Platoro Cabin 2

Colorado Rockies

Platoro Cabin 2

Colorado Rockies

About this campsite

Overview

Platoro Cabin 2 is located downtown in the small mining town of Platoro, Colorado, at an elevation of 10,000 feet in the Rio Grande National Forest.

The cabin was built in 1963 as a base quarters for various Forest Service Crews working in the surrounding areas until the early 1990s.

Today the cabin is a getaway for guests seeking relaxation and recreation in south-central Colorado.

Recreation

The area around the cabin offers a variety of recreational opportunities year-round. Summertime brings great scenic driving tour opportunities in and around Platoro and Summitville.

Anglers have a spectacular backdrop when fishing Iron Creek or Treasure Creek. The nearby Platoro Reservoir, which feeds the Conejos River, provides excellent fishing for kokanee salmon, rainbow and brown trout.

Great hiking can be found around the area, as it spans both the Rio Grande and San Juan National Forests, as well as the South San Juan Wilderness.

Big game hunting is popular in fall, while snowmobiling, skiing and snowshoeing are popular winter activities.

Facilities

The accessible cabin has a combination kitchen/living room, a bedroom and a bathroom. It is furnished with two bunkbeds, with twin beds on the top and pull-out full beds on the bottom, that can accommodate up to six people. It has a heater, stove, refrigerator and lighting, all powered by propane. The kitchen is equipped with a table and chairs and cooking gear and the bathroom has a flush toilet and shower. The cabin has entry ramps and wheelchair accessible facilities in the bathroom and the kitchen.

Although the cabin has most amenities, guests do need to provide their own food, sleeping bags, linens, towels, dish soap, matches, first aid kit, toilet paper and garbage bags. Guests are also encouraged to bring an additional light source in case of emergencies.

The town of Platoro has many amenities including a grocery store, rental cabins, a small lodge, outfitter-guide services and horseback rides.

Natural Features

Platoro is a natural and unspoiled destination nestled in the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado. Platoro started out as a boomtown in the late 1800s following the discovery of large deposits of gold and silver in the area.

The nearby San Juan Wilderness is an area defined by peaks and cliffs as well as pinnacles and ridges. The headwaters for the Conejos, San Juan and Blanco Rivers are located here as well. The erosion of rich volcanic rock in combination with heavy snowfall has produced forest ecosystems in the area that transition from lodgepole pine to aspen, then through Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir to alpine tundra.

Nearby Attractions

Summitville, Colorado, is a nearby ghost town where gold was first discovered in 1870, then mined until the early 1990s.

Contact Info

This location is unstaffed. To speak with our main office for general information, please call: (719) 274-8971.

Location

PLATORO CABIN 2•CO

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Weather Forecast

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TODAY☁️

18° / 5°

💧 6%

TUE☁️

18° / 7°

💧 11%

WED🌦️

17° / 6°

💧 30%

THU🌦️

18° / 5°

💧 22%

FRI🌦️

16° / 5°

💧 20%

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LAKE FORK(RIO GRANDE NATL FORE

Overview Lake Fork Campground sits in the Rio Grande Forest, 40 miles northwest of Antonito, Colorado. The campground is a true getaway from any city, and requires an 18-mile drive on a gravel road. This high elevation campground boasts limitless beauty with mountain peaks, alpine wildlife spotting and several varieties of birds. Recreation The campground is convenient to several trails, such as Lake Fork to Big Lake and Conejos Peak to Blue Lake. The Conejos River is a Gold Medal River, meaning it offers the greatest potential for trophy trout fishing. Rainbow and brown trout are the most common species in the river. Facilities Some campsites overlook the river. There is one centrally located drinking water spigot. All parking spurs are gravel. Firewood can be purchased on-site. No electric hookups are available. Campers will find an old-fashioned steel tub bath at Brummel's Rocky Mountain Lodge about 10 miles south. Natural Features The campground is located in south central Colorado on the banks of the Conejos River. It is shaded by spruce, aspen and a few cottonwoods and willows at an elevation of 9,500 feet. A variety of wildlife makes its home in the area, including black bears, deer and marmots. Wildflowers dot the region, creating colorful landscapes for photography enthusiasts. Contact Info For facility specific information, please call (805) 434-1996. Nearby Attractions Take in spectacular views of the Conejos Canyon and River along Forest Road 250.

