USDA Forest Service · Utah
Cowpuncher Guard Station
USDA Forest Service · Utah, United States
- Sites
- 1
- Hookups
- 1 no hookups
- Season
- May 28 to September 30
- Cost
- Site type is Cabin non-electric.
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 8,425 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile none · AT&T none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Lake
- Dixie National Forest
- Nearest town
- ESCALANTE
- Address
- P.O BOX 246, ESCALANTE, UT, 84726
- Phone
- 435-826-5499
- Activities
- Fishing, Hiking
1 numbered sites are mapped one by one - open the site map to pick yours.
About
Overview
Cowpuncher Guard Station is located in the Dixie National Forest, 20 miles northeast of the town of Escalante in southern Utah. The cabin is situated just off the Hells Backbone Road and is accessed by road during summer and fall. Roads are usually closed by snow 5.5 miles from the cabin from late November to mid-April. Check the ranger station for winter conditions.
Recreation
The cabin is surrounded by trails, including the Great Western Trail which offer abundant opportunities for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. Pine Creek flows through the site offering excellent trout fishing. The scenic Hells Backbone Road is minutes away and is a popular scenic drive for both cars and OHVs. Posey Lake is 7 miles away.
Facilities
The cabin is comfortably furnished with bunk beds and one full size bed, table and chairs, wood cook stove, propane stovetop, kitchen sink with cold running water (summer and early fall), battery operated lanterns, pots and pans, dishes and utensils. A covered porch extends the space outside with a picnic table and fire ring below. A vault toilet is located 150 ft. from the cabin and firewood is provided.
Natural Features
Cowpuncher sits in a secluded meadow surrounded by pine and aspen groves next to a small trout stream. The elevation at the cabin is 8,000 feet and the adjacent pine and aspen covered slopes quickly rise up to 8,900 feet. Summer days are warm and nights are cool.
Nearby Attractions
Cowpuncher offers a cool escape from the surrounding desert landscape and is often used as a base to explore the surrounding area. The Escalante area of southern Utah offers breathtaking scenery nearly everywhere you look. Sightseeing along Road 153, Hells Backbone Road, and Utah Highway 12, a National All American Highway, are very popular. The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Anasazi State Park, and the Escalante Petrified Forest State Park are all located in the area.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 15° | 3° | 50° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 34° | 15° | -2° | 47° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 38° | 22° | -3° | 70° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 49° | 29° | 8° | 64° | 11 of 11 |
| May | 60° | 37° | 23° | 71° | 5 of 11 |
| June | 75° | 51° | 35° | 86° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 81° | 57° | 48° | 89° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 74° | 54° | 45° | 88° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 70° | 49° | 31° | 77° | 1 of 11 |
| October | 58° | 36° | 12° | 70° | 7 of 10 |
| November | 49° | 30° | -1° | 61° | 10 of 10 |
| December | 36° | 18° | -11° | 54° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Blue Spruce Campground · USDA Forest Service · 2 mi
- Posey Lake Campground · USDA Forest Service · 4 mi · 23 sites
- Barker Recreation Area · USDA Forest Service · 10 mi · 18 sites
- Aquarius Ranger Station · USDA Forest Service · 14 mi · 1 sites
- Escalante Petrified Forest State Park · Utah State Parks · 15 mi · 52 sites
All public campgrounds in Utah · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-05-26. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.