Payson Lakes Guard Station
- Right now
- Nobody has saidNo season, no closure, no bookings to read
- Sites
- 1All of them booked ahead
The place
the agency’s own description · what’s there · 15 notices
In the agency’s own words
Payson Lakes Guard Station is located in the Uinta National Forest, approximately 13 miles south of Payson, Utah, along the Mount Nebo Scenic Byway. The Guard Station was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935 as part of the New Deal Program. The Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest offers the cabin for advance reservation so visitors can enjoy an experience similar to that of early Forest Rangers and their families. Keep reading
Recreation
The nearby Payson Lakes Recreation Area offers great canoeing and kayaking. Anglers enjoy fishing for rainbow and brown trout. There are many nearby trails for hiking, mountain biking and equestrian use.
Facilities
Payson Lakes Guard Station can accommodate up to 8 overnight guests : 4 in the main cabin and 4 in the bunk house . Up to 7 additional visitors may join during the day. Parking : Space for up to 5 family vehicles. Vehicles must stay on pavement Horses : The adjacent pasture can hold up to 8 horses. Stay Limits : Minimum stay is 2 nights, 3 nights on holidays, maximum is 7 nights. What to bring : Guests need to bring their own bedding, plates, and utensils, pots, pans, etc. Pets : Not allowed. Firewood : Bring your own or purchase at the campground. Collecting firewood is not allowed. Check-in : Guests must check in with the Payson Lakes Campground Host, who will escort them to the cabin Natural Features The Guard Station is nestled in a forest of aspen and Douglas fir trees at an elevation of 8,000 feet. The Payson Lakes area includes McClelland, Box and Big East Lakes. Summer wildflowers are abundant. A variety of wildlife makes its home around the lakes.
Nearby Attractions
A popular day-use area is located on the shore of Big East Lake, with a small swim beach, picnic tables and flush toilets. A paved nature path begins at the parking area and circles the lake. The Mount Nebo Wilderness Area is adjacent, brimming with beautiful mountain scenery, pristine waters, abundant wildlife, vibrant summer wildflowers and numerous trail opportunities. The Nebo Loop Scenic Byway stretches 37 miles through high alpine terrain, dense forests and colorful meadows. Devil's Kitchen Geological Area can be found along the loop. It offers a 1/2-mile round-trip trail to interesting red rock hoodoos. Contact Info For facility specific information, please call (385) 273-1100.
Charges & Cancellations
Change and Cancellation Policies and Fees Overnight and Day Use Facilities: To ensure fairness, reservation arrival or departure dates may not be changed beyond the booking window until 18 days after booking the reservation. Camping / Day Use: A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation (including campsites, cabins, lookouts, group facilities, etc.). The $10.00 service fee will be deducted from the refund amount. You can cancel or change reservations through Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Late Cancellations Overnight and Day Use Facilities: Late cancellations are those cancelled between 12:01 a.m. (Eastern) on the day before arrival and check out time on the day after arrival. Individual Campsites: If a customer cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival they will be charged a $10.00 service fee and will also forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). Cancellations for a single night's reservation will forfeit the entire use fee but no cancellation fee will apply. Cabins / Lookouts: Customers will be charged a $10.00 cancellation fee and forfeit the first night's use fee if a cabin or lookout reservation is cancelled within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date. Cancellations for a single night's use will not be assessed a service fee. Group Facility: If a customer cancels a group overnight facility reservation within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date they will be charged the $10.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's use fee. Cancellations for a single night's use will not be assessed a service fee. Group Day Use Area: If a customer cancels a group day use facility reservation within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date, they will forfeit the total day use fee with no service fee charge. No-Shows Camping / Day Use: A camping no-show customer is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Reserved campsites and group overnight facilities will be held until check-out time on the day following your scheduled arrival. Group day-use facilities will be held until check-in time on your scheduled arrival date. If a customer does not arrive at the campground or group facility by check-out time the day after arrival or does not cancel the reservation by the times listed under "Late Cancellations" above, the customer may be assessed a $20.00 service fee and forfeit use fees. Refunds Customers must request refunds no later than 14 days after the scheduled departure date. Recreation.gov will not grant refund requests after 14 days of departure. Reservation Fee: For some facilities, tours or permits an additional reservation fee is charged. For some overnight and day-use facilities, an additional non-refundable reservation fee may apply. The non-refundable reservation fee for tours and tickets is $1.00. The non-refundable reservation fee for permits varies by location. Refunds for Bankcard Purchases: Refunds for bank card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank card. Refunds for Check or Cash Purchases: Refunds for Recreation.gov payments made by check or money order, and cash payments at selected campgrounds will be issued a check refund. A refund will be processed within 30 days of receipt and approval. Please Note: Refund requests made during or after departure can only be processed when approved by the facility management staff based upon local policy. Refunds for Emergency Closures: In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team will attempt to notify users and offer alternate dates (as appropriate). If this is not possible, reservations will be cancelled and all fees paid will be refunded. Reservation fees for free tickets are non-refundable in the event of an emergency closure. Recreation.gov Billing Information Reservation transaction will appear on customer's credit card statements as "Recreation.gov 877-444-6777." Changes to Policies and Procedures Recreation.gov reserves the right, when necessary, to modify reservation policies. These policies were last updated July 2018.
