USDA Forest Service · Utah
Seely Creek Guard Station
USDA Forest Service · Utah, United States
- Sites
- 1
- Hookups
- 1 with water, 1 no hookups
- Season
- June 20 to October 6
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Elevation
- 9,895 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- AT&T good · T-Mobile none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Access road
- SEELY CREEK GUARD STA. (NFSR 50050) · native material · high clearance vehicles
- Lake
- Manti-La Sal National Forest
- Nearest town
- Ferron
- Address
- 115 West Canyon Road, P.O. Box 310, Ferron, UT, 84523
- Phone
- 435-384-2372
- Activities
- Biking, Camping, Fishing, Hiking, Historic Sites, Horseback Riding, Hunting, Wildlife Viewing
1 numbered sites are mapped one by one - the site map below shows each with its facts and pictures.
Site map
1 numbered sites are mapped one by one on the imagery, with the operator's own facts and pictures for each site where it publishes them. Tap a site to rate it, keep a note and add your own photos; press and hold the map for a pin of your own. Your ratings, notes, pins and photos are kept with the campground on your Saved list, the same list the camping map and the drive page keep.
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About
Overview
Seely Creek Guard Station is located near the top of the Wasatch Plateau, within the Manti-La Sal National Forest in central Utah. The cabin was built in late-1907 or early-1908 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Guests enjoy year-round recreational activities, including hiking, off-roading, snowmobiling and skiing.
Recreation
Skyline Drive passes along the ridge line just above the cabin, providing great trail opportunities for off-road vehicles, mountain biking and hiking. In the winter, the surrounding area becomes a playground for snowmobile enthusiasts. Cross-country skiing, back country skiing and snowshoeing are also popular activities.
Horseback riding trails crisscross the area as well. A maximum of 20 horses is allowed at the guard station, though no horse facilities (corrals, hitching posts, etc) are present. The surrounding meadow can be used for picketing or hobbling.
Facilities
Seely Guard Station can accommodate a maximum of 30 people, with six inside and 24 camped outside in a maximum of six vehicles (truck and trailer combination counts as one vehicle). The rustic guard station is spacious inside, with four single bunks without mattresses. Guests must bring their own linens, bedding and pillows.
The cabin is equipped with a table and chairs, a fireplace and wood stove. No water is available. A vault toilet is located approximately 50 feet behind the cabin and a campfire ring lies outside the fenced area on the north side.
Natural Features
The cabin is situated in a beautiful wildflower-filled meadow, at an elevation of approximately 10,000 feet. Seely Creek flows along the edge of the meadow.
Skyline Drive runs along the top of the Wasatch Plateau for more than 60 miles, rewarding visitors with beautiful mountain scenery, glacial cirques, spruce-fir and aspen forests, numerous lakes and reservoirs. Wildlife and summer wildflowers are plentiful, and autumn leaves put on quite a show.
Due to the guard station's high elevation, guests should be prepared for all types of weather including snow or hail, especially after September.
Nearby Attractions
John August Lake is less than three miles from the guard station, with fishing and scenic high alpine views. Pete's Hole and Soup Bowl are less than eight miles away, offering fishing and a hiking trail.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25° | 10° | -6° | 40° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 27° | 10° | -10° | 39° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 32° | 16° | -2° | 60° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 40° | 22° | 4° | 55° | 11 of 11 |
| May | 52° | 32° | 11° | 65° | 10 of 11 |
| June | 67° | 45° | 29° | 80° | 4 of 11 |
| July | 75° | 53° | 39° | 83° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 71° | 50° | 37° | 81° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 64° | 43° | 24° | 71° | 4 of 11 |
| October | 52° | 29° | 9° | 64° | 10 of 10 |
| November | 40° | 23° | -1° | 55° | 10 of 10 |
| December | 28° | 9° | -8° | 44° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Trails nearby
- Josephite Point Trailhead · 2.8 mi as the crow flies
Josephite Pt. Trail 6.3 mi Hike · Drive there - Canal Canyon Trailhead · 7.8 mi as the crow flies
Grizzly Gulch Trail 7.3 mi Hike, Canal Canyon 5.9 mi Hike · Drive there - Reeder Trailhead · 7.9 mi as the crow flies
Reeder Trail 9.1 mi Hike · Drive there - Joes Valley Loop · 7.9 mi as the crow flies
Reeder Trail 9.1 mi Hike · Drive there - Patton Trailhead · 8.8 mi as the crow flies
Patton 1.8 mi Hike · Drive there
All 381 trails in Manti-La Sal National Forest
Trailheads the Park Service and the Forest Service map, within 10 miles as the crow flies; each trail's page has its length, climbing and the Service's description.
Nearby campgrounds
- Lake Hill · USDA Forest Service · 4 mi · 15 sites
- Orange Olsen · USDA Forest Service · 7 mi · 2 sites
- Manti Community · USDA Forest Service · 7 mi · 12 sites
- Joes Valley Reservoir · USDA Forest Service · 7 mi · 62 sites
- Joes Valley Pavilion Group Site a · USDA Forest Service · 8 mi · 2 sites
All public campgrounds in Utah · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-02-25. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.