job because there was dirt and debris on the floors, food left in the fridge, & water jugs left. The "gray water" bucket under the sink was full. The cabin has a dingy feel to it with stained curtains & a broken dining table. The temperature was in the low 20s the week we planned to stay, so I called the Naches Ranger Station (that's a headache on its own!) ahead of time to make sure that there was supplied fire wood as mentioned in the description. I was able to get ahold of someone who told me wood "should" be supplied. I asked for the number for the person who would know if it actually was. I left a message for said person and still to this day, have not received a call back. The cabin was 38 degrees when we arrived & only one round of wood was provided. The doors have no weather stripping. There are large gaps around the door & floor so the cold outside was just pouring in. We had to drive an hour home to get wood from our own house & a space heater since what was provided was not going to provide enough heat/fuel for our stay. We stuffed a blanket in front of the door to help. As the cabin began to heat up, the spiders seemed to thaw out & began to visit us in various areas of the cabin. The outhouse hasn't been serviced since August 1st 2021. It was very full & disgusting. I normally read negative reviews with a large grain of salt and think "oh come on, it can't be that bad" but it was. At $50/night & an hour away from home, this cabin could be a really special treat. But unfortunately, the caretakers of the place don't really care & with that in mind our family will not be staying here again.