So this is Blacksmith Fork Guard Station, located in northern Utah on the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache
National Forest. So, the Blacksmith Fork Guard Station is located
in the Left Hand Fork of Blacksmith�s Fork Canyon, approximately 11 miles northeast of
the town of Hyrum, Utah. The Left Hand Fork River flows right behind
the cabin and it�s a really beautiful canyon with a lot of outstanding rock formations,
lots of differing types of vegetation, and really beautiful colors in the fall.
Just a really beautiful place to visit. This cabin was built in 1934 by the Civilian
Conservation Corps, and they were responsible not only for constructing this particular
structure, but also they built many of the roads, trails, campgrounds that we see and
still use on the forest, in this area, today. So, in 2012, the Blacksmith Fork Guard Station
was no longer being used by Forest Service employees, and at that time it had also been
impacted heavily by vandalism. So, at that time, the Forest Service decided
to begin restoration work in order to prepare it for the cabin rental system.
So, the work was conducted both by the Forest Service and volunteers who participated in
the Passport in Time program. That�s a Forest Service program that people
interested in historic preservation projects can look at what kind of projects that are
being made available, and participate in those and work alongside Forest Service employees.
That�s what occurred here, and over the course of three years, and two Passport in
Time projects we conducted much of the restoration work to get this place up and running for
the public. So, this particular cabin has seen very little
alterations over its 80 year lifespan and it was built in the 1930s, so it�s really
important for us to maintain that 1930s era character while we restored it.
And so we focused on doing tasks that would make it still feel like it was from the 1930s.
The Blacksmith Fork Guard Station is reservable year round on recreation.gov.
During the summer months, you can drive to the cabin and in the winter when the roads
are snow-covered, you will have to park at the gate and then you can bring your snowmobile,
or you can snowshoe, or cross-country ski to the Guard Station.
Once you have reserved the Guard Station on recreation.gov, you will receive an email
that has a code to the front door and you�ll want to keep track of that code.
And within a few days before your visit you can call our Ranger District office and confirm
that the code is still the same. Here, right at the Guard Station, some of
the things you can do are just sit out on the front porch and enjoy the view, especially
in the fall with the fall colors. And there�s also Left Hand Fork flows right
past the back of the cabin and so you can fish right outside your cabin door.
In the greater area around Hardware Ranch- it�s close by- and you can visit Hardware
Ranch. There are multiple hiking trails and OHV trails
that are available. There are some climbing walls that are located
in close proximity. The Richards Hallow trailhead is about a mile
up the road and also there�s a spring called Gray Cliff Spring that you can visit.
So, inside the cabin approximately five people can sleep.
There�s room for five. On the grass, the lawn outside, it can accommodate
up to four tents. And then the driveway can accommodate a small
trailer. So this cabin does not have any water.
People need to bring water with them when they come visit.
It also does not have electricity, but it does have propane and so the propane runs
the lights, the refrigerator, and the stove. So, there is a wood-burning stove inside that
people can use and that�ll warm up the cabin if it�s cold.
And there�s also a fire ring out back, which people can use at night to sit around and
tell stories and make s�mores and have a good time.
So, this cabin is an excellent example of Forest Service architectural design and also
the Civilian Conservation Corps craftsmanship. And it�s a really unique place and a beautiful
spot on the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. It is a unique experience for those who want
to come and visit. It provides them kind of an opportunity to
see how a Forest Service Ranger and his family would have lived here in the 1930s.