U.S. Forest Service · Wasatch National Forest · UT

Ledgefork Guard Station

ReservableBooking 6 months out; today unlocks April 16. Season not published.
Book on recreation.govWe make nothing when you book
Right now
Nobody has saidNo season, no closure, no bookings to read
Sites
1All of them booked ahead
7,740 ftElevation
76 ftWater · Red Pine Creek
7.5 miE of Oakley, UT
37%Tree cover
Bortle 4Night sky · 371st darkest of 458 in UT

The place

the agency’s own description · what’s there · 13 notices

In the agency’s own words

Ledgefork Guard Station is located just above Smith and Morehouse Reservoir on the western edge of the Uinta Mountains in northeastern Utah. Visitors enjoy fishing, canoeing and exploring the Smith and Morehouse Trail. This is a unique recreational experience of staying in a historic Forest Service cabin while providing funds for the ongoing maintenance and renovation of these historic buildings. Keep reading

Recreation

The Smith and Morehouse reservoir is open to motorized boats, though a wake-less speed is enforced, making it an excellent place for canoeing and kayaking. A boat ramp is located on the northwest shore. Anglers enjoy fishing for stocked rainbow trout and other native fish species. The 12-mile round-trip Smith and Morehouse Trail is popular with hikers and backpackers. The trail begins in the campground and leads through forests, meadows and a marsh before spurring off to Erickson Basin and Island Lake.

Facilities

The maximum capacity of the complex is 8 people. There is one bedroom with queen beds. The bathroom is located on the main floor. The gathering area is located on the main floor, equipped with sofas and chairs Bring your linens, dishes, silverware, cups, and glasses, pots and pans are provided- fully equipped kitchen. There is electricity to appliances provided by a generator, running water, flush toilets, shower, electric lights/appliances, and propane heat. Utilities are included. The basement is not accessible to the public. No pets are allowed.

Natural Features

The cabin is surrounded by a scenic conifer and aspen forest. A variety of wildlife makes its home around the reservoir, including moose and deer.

Nearby Attractions

Mirror Lake Scenic Byway, Length 65 miles/104 km, Time to allow: 2 hours. Heading east from Kamas through the national forest, Mirror Lake Highway is one of the most popular mountain routes in the state. The road winds through farm and ranch lands and rises to heavily forested mountain terrain accented by the meadows and rugged peaks. There are numerous access points into the High Uinta Wilderness along this byway.

Charges & Cancellations

Rules & Reservation Policies

What the agency tells you

Rule

This Campground is in Bear Country Always store food and trash securely to avoid attracting wildlife   -Failure to comply may result in fines up to $5,000, removal from your campsite and/or imprisonment Remember, a fed bear is a dead bear; your actions can save lives

Rule

-Guests are to check in and out with the Camp Host at the nearby Smith and Morehouse Campground for access to the site. Rules of use will be reviewed and the lock combination will be provided during check in. -The Guard Station is a historic structure. As such, the maximum person and vehicle limits are strictly enforced. The guard station cannot be reserved for large groups -Bring your own linens, plates, cups, and flatware -No pets or animals allowed at or in the cabin to help ensure this historic structure is preserved

Rule

There is no water available on site. Please bring all of the water you will need for your stay. Please bring your own drinking water This is a 'pack it in, pack it out' facility; please bring garbage bags

Everything else this campground posts · 10
Rule

Campground Etiquette and Rules: Gates open at 7a.m., Gates close at 10p.m. Quiet Hours are 10p.m. to 6a.m. No generators after 10p.m. Camping is allowed only within the designated space provided. Do not go beyond the boundaries of your site Maximum occupancy is 8 people per single site Reserved campsites will be held until 12pm on the day following your scheduled arrival date Horses/Off-road vehicles are prohibited in the campground Leave No Trace  Put all garbage in dumpsters, when provided, or properly stored in your vehicle or bear box  Remove all personal property and trash when leaving  Unclean campsites will be reported to the District Ranger LEO  Leaving food/trash in an unoccupied campsite may result in a $5,000 fine This is a 'pack it in, pack it out' facility; please bring garbage bags Cleaning fish, animals, or bathing where drinking water is supplied is strictly prohibited Fireworks or other explosives are prohibited. Discharging of a firearm in the campground is not allowed No fighting or boisterous behavior. Be courteous to your fellow visitor. Keep noise at a reasonable level No amplified music is allowed in USDA Forest Service campgrounds and facilities. People come to the campgrounds for peace and quiet Max Vehicle Length includes tow vehicle

