Openings · last 7 days
0
01 · Detected Opening History · the openings record · file CS-234255
When Elwood Cabin reopens
Elwood Cabin's openings record: every site-date Campsite Sniper detected turning available, logged and time-stamped. Refreshed hourly.
Openings · last 30 days
2
Openings · last 90 days
7
Only 7 openings in the last 90 days: not enough recent activity for a reliable pattern. A free Campsite Sniper alert watches around the clock instead, and pings you the moment one opens.
02 · Availability Outlook · Nov 2, 2026 – May 3, 2027 · of 1 monitored site
Of the 183 tracked site-nights (Nov 2, 2026 – May 3, 2027): 116 open for online reservation · 9 reserved · 58 closed.
Where the open windows are
36.6% of tracked site-nights are not currently open for online reservation. 116 of 183 remain open; here is where they are.
Load status
Nov 2, 2026 – May 3, 2027Not open online36.6%
Open site-nights116 / 183
Reserved (of online inventory)9 / 125
Weekday openings60
Weekend openings56
Of the open cabin-nights on mapped sites, 60 fall on weekdays and 56 on weekends (Fri–Sun).
Open dates by month
Nov 2026 – May 2027November shows no online availability. 0 of 29 tracked site-nights are open there — 29 closed.
Holiday windows
Sites open per night · of 1 cabin| Window | Night | Sites open | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving | THU Nov 26 | 0 | None open |
| FRI Nov 27 | 0 | None open | |
| SAT Nov 28 | 0 | None open | |
| Christmas | THU Dec 24 | 1 | Open |
| FRI Dec 25 | 1 | Open | |
| New Year | THU Dec 31 | 1 | Open |
| FRI Jan 1 | 1 | Open | |
| Memorial Day | FRI May 28 | 0 | None open |
| SAT May 29 | 0 | None open | |
| SUN May 30 | 0 | None open | |
| MON May 31 | 0 | None open |
Thanksgiving: no online availability on any tracked night. Christmas: 1 cabin is available for the complete two-night stay. New Year: 1 cabin is available for the complete two-night stay. Memorial Day: no online availability on any tracked night.
Availability
Most open cabin-nights · tracked window| Cabin | Open cabin-nights |
|---|---|
| 5106 | 116 |
This cabin currently has 116 cabin-nights available.
Next windows
As of Nov 2, 2026 snapshotNext open dateWed · Dec 16
Next open weekendFri · Dec 18
November0 of 29 · closed
The next bookable night is Dec 16; the first open weekend starts Dec 18. Campsite Sniper can watch later dates for you.
Stays and site detail
116 open cabin-nights across 1 cabin at Elwood Cabin, from the same hourly snapshot as everything above.
Multi-night stays. 9 2-night, 9 3-night, 8 7-night openings where a single site is free for every night, per Campsite Sniper's current snapshot — soonest Dec 16 at site 5106.
RV length. Longest recorded site here is 50 ft. 1 site takes 25 ft, 1 site takes 35 ft, 1 site takes 40 ft.
All 1 cabin with current availability
| Cabin | Max RV | Hookups | Open cabin-nights | Longest run | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5106 | 50 ft | None | 116 | 22 nights | Dec 16, Dec 17, Dec 18, Dec 19, Dec 20, Dec 21, Dec 22, Dec 23, Dec 24, Dec 25, Dec 26, Dec 27 +104 more |
About Elwood Cabin
Overview
Elwood Cabin sits in a saddle along the San Juan Mountains
overlooking an open meadow, offering guests a unique lodging
opportunity.
The cabin was built in 1911 by the Mountain States Telephone Company as a "line
shack" to support crews maintaining the transcontinental telephone line. Remnants of this
old telephone line are still found along Iron Creek to the southeast. The cabin was also used
as a Forest Service Station from 1950 until 1962, serving as living quarters for Forest Service
employees who worked on numerous projects in the area.
Although the phone line has been abandoned, today the cabin is a high-altitude getaway for
guests seeking relaxation and recreation in south-central Colorado.
During summer months the cabin can
be accessed by motorized travel. During winter months access to the cabin is by
snowmobiles, cross country skiing or snow shoeing.
Recreation
The area around Elwood cabin offers a variety of recreational opportunities year-round. Summertime brings excellent scenic tour opportunities in and around the Summitville area as well as exploration of several historical mining sites.
Anglers have a spectacular backdrop to fishing streams such as Iron Creek or Treasure Creek. Nearby Platoro Reservoir, which feeds the Conejos River, provides excellent fishing for trout and salmon.
Great hiking can be found around the area, as it spans both the Rio Grande and San Juan National Forests, as well as the South San Juan Wilderness.
In winter, the Elwood cabin area can be blanketed with as much as ten feet of snow, requiring preparation and knowledge of winter travel. Snowmobiling, skiing and snowshoeing are popular activities in the area.
