By:
Submission
The Mammoth Guard station is located at 8,600 feet in elevation. There are two cabins on the grounds. The Mammoth Cabin was built on site while the Lake Cabin was moved to the site from its original location in the 1980s. Both cabins were constructed in the 1930s serving as forest ranger and fire crew dwellings for many years. The cabins overlook a wide expanse of sagebrush valleys with timbered slopes and ridgelines. The grounds that cabins are located is also an active administrative site. Visitors can expect to see Forest Service personnel using the grounds adjacent to the cabins.
Travel Trailers and RVs are not permitted at this facility. If others are seeking to be close to your group during your reservation they should look at the nearby campgrounds at Gooseberry Group Campground and Gooseberry Reservoir.
Gooseberry Reservoir is located approximately one and a half miles to the north of the cabins. Fishing is available from the shore, however, the only boating allowed on the reservoir is non-motorized. The reservoir also has several RV sites which can accommodate larger RVs in addition to pit toilets. Gooseberry Campground is approximately 3/4 mile to the south and has several campsites for tents and small to medium RVs, drinking water, and pit toilets are available. A fee is required at both of these sites.
Within 10 miles of the cabins, there are several other lakes and reservoirs. Please check fishing and boating laws for the reservoirs. Access to the Arapeen OHV trail system is available within a few miles of the cabins.
The Mammoth Cabin and Lake Cabin have water with a flush toilet and shower in the bathrooms; kitchens are equipped with sinks, stove, and simple cookware (pots/pans, silverware, utensils). A refrigeration unit is not available in the cabins so please plan accordingly. Basic cleaning supplies are provided along with toilet paper. The Mammoth Cabin has two sets of bunk beds with mattresses. The Lake Cabin has two sets of bunk beds with mattresses. The Mammoth Cabin and Lake Cabin can be reserved either individually or together. The Mammoth Cabin has a wood burning stove as an additional source of heat. Pets are not permitted inside the cabins.The garage is used by Forest Service personnel. Please do not block access to the garage.
The cabins are situated in a spruce, fir and aspen forest setting with many mature trees on the facility grounds. You can view wildlife from the front porch of either cabin in the open meadows in the immediate area, including deer, elk, badger, eagles, hawks and more. The Mammoth Cabin receives the most shaded sunlight, while the Lake Cabin receives more direct sunlight.
Located in the Fairview City Museum there is a life size replica of a Columbian Mammoth that was found approximately 10 miles southeast of the cabins. The museum also offers exhibits with artifacts and history from the native people of the area as well as a history of the later settlers. There is access to the 350+ mile Arapeen trail system to the south as well as the Forest roads to the north.
From Fairview, Utah, for 8.5 miles proceed east on Utah Highway 31. Then turn east (left) to Utah highway 264 for .2 miles, then turn left (north) through the paved parking lot to the gravel road, then right (FS road 0124 downhill). You will pass the Gooseberry Campground sign, at the next intersection (FS road 0124) make a slight left and proceed through the gate. The Mammoth Cabin is first, the Lake Cabin is the third building.
From US Highway 6 take Utah Highway 96 south through Scofield then onto Utah 264 west for 15 miles. Prior to the junction of Utah 31 and Utah 264 there is a large paved parking lot. Turn north and proceed to the gravel road, then right (FS road 0124 downhill). You will pass the Gooseberry Campground sign, at the next intersection (FS road 0124) make a slight left and proceed through the gate. The Mammoth Cabin is first, the Lake Cabin is the third building.
The view is amazing. The cabins do have water, plumbing, and power. Its also close to a few lakes. This is a great place to relax, and get away from everything.
You can rent the Mammoth Cabin or Lake Cabin through Reserve America. The guard station is the Mammoth Cabin. The Lake Cabin was moved nextdoor. There are things you should know that is not on their website. We stayed there for 2 nights although booked for 3. We left early due to needing a more comfortable bed and boredom. We stayed in the Mammoth Cabin and looked inside the Lake Cabin.
Pros: tucked away, forest behind cabins, nice views across meadow's, lots of wildlife, hot showers, decent kitchen, nice porch, plenty of firewood everywhere, fire pit, propane kitchen.
Cons: you can hear campers everywhere and occasionally gunfire, barbed wire fences everywhere making hiking impossible, missing window coverings, if you don't rent both cabins you won't feel the seclusion, the bunks beds in both cabins are missing the top bed rails and have a warning sticker that without bed rails not to use because you may die, the top bunks are too scary for most adults and are useless for children so there are really only 2 beds in each cabin, the lake Cabin has a fire pit without any shade, beds are not comfortable (especially the futon-like one), the lake is too far to hike to because of lack of shade, the lake is very small and crowded with no trees, you must haul away all your garbage (there are no dumpsters within 30 minutes driving), I had zero cell phone service.
I hope this helps others.
This is an awesome place! It's a great little getaway up in the mountains in Fairview canyon, just 15 minutes or so from the main drag. To rent the cabins, it's only $50/night/cabin so $100 per night since you have to rent both. They have running water, but they advise not to drink it - so just toilets and washing hands. They do smell a little old so there's that. It's about .5 miles from a nice little reservoir. We had dirt bikes up there and family members had quads and side-by-sides and there was plenty of fun to be had. There are fire pits and plenty of parking spots.
Glad the Forest Service rents out these cabins in rhis beautiful area. We always have a great time here. But this time, mud had washed into the cattle guard and cows wete able to walk over the diet covering the cattle guard. The dang cows mooed all night long, making it hard to sleep. This photo shows an ATV trail right by the cabins.
