There is a great and, when you think about it, attractive resource that we in the fly-fishing community make not much use of. That resource is the U. S. Forest Service rental cabins. Many of these structures were originally built in relatively remote places for housing personnel assigned to fire watch, law enforcement patrol, and other functions. In our area Caribou-Targhee National Forest offers several of these. Some of these are adjacent to places to fish which for the most part are small streams. So it is worth taking a look at these in particular.
Perhaps the one with which folks are most familiar is the Warm River Cabin situated at Warm River Spring. It appears most of its use is from winter time activities. Being only a moderate cast away, it offers a most convenient base for fishing the river above and below the spring. Being not far from the Cardiac Canyon reach of the Henry’s Fork or the Harriman Fish Pond, it offers not only tranquility, but convenience for fishing these waters.
The Squirrel Meadows Guard Station is another one frequently use for winter time and hunting activities, but being just off the Ashton-Flagg Road just inside Wyoming, it is a great base for accessing Fall River and Beula and Hering Lakes in Yellowstone Park. Not far away are Fall River in Idaho, the Boone Creek beaver ponds, Cascade Creek, Fish Lake, Lake of the Woods, Tillery Lake, and Grassy Lake Reservoir in Wyoming. That array of nearby waters makes this cabin extremely attractive for those wanting to fish back country waters.
The Stump Creek Guard Station would make a great base from which to fish Idaho’s Salt River tributaries. It is on the Lander Cut-Off of the Oregon Trail just inside the Idaho border with Wyoming. Stump Creek goes right by with Tincup, South Fork of Tincup, Jackknife, and Crow Creeks not far away.
The Al Taylor Cabin is west of Kilgore and off Forest Road 006. Not many folks venture to this area. Nearby West Camas and Cottonwood Creeks offer fast fishing for small brook trout. Think of a weekend at this cabin while catching enough brookies for an evening fish fry!
Johnson Guard Station on the Diamond Creek Road offers a base from which to fish the upper Blackfoot River and its tributaries. The Blackfoot River Wildlife Management Area is only a few miles away. Nearby Diamond Creek offers small stream and beaver pond fishing for brook and cutthroat trout.
Each of these cabins has particulars with respect to facilities, what is offered, and what is required, Fees are similar for each and each is really convenient and a bargain when compared to more distant commercial accommodations. You can view particulars for each on the Caribou-Targhee National Forest web site home page. Click the cabin rental bar to see these particulars. You will see that there are other rental cabins in the Forest.