Rule

There is a 2-night minimum stay on weekends; 3-night minimum stay on holiday weekends

Rule

Trailers/Campers and RVs: Come with your RV/trailer water tank filled. Hooking up to spigots or the power in the restrooms, even for medical devices is strictly prohibited

Rule

Advance Reservations Reservations are required and must be made at least 5 days in advance No walk-ins/first come first serve are available for the Guard Station

Rule

Extra Vehicle - $10 per vehicle, per day (paid on-site cash/check), space is not guaranteed for extra vehicles Firewood - $9 -Guests may bring their own firewood or purchase at Smith and Morehouse Campground. Firewood collecting at the Guard Station complex is not allowed

Rule

Please understand that camping/picnicking is an outdoor experience; therefore, we do not give refunds or credits for weather or natural conditions Cancellations within 14 days of the arrival date will forfeit the entire first night use fee and a $10 cancellation fee No-shows, early departures, or cancellations after the arrival date are not entitled to a refund If a guest does not arrive at the campsite by check-out time the day after scheduled arrival, and does not cancel the reservation, will be a $20 service fee charged and a forfeit of the first-night use fee

Rule

For more information on visiting Bear Country visit: wildawareutah.org wildlife.utah.gov For campground Rules and Regulations visit gocamputah.com/rules

Rule

Click here for more info about the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest - For more info, call Kamas Ranger District at 435-783-4338 or Utah Recreation at 385-273-1100 - Visit our website gocamputah.com or Facebook facebook.com/letsgocamputah - To reserve a campsite call Recreation.gov reservation line 1-877-444-6777

Rule

Don't Move Firewood: Help prevent the spread of tree-killing pests in our national forests by obtaining firewood within 10 miles of your destination and burning it on-site. For more information click here

Rule

Please note: Utah Recreation is not responsible for accident or injury to any person or property resulting from the use of this facility and is not responsible for the loss of money or valuables of any kind. The user of this permit assumes full and complete responsibility for the conduct and actions of all members in his or her party

Read them on the agency’s own page →

Tents and rigs

Sites
1 · 1 cabin
Hookups
1 electric
Accessible sites
None listed
Campfires
Allowed, barring fire bans
Source: Recreation.gov campsite records · Aug 23, 2026

Facilities

Toilets
Flush Toilets
“…provided by a generator, running water, flush toilets, shower, electric lights/appliances, and propane…”
Showers
Yes, the record doesn’t say what kind
Shower/Bath Type states a shower on all 1 of this campground's campsite records
Boat ramp
Yes
Source: Stated in the agency description · Aug 23, 2026

Around the campground

On the water
Reservoir, Lake, Meadow
Boating
Canoeing
Fishing
Hiking
Kayaking
Swimming
Wildlife viewing
Source: Recreation.gov activity records · Aug 23, 2026

No reading yet, book on recreation.gov

Every site here is reservable, and the record lists none held back for anyone who drives up.

No availability snapshot inside the last 36 hours, so this page draws nothing rather than ageing a reading into fiction.

Booking window6 months outBooking opens 6 months ahead; today unlocks arrivals through April 16, 2027. The agency publishes no reservable season in the record we hold, so the window may close earlier than that.recreation.gov
Max stay7 nightsthe facility record
If plans change$10 to cancel$10 to change a reservation; this campground publishes its own terms toorecreation.gov’s schedule
Runs itU.S. Forest ServiceBooked through recreation.govthe agency’s record
Watch for a cancellation

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We read recreation.gov once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time a site in your window is free for the nights you asked for.

Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.

Free forever, no booking kickbacks.
Book on recreation.gov

We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.