What the agency tells you
This Campground is in Bear Country Always store food and trash securely to avoid attracting wildlife. Store all food items inside the cabin or bunkhouse. -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
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
The Guard Station is a historic structure. As such, the maximum person and vehicle limits are strictly enforced No pets or animals allowed at or in the cabin to help ensure this historic structure is preserved Dogs are not allowed in Day Use areas, beaches, or in/on the water The guard station cannot be reserved for large groups The Guard Station complex can sleep a maximum 8 people in bunk beds; four people inside the cabin and four people in the bunkhouse. Up to 7 additional guests may visit for day use only There is not room for RVs or trailers Tents will not be allowed on the grounds Parking space is limited to 5 family vehicles and no vehicles are permitted off the pavement
Everything else this campground posts · 12
Guests are to check in and out with the Camp Host at the nearby Payson Lakes Campground for access to the site. Rules of use will be reviewed and the lock combination will be provided during check in
There is a 2-night minimum stay and a maximum 7-day stay limit.
Guests may bring their own firewood or purchase at Payson Lakes Campground for $9/per bundle. Firewood collecting at the Guard Station complex is not allowed
Bring your own linens, plates, cups, and flatware.
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. Reservations 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 sites 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
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
Advance Reservations: Reservations are required and must be made at least 5 days in advance No Walk-ins/first come first serve permitted for these sites
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 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, a $20 service fee will be charged and will forfeit the first-night use fee
For more information on visiting Bear Country visit: wildawareutah.org wildlife.utah.gov For campground Rules and Regulations visit gocamputah.com/rules
- For more info, call Spanish Fork Ranger District at 801-798-3571 or Utah Recreation at 385-273-1100 -Visit our website gocamputah.com or Facebook facebook.com/letsgocamputah -To reserve a site call Recreation.gov reservation line 1-877-444-6777
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
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
Tents and rigs
- Sites
- 1 · 1 cabin
- Hookups
- 1 electric
- Longest rig
- 25 ft
- Paved pads
- All
- Accessible sites
- None listed
- Campfires
- Allowed, barring fire bans
- Shade
- Every site
Facilities
- Toilets
- Flush Toilets
- “…a small swim beach, picnic tables and flush toilets. A paved nature path begins at the parking area and…”
- Showers
- Yes, the record doesn’t say what kind
- Shower/Bath Type states a shower on all 1 of this campground's campsite records
- Firewood
- Sold here
Around the campground
- On the water
- Lake, Beach, Meadow
- Biking
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Historic site
- Horseback riding
- Hunting
- Scenic drives
- Wildlife viewing
- Night sky · 420th darkest of 458 in UT
- Bortle 4
- Fall color · reported 14 days ago, 34 km away
- Peak color
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.
Watch for a cancellation
Full? Watch it.
One email when a night opens, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
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.
Tell me when the season opens
Watch for the season to open
One email when the season goes on sale, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We check once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time the agency has that season on sale.
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.
We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.
Every line of the receipt · 13
What you actually pay
“Change and Cancellation Policies and Fees - Overnight and Day Use Facilities: To ensure fairness, reservation arrival or departure dates may not be changed beyond the booking window until 18 days after booking the reservation. - Camping / Day Use: A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservat…” · this campground’s own no-show 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 · rates Sep 10, 2026 · How we know all this
The sites
1 sites · the site map
All 1 sites
Toilet distances are OpenStreetMap’s, measured for 1 of the 1 sites listed. A site with no reading is unknown, never far.
The price is derived by CAMPANAC, not published per site: the per-night rate this campground publishes for each site’s own site type. 1 of the 1 sites listed carry one, and a site whose type has no published rate sits out of the price rather than being called free.
| PAYSON LAKES GUARD STATION | Guard Station | cabin electric | 25 ft | 176 ft | 2,985 ft | $139.92 |
Getting there
the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number
Where it is
Payson LakesUinta National Forest · 0.6 mi
BlackhawkUinta National Forest · 2.2 mi
Maple Lake CampgroundUinta National Forest · 3.8 mi
Maple Bench CampgroundUinta National Forest · 4.1 mi
Tinney FlatUinta National Forest · 5.3 mi
Bear CanyonUinta National Forest · 11 miFrom I-15, take exit 250 toward north Payson/Salem and proceed south on Main Street to 100 North/Highway 198. Travel east to 600 East. Turn south onto 600 East, which becomes the Nebo Loop Scenic Byway/Payson Canyon Road. Travel south along the Nebo Loop Road 015 until you see the Payson Lakes Guard Station sign on the right. Proceed up the driveway and through the gate.
The weather
the next four days · the thirty-year normal
Next four days, and the thirty-year normal
Forecast
NWS forecast for Elk Ridge, UT
Typical weather
Typical October night 29°F, day 50°F.
Coldest month of the year: typical December night 12°F, below freezing. Bring a bag rated colder than that, and expect ice in the water bottle.
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.
The land, and who answers for it
what threatens it · who answers for it
Roadless country, and what’s coming for it
You’re camping on ground somebody wants. We track the threats and the comment deadlines.
Who answers for this land
Payson Lakes Guard Station is in Utah’s 4th congressional district. Its representative, Burgess Owens (R), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: F. See every public-lands vote →