Facilities
The one room log cabin is furnished with two bunk beds with single beds on the top and on the bottom of each bunk, accommodating up to four individuals total for the cabin. The cabin has a wood stove for heat, propane lighting and a propane stove. The kitchen is equipped with a table and chairs, cooking utensils, pots and pans and a fire extinguisher. Firewood is available in the adjoining shed. An outdoor vault toilet is also on-site.
Guests must provide a sufficient supply of water for cooking, cleaning and washing. Guests are also encouraged to bring an additional light source in case of emergencies.
Although the cabin has some amenities, guests do need to provide their own food, sleeping bags, linens, towels, dish soap, matches, first aid kit, avalanche equipment, toilet paper and garbage bags.
Natural Features
High in the San Juan Mountains at an elevation of 11,000 feet, this cabin provides guests with views of nearby peaks, meadows filled with wildflowers and alpine forests.
While staying at such a high elevation guests will notice how light plays differently on the landscape and stars blanket the sky on clear cold evenings. Elk, deer, and other wildlife are often seen in meadows adjacent to the cabin. Bear, marmot and chipmunks also call the area home.
Nearby Attractions
Summitville is a nearby ghost town where gold was first discovered in 1870, then mined until the early 1990s. When contaminants leaked off-site and flowed into the local watershed the government forced it to shut down. Now a water treatment plant is on the site as part of a federal clean up program.
1 monitored cabinRVs up to 50 ftNo hookups1 shadedPets OKFire pitsMax party 4Min-stay sites
Getting there
From Del Norte, take U.S. Highway 160 west to South Fork. Continue west on U.S. Highway 160 for 8 miles to Park Creek Road. Travel 15 miles on Park Creek Road to Summitville Road. Turn right on FSR 380, the cabin is about 2 miles on the left. From the junction of FSR 250 in the Alamosa Canyon and FSR 380, follow FSR 380 about 8 miles, the cabin is on the right. Access to the cabin in the summertime can be accomplished with just about any vehicle; however, when the dirt roads are wet they tend to get slick. In winter, the trail access to the Elwood Cabin is on the unplowed portion of Forest Road 380, which starts southeast from the junction, but makes a bend and continues south-southwest to the cabin. The 2 mile ski to the cabin is generally easy with a 400 foot elevation gain. The Elwood Cabin is visible below the road on a knoll projecting into a large open park. Allow from 1.5 - 2 hours or longer, depending on snow conditions, for the trip.
15571 County Road T.5, La Jara, CO 81140719-274-8971
CampingFishingHikingHuntingWildlife ViewingWinter Sports
View on Recreation.gov ↗ Get directions ↗
03 · Field Photos · roll CS-234255 · facility + sites
Photo gallery
Roll CS-234255 · Elwood Cabin · La Jara CO6 frames · facility + sites
FAQ
How do I get a reservation at Elwood Cabin?
Reservations for Elwood Cabin are made through Recreation.gov. 116 of 183 tracked site-nights are currently open (63.4%). Campsite Sniper has also detected 7 site openings here in the last 90 days, so further dates may appear. Pick a site on the map to see its calendar, or set a free Campsite Sniper alert. You complete the reservation yourself on Recreation.gov.
Does Campsite Sniper book this campground for me?
No. Campsite Sniper sends alerts and direct Recreation.gov links. It never books, pays for, holds, hoards, or resells reservations.
How current is this availability data?
Campsite Sniper re-checks public Recreation.gov availability for this facility every hour and republishes whenever anything changes. This facility's data last changed at Nov 2, 2026 18:20 UTC; an older timestamp means nothing has changed since that time, not that checking stopped. Always confirm final availability on Recreation.gov when you book.
How often do new openings appear at Elwood Cabin?
Campsite Sniper detected 7 site-date openings here over the last 90 days, none in the last 7. A free alert watches around the clock and pings you the moment one appears.
Can I get a multi-night stay at Elwood Cabin?
9 three-night openings are showing, counting only runs where the SAME site is free for all three nights. The soonest starts Dec 16 at site 5106. Confirm and book on Recreation.gov.
Which sites at Elwood Cabin fit a 35-foot RV?
1 of the 1 site that support RV analysis has a recorded maximum of 35 ft or more; the longest recorded is 50 ft.
Which month has the most availability at Elwood Cabin?
January 2027, with 29 open site-nights in the current snapshot of 31.
When is the next open date at Elwood Cabin?
As of the Nov 2, 2026 snapshot: the next open date is Wed, Dec 16 and the next open weekend starts Fri, Dec 18. Detected openings can add earlier dates at any time; a free Campsite Sniper alert catches those the moment they appear.
Stop refreshing. Let the app watch it.
Filter
Lakefront, hookups, your RV length, weekends only - set it as picky as you want.
Watch
We run paced availability checks for Elwood Cabin. One watch covers every matching site.
Get the ping
When a match opens, you get a push with a Recreation.gov link so you can review and book it yourself.