11.3 km away

ELWOOD CABIN

Overview Elwood Cabin sits in a saddle along the San Juan Mountains overlooking an open meadow, offering guests a unique lodging opportunity. The cabin was built in 1911 by the Mountain States Telephone Company as a "line shack" to support crews maintaining the transcontinental telephone line. Remnants of this old telephone line are still found along Iron Creek to the southeast. The cabin was also used as a Forest Service Station from 1950 until 1962, serving as living quarters for Forest Service employees who worked on numerous projects in the area. Although the phone line has been abandoned, today the cabin is a high-altitude getaway for guests seeking relaxation and recreation in south-central Colorado. During summer months the cabin can be accessed by motorized travel. During winter months access to the cabin is by snowmobiles, cross country skiing or snow shoeing. Recreation The area around Elwood cabin offers a variety of recreational opportunities year-round. Summertime brings excellent scenic tour opportunities in and around the Summitville area as well as exploration of several historical mining sites. Anglers have a spectacular backdrop to fishing streams such as Iron Creek or Treasure Creek. Nearby Platoro Reservoir, which feeds the Conejos River, provides excellent fishing for trout and salmon. Great hiking can be found around the area, as it spans both the Rio Grande and San Juan National Forests, as well as the South San Juan Wilderness. In winter, the Elwood cabin area can be blanketed with as much as ten feet of snow, requiring preparation and knowledge of winter travel. Snowmobiling, skiing and snowshoeing are popular activities in the area. Facilities The one room log cabin is furnished with two bunk beds with single beds on the top and on the bottom of each bunk, accommodating up to four individuals total for the cabin. The cabin has a wood stove for heat, propane lighting and a propane stove. The kitchen is equipped with a table and chairs, cooking utensils, pots and pans and a fire extinguisher. Firewood is available in the adjoining shed. An outdoor vault toilet is also on-site. Guests must provide a sufficient supply of water for cooking, cleaning and washing. Guests are also encouraged to bring an additional light source in case of emergencies. Although the cabin has some amenities, guests do need to provide their own food, sleeping bags, linens, towels, dish soap, matches, first aid kit, avalanche equipment, toilet paper and garbage bags. Natural Features High in the San Juan Mountains at an elevation of 11,000 feet, this cabin provides guests with views of nearby peaks, meadows filled with wildflowers and alpine forests. While staying at such a high elevation guests will notice how light plays differently on the landscape and stars blanket the sky on clear cold evenings. Elk, deer, and other wildlife are often seen in meadows adjacent to the cabin. Bear, marmot and chipmunks also call the area home. Nearby Attractions Summitville is a nearby ghost town where gold was first discovered in 1870, then mined until the early 1990s. When contaminants leaked off-site and flowed into the local watershed the government forced it to shut down. Now a water treatment plant is on the site as part of a federal clean up program.

15.9 km away

FITTON GUARD STATION CABIN

Overview Fitton Guard Station is a small cabin located in a high elevation meadow at 10,600 feet on Burro Creek near along an off-highway vehicle trail. The cabins are only accessible by 50" width or less vehicles and non-motorized uses (e.g. foot or horseback). YOU CANNOT DRIVE A PASSENGER VEHICLE TO THE CABINS. Visitors may reserve the cabin for a maximum of 14 days to allow others the opportunity to rent the cabin. The combination to the cabin is provided in the confirmation letter. Recreation The surrounding area offers many recreation opportunities, including hunting, hiking, off-highway vehicle riding, mountain biking, snowmobiling, backcountry skiing, horseback riding and fishing. Facilities The small, rustic cabin sleeps four (two bunk beds). There is a wood burning cook stove,outhouse, barn for horses, fire ring, table, chairs and a small covered porch. There is no potable water. Natural sources of water should be treated before use.Firewood not provided. Firewood can be gathered near the cabin. Natural Features There are meadows, aspen groves and spruce/fir forests near the cabin. At 13, 200 feet, Bennett Peak sits southeast of the cabin. Off Cow Camp is located 400 yards downstream from Fitton Guard Station and is available as a rental cabin to the public. Nearby Attractions The Burro Creek off-highway vehicle (OHV) trails connect to many miles of OHV trails and forest roads in the area. The trails are also used by motorcycles, mountain bikers, hikers and horseback riders. During the winter, snowmobilers and backcountry skiers use the area near the cabin.