Jack Creek Guard Station

Overview

The Jack Creek Guard Station is available mid-June through October, weather permitting. This was the northern ranger cabin for the historic Encampment Ranger District, built by Ranger Evie Williams in 1934, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The one-room cabin can accommodate up to four people with two bunk beds, a combination wood/propane cook stove, simple table and chairs. There is no indoor plumbing, a vault toilet is located within walking distances. Water is available during the summer months from the freeze-proof hydrant outside and from the Jack Creek Campground nearby. Items to bring include bedding/sleeping bag, food, dish soap and sponge, trash bags, first aid kit, flashlight, towels and washcloths, personal items. Basic cooking and eating utensils are provided. Utensils need to be cleaned and put away after use. The garbage is pack-in, pack-out. Saddle/ pack animals may not be be kept within the Jack Creek Guard Station area. Campers, tents or trailers may not be set up at this facility. Please clean up after your pets.​

The Jack Creek Guard Station is located southwest of Saratoga, Wyoming, offering visitors a unique lodging experience in the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests.

The guard station once served as the northern ranger cabin for the historic Encampment Ranger District. It was constructed by Ranger Evie Williams in 1934. Oral history states that Ranger Williams spent most of his construction dollars on the material for the foundation and chimney, and used his own funds to finish the windows and roof.

The guard station is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and offers guests recreation and relaxation in a delightful natural setting. The cabin is typically open from mid-June through mid-October and is accessible by vehicle. Basic amenities are provided, but guests will need to pack in some of their own supplies and gear.

Recreation

Lake and Pond Fishing

Areas for Lake and Pond Fishing at Sierra Madre Area

• Brush Creek/Hayden Ranger District Office
• Hog Park Boat Dock and Ramp
• Hog Park Campground
• Hog Park Picnic Site
• Lake View Picnic Site at Hog Park

River and Stream Fishing

Areas for River and Stream Fishing at Sierra Madre Area

• Big Creek-Holroyd Park Trailhead
• Bottle Creek Campground
• Bottle Creek Group Picnic Site
• Brush Creek/Hayden Ranger District Office
• East Fork - Encampment River Trail
• Encampment River Wilderness
• Hog Park Campground
• Huston Park Wilderness
• Jack Creek Campground
• Jack Creek Crew Quarters
• Jack Creek Guard Station
• Purgatory Gulch Trailhead

Day Hiking

Areas for Day Hiking at Sierra Madre Area

• Baby Lake Trailhead
• Big Creek Park Trailhead
• Big Creek-Holroyd Park Trailhead
• Bottle Creek Campground
• Bottle Creek Group Picnic Site
• Bottle Creek Trails
• Brush Creek/Hayden Ranger District Office
• CDNST - Deep Jack Trailhead
• CDNST - Pipeline Trailhead
• CDNST - Red Mountain Trailhead
• Commissary Park Trailhead
• East Fork - Encampment River Trail
• Encampment River Wilderness
• Green Mountain Falls Trailhead
• Green Mountain Trailhead
• Hog Park Campground
• Huston Park Wilderness
• Jack Creek Campground
• Jack Creek Crew Quarters
• Lost Creek Campground
• Purgatory Gulch Trailhead

Backpacking

Areas for Backpacking at Sierra Madre Area

• Baby Lake Trailhead
• Brush Creek/Hayden Ranger District Office
• CDNST - Deep Jack Trailhead
• CDNST - Pipeline Trailhead
• CDNST - Red Mountain Trailhead
• Commissary Park Trailhead
• East Fork - Encampment River Trail
• Encampment River Wilderness
• Green Mountain Trailhead
• Huston Park Wilderness
• Purgatory Gulch Trailhead

Viewing Wildlife

Areas for Viewing Wildlife at Sierra Madre Area

• Brush Creek/Hayden Ranger District Office
• Hog Park Campground
• Jack Creek Crew Quarters
• Jack Creek Guard Station
• Sandstone Cabin

Viewing Plants

Areas for Viewing Plants at Sierra Madre Area

• Brush Creek/Hayden Ranger District Office
• Hog Park Campground
• Jack Creek Crew Quarters
• Jack Creek Guard Station

Viewing Scenery

Areas for Viewing Scenery at Sierra Madre Area

• Brush Creek/Hayden Ranger District Office
• Encampment River Wilderness
• Green Mountain Falls Trailhead
• Hog Park Campground
• Huston Park Wilderness

Facilities

The one-room cabin is furnished with two sets of bunk beds and can accommodate up to four people. Heat is provided by a combination wood and propane cook stove. Basic cooking and eating utensils and propane lights are supplied.

Water is available during the summer months from a hydrant just outside or a hand pump at Jack Creek Campground, one mile away. There is no indoor plumbing, but a vault toilet is located nearby. A picnic table and campfire ring are also outside the cabin. Please use propane side of stove for cooking and heat. There is no trash service; this is a pack-it-in, pack-it-out facility.

Natural Features

From open, high expanses to valleys and canyons that rise steeply to snowy ranges, the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests encompass mountain ranges, tributaries to the North Platte River and the Colorado River, and a mix of forested ecology with spruce, lodgepole pine, subalpine fir, aspen and shrub lands.

The Jack Creek Guard Station sits in a clearing with lodgepole pine, aspen and mixed conifer forest at an elevation of 8,500 feet. Wildlife viewing is abundant in the area, including elk, deer, bear and moose.

Nearby Attractions

From Saratoga, travel west on County Road 500 approximately 16 miles to junction with County Road 405. Stay left and travel 3 miles to the forest boundary. The road changes to Forest Service Road 452. Travel on Forest Service Road 452 for 6.5 miles to Jack Creek Campground and the guard station.

From Encampment, take State Highway 70 west for 7 miles and turn onto Forest Service Road 443 for approximately 15 miles to the junction of Forest Service Road 452. From there, go west for approximately 8 miles to Jack Creek Campground and the guard station.