Johnson Guard Station

$60.00/night

322 N. 4th St.
Montpelier, ID 83254

Overview

Johnson Guard Station is located 30 miles east of Soda Springs, Idaho, on a site that was established in 1910. The current building was constructed in 1934, and is named after James J. Johnson, who served as ranger of the Georgetown Ranger District from 1907-1913. It's been used for various purposes over the years, from serving as summer headquarters to housing work crews.

The cabin is accessible by car in warmer months and by snowmobile in winter. The cabin provides a few conveniences, so guests should be prepared to bring the supplies and equipment they need to make their stay more comfortable.

Recreation

The Bear Canyon OHV Trail is about 1 mile north of the guard station (Idaho OHV safety message). Hikers and mountain bikers will also find trails nearby. The area surrounding the cabin is a playground for snowmobilers and skiers in the winter months.

Anglers can fish in nearby Diamond Creek. The surrounding area also attracts game and game bird hunters.

Facilities

The guard station has a maximum capacity of 15 people. One sleeping room is available with four single beds.. Guests need to provide bedding and sleeping pads. The kitchen has a gas stove for cooking and a dining table with chairs. A gas furnace heats the cabin. Propane is provided for the lights, cook stove and heater. A vault toilet and picnic table are located outside.

No water or electricity is available at the cabin. Guests will need to supply their own water for drinking, washing and cooking. Bedding/sleeping pads, cookware, kitchen utensils and emergency supplies are not provided.

Guests are required to bring garbage bags to pack out their trash. The cabin should be cleaned before leaving, so guests should bring some cleaning supplies.

Natural Features

The cabin sits in a meadow at an elevation of 6,500 feet surrounded by the peaks of Dry Ridge and the Webster subrange in southeastern Idaho. Stands of aspen and lodgepole pine dot the landscape.

Wildlife in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest includes black bears, wolves, elk, moose, mule deer, bison, grizzly bears, mountain lions and pronghorn (bear safety tips).

Camp site features

Across 1 camp site:

Largest party: 15 people

Directions

From Soda Springs, take Highway 34 north approximately 12 miles to the China Hat turnoff (Blackfoot River Narrows). This road will follow Blackfoot River for another 11 miles to a junction; there is a Forest Service sign at this point. Take the right fork (Caribou National Forest Road 102) southeast for another 10 miles to the guard station. The road will turn into Diamond Creek Road. Maps are available upon request at the district office.

Stay Limit

Check in from 1 PM, check out by 11 AM.

Reviews

8 reviews

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

Gary P

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Reviewed 2 years ago

The cabin sits near a road that is very busy especially on Labor day weekend. There was a huge amount of pick ups going by and ATVs going by. What we especially did not like was the two RVs that were parked in the parking area. They finally left Late in the day and or unhappy that they had to move. We had to park our car in the driveway because someone else with an RV trying to pull up there. Going across the road and hiking was a lot of fun. The trees are really pretty there. There are a tremendous amount of flies that get in but we still enjoy the cabin.

Stephen R

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Reviewed 2 years ago

We rented Johnson Guard Station for a weekend in Sept 2024. It is a great location with beautiful surroundings. It would have been the perfect trip were it not for the condition of the cabin. I understand that rodents and bugs are inevitable in rustic cabins, but there is a limit. Some basic exclusionary work, maintenance, and a deep cleaning needs to be done on this cabin. There were a large amount of droppings, urine stains, and grease trails from rodents in every corner and on every surface inside this cabin. The window tracks were overflowing with dead bugs. The bed frames were covered in rodent droppings and dead bugs. There are holes in the wall at the bottom of the door frame between rooms that mice regularly came out of. They were coming in through holes around the gas lines. They were regularly seen coming in and out of the stove and the wall heater. Again, I understand it's a rustic cabin and some cleaning may be required. This condition goes beyond "basic cleaning" and has reached unhealthy levels.

Gary P

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Reviewed 3 years ago

This cabin was excellent with a very few exceptions. There are bunkbeds but they do not have a mattress so you sleep on plywood unless you bring your own padding. otherwise everything about the cabin was great. The road in front of the cabin has an exceptional amount of traffic pick up trucks and commercial trucks so even though the cabin seems to be remote at first glance it has lots of noise from time to time.Be careful of the propane stove when you light it. It does not light very quickly and has a tendency to flash up The electric lights on timers are great. It would be nice to have a way to lock the back door from the inside in case you’re worried about security since the door can be bumped open.

Joe T

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Reviewed 4 years ago

Used the guard station Sept 2022. We really liked our stay. There were six beds to use in the cabin, which was a surprise (two bunk and two single beds). Like it says, you need to bring your own bedding. The cabin had been upgraded to have solar powered lights, which was awesome. Super easy to use and worked great. There are two porch lights (front and back) and each room inside has two lights (each one controlled with its own switch) The lights have a timer switch, the longest the lights will stay on is 60 minutes. You have other options, such as 45 mins, 30 mins, 15 mins, and 5 mins, and off. The fire pit area was clean and very user friendly. No complaints with the pit toilet. The property is surrounded by a large fence, which was nice. The picture of the barb wire is outdated as it now has square grid fencing all the way around. There were a handful of hornets inside the cabin when we first got there, but the fly swatter helped take care of them. The area had lots of flies, but nothing crazy. The propane stove worked great. You need to turn on the gas outside the cabin before using and make sure to turn it off before leaving. There were mice that visited inside the cabin at night so make sure your food and garbage are secured before bed. Very pretty area. The guard station is right on the main road so there were noticeable traffic with 4-wheelers and side-by-sides but it is expected with the area.

Harry H

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Reviewed 5 years ago

The cabin had not been stayed in for a few months before we got there, and it sort of showed that. Otherwise, it was a nice enough experience and we were happy the Forest Service makes cabins like this and all the rest of them available to the public.

Jolin M

Loop:Johnson Guard Station

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Reviewed 7 years ago

Fun little place to stay .. we snowmachined in and stayed for a couple days .. the warming hut isn’t far away and there is a lot of riding you can do..

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