SAGUACHE — The Saguache Ranger District announced recently that the historic Duncan Cabin joined the District’s Cabin Rental Program on June 24. The district’s only primitive cabin offers a unique experience for the hearty cabin-goer with a four-mile hike in, no water, electricity, heat or cookstove, and plenty of remoteness.

“This new recreational opportunity comes after a significant preservation process,” said Saguache District Ranger Tristram Post. “We are pleased to offer this unique cabin stay experience for the adventurous folks that prefer to stay in places off the beaten path.” The cabin offers solitude and amazing views of the valley in a setting that is far from your typical 3-star hotel stay. Post added that, with a small corral on-site, horses would be the ideal mode of transportation into the cabin.

As with all rental cabins on the Rio Grande National Forest, the Duncan Cabin has unique features and rules. Cabin renters should bring their own cookstove and can get water to filter, or for their stock at the nearby Pole Creek. Learn more at www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/riogrande/recreation/camping-cabins/recarea/?recid=84408&actid=101.

Restoration of the cabin was conducted by partners at HistoriCorps in 2011 with the goal of preserving site history and to eventually include on the Forest Service cabin rental program. In doing so, the cabin will be preserved, maintained, and enjoyed for future generations. Funds for the majority of restoration work were allocated as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Additional restoration work will continue into the future. See the cabin preservation plan, including a brief history, on the cabin’s web page above.

Reservations for the Duncan Cabin are available by calling 1 877-444-6777, or online at Recreation.gov and searching for the Duncan Cabin. Reservations can only be made up to 6 months in advance. The nightly fee is $40. There is no minimum night stay, and a maximum of 14 nights are allowed.