Every line of the receipt · 10

What you actually pay

The sign priceU.S. Forest Service
The U.S. Forest Service publishes no per-night rate for this campground that we can read, so there’s no sign price to print. That’s a gap in the record, not a free campground.
The booking feerecreation.gov
Reservation fee, booked online$8
One fee per reservation, however many nights you book, and it’s non-refundable. $9 if you book by phone, $3 in person.
Pass discounts only apply to the recreation (or use) fee for the facility. Other charges such as electricity or water hookups, reservation or other fees are not eligible for a discount.
What this campground addsits own record
Extra vehicleSee the note

“$157.00 - 8 people, 2 vehicles $10.00 Extra Vehicle” · the U.S. Forest Service’s own fee record

What a stay costs
The agency publishes no nightly rate for this campground, so there’s nothing to add the $8 booking fee to. We won’t total a receipt with a number missing from it.
If your plans changerecreation.gov
Change fee, moving to dates outside your booking$10
Cancellation fee$10
Cancelling the day before, or the day of$10 + your first night
No-show$20 + your first night

“Rules & Reservation Policies” · this campground’s own terms

Who keeps the booking fee

The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →

How we know this receipt · 6

rules read Sep 9, 2026 · record Aug 23, 2026 · How we know all this

Seen something wrong here? Tell us.

The sites

1 sites · the site map

All 1 sites

1 of 1 sites located
Cabin or shelter1
Aerial · Esri World Imagery
Sleeps

Toilet distances are OpenStreetMap’s, measured for 1 of the 1 sites listed. A site with no reading is unknown, never far.

Measured shade is NLCD Tree Canopy Cover 2024 (USDA Forest Service / MRLC) read at the site’s own coordinate, 27% canopy or more, and only for the sites the agency gave no Shade value. It never changes the agency’s own shaded count beside it.

Ledgefork Guard StationGuard Stationcabin electric81 ft304 ft

Getting there

the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number
Coordinate40.74208, -111.09989
The phone385-273-1100
The agency’s pageOfficial page ↗

Where it is

Getting there

From Salt Lake City: 

From I 15, take I 80E past Park City to either Hwy 189 or Wanship. On 189, travel SE to Kearns Blvd/SR 248. Continue east on SR 248 to Browns Canyon Rd. Travel E/NE on Browns Canyon until it connects with SR 32 just north of Peoa. Turn south onto SR32 and travel until it becomes North Bench and then Weber Canyon Rd. From Wanship, take SR 32 past Rockport State Park to Peoa. At Peoa, SR32 becomes North Bench Rd and then Weber Canyon Rd. Stay on Weber Canyon Rd to FR 33. Turn right (south) onto FR 33 and travel past Smith Morehouse Reservoir to Ledgefork. (FR33 distance ~16 miles) 

From Utah County (Provo): 

Follow US 189 (University Ave.) through Provo Canyon to Heber City. At the junction in Heber, turn left and stay on 189 going north until you reach SR32. Turn right (east) on SR32 and travel past Jordanelle State Park to Francis. At Francis, turn left (north) onto Main St. Stay on Main st. until it becomes New Lane Rd in Oakley. Stay on New Lane Rd to Weber Canyon Rs. Turn right (east) onto Weber Canyon Rd. Stay on Weber Canyon Rd to FR 33. Turn right (south) onto FR 33 and travel past Smith Morehouse Reservoir to Ledgefork. (FR33 distance ~16 miles)

The weather

the next four days · the thirty-year normal

Next four days, and the thirty-year normal

Forecast

This Afternoon55°Sunny
Tonight36°Mostly Clear
Saturday56°Sunny
Saturday Night36°Mostly Clear

NWS forecast for Oakley, UT

Typical weather

Typical October night 31°F, day 50°F.

Coldest month of the year: typical December night 15°F, below freezing. Bring a bag rated colder than that, and expect ice in the water bottle.

80°32°10°

Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or more

A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Julys are colder than the July line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.

Measured at: ALTA, UT (USC00420072), 30 miles away and 970 ft higher

The land, and who answers for it

what threatens it · who answers for it

Roadless country, and what’s coming for it

Roadless
Lakes121,967 acres · 5 mi · inventoried roadless area

You’re camping on ground somebody wants. We track the threats and the comment deadlines.

Who answers for this land

Mike Kennedy, official portrait

Ledgefork Guard Station is in Utah’s 3rd congressional district. Its representative, Mike Kennedy (R), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: F. See every public-lands vote →

Seen something wrong here? Tell us.

How we know

every fact on this page, and where it came from
Right now: U.S. Forest Service publishes no season and no closure for this campground, and it takes no bookings we can read. That’s a gap in the record and not a locked gate: the number below is the only way to be sure.
Cell signal: the Forest Service’s own campground description, read as text by CAMPANAC. None of this is a measurement. It’s what the land manager published about the place, and phones, carriers and weather all disagree with each other; treat it as a warning, not a promise.