Podunk Guard Station, Panguitch, UT

Podunk Guard Station is located in the Powell Ranger District of the Dixie National Forest (3 hrs 5 min east of St. George, UT) with an elevation of 8,102 feet. The site is normally open from the end of May to mid October. There is a fee of $30.00 per night.
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Rolling hills, creek and roadOutside of cabin with covered porch, chairs picnic tables and grillBunkbeds, shelves and backdoorGas range, table and chairs, kitchen sinkBunkbeds and wooden storage boxWoodstove, table and chairs, gas range and sinkCabin with picnic table  and access road.

Campsite Reviews (21)

4.6 out of 5

5 star
62%
4 star
19%
3 star
10%
2 star
0%
1 star
0%
@CaseyP8404203 · Camped on Jul 11, 2024 at Campsite #1
We loved staying at this cabin! It was perfect and very clean, definitely would recommend.
@DanielleS79088 · Camped on Jul 12, 2023 at Campsite #1
The cabin is remote and quiet. The road in very well graded, dirt road. Google maps says an hour to Bryce, but it's more like 35 minutes. 15 minutes to Tropic Reservoir. If you like SUP or kayak, definitely worth bringing yours along... we enjoyed spending time out on the reservoir. The cabin has 2 separate rooms, one with 2 bunk beds, a couple fo benches, a closet rod for hanging clothes, a few shelves, and a chest with wood. The other room is the futon, 3 more benches, a table that folds down from the wall and has some shelves with a few random dishes, a kitchen table with 2 chairs, a small woodstove, a sink with cold water (with sponge, dish soap, drying rack), and a gas stove/oven. Front porch has 4 Adirondack chairs. Side yard has 2 picnic tables, a permanent charcoal grill (bring your own), and a fire ring. The toilet is your standard government pit toilet that you find at national parks, except because it's so little used, it's not nearly as terrible as some get.There are cows that graze on the property. Don't let the fence and cattle guard fool you... they come right through the fence. But they're not pushy or social, so they won't bother you. We also saw deer and prairie dogs there. Take lots of bug sprays... it gets buggy.
@SherylW9992826 · Camped on Oct 20, 2022 at Campsite #1
Love staying at Podunk, we have been here several times and enjoy the peace and solitude.
@ArmandoB390581 · Camped on Sep 16, 2022 at Campsite #1
Nice cabin, down a very long dirt road. Overall, very pleasant. One downside, they do seem to have a unwanted guest, heard him both nights, guessing he a mouse that is making his home inside the wall for winter.
@AnnE5582168 · Camped on Aug 21, 2022 at Campsite #1
Very clean, very quiet. Amazing setting.
@EricM3719593 · Camped on Jul 15, 2022 at Campsite #1
Perfect cabin easily accessible by any vehicle. Furnishing and appliances provided a comfortable, yet rustic adventure.
@RachelleR38241 · Camped on Jun 3, 2022 at Campsite #1
Beautiful primitive cabin in the most picturesque setting. We went with 3 kids 6 and under and had a blast playing in the stream, watching deer and fish, hunting for snakes and kayaking at tropic reservoir.
@ShaneD8320785 · Camped on Aug 9, 2021 at Campsite #1
Fun place , has the basics , great place if your riding the trails. We traveled 165 miles in SXS in 3 days. Great access from here. Could use a little paint and updating. But overall good. Plenty of wildlife to view also, nice bucks. The first 7 miles was a wash boardy, needs to be grated. I"ll be back gpskid
@ShaneD932 · Camped on Aug 9, 2021 at Campsite #1
Fun place , has the basics , great place if your riding the trails. We traveled 165 miles in SXS in 3 days. Great access from here. Could use a little paint and updating. But overall good. Plenty of wildlife to view also, nice bucks. The first 7 miles was a wash boardy, needs to be grated. I"ll be back gpskid
@DavidC637 · Camped on Aug 6, 2021 at Campsite #1
The cabin is set in a most beautiful valley with a stream running between the cabin and the gravel road. My kids enjoyed the "maze" of growth between the cabin and the stream as well as playing in the stream. Tropic Reservoir is only 7 miles away and is a great place to spend the afternoon. This cabin will be one that we definitely return to. Only downside is the ATV traffic on the road, if you leave the gate open for any amount of time they will start to come up to the cabin to use the vaulted toilet which is a huge nuisance if you have little kids or dogs.
@DavidC2858387 · Camped on Aug 6, 2021 at Campsite #1
The cabin is set in a most beautiful valley with a stream running between the cabin and the gravel road. My kids enjoyed the "maze" of growth between the cabin and the stream as well as playing in the stream. Tropic Reservoir is only 7 miles away and is a great place to spend the afternoon. This cabin will be one that we definitely return to. Only downside is the ATV traffic on the road, if you leave the gate open for any amount of time they will start to come up to the cabin to use the vaulted toilet which is a huge nuisance if you have little kids or dogs.
@ShanaL3092671 · Camped on Jul 21, 2021 at Campsite #1
Kids loved it! We will be back! Thank you
@ShanaL439 · Camped on Jul 21, 2021 at Campsite #1
Kids loved it! We will be back! Thank you
@JohnO714 · Camped on Jun 8, 2021 at Campsite #1
Stayed here with my seven-year-old and my two-year-old and they both loved it. The cabin was clean and easy to use. You could tell that the local forest service really took care of the place. The stove kept the cabin warm and we were treated to nightly visits by deer and elk. I highly recommend this cabin for a family escape off the grid.
@JohnO9176954 · Camped on Jun 8, 2021 at Campsite #1
Stayed here with my seven-year-old and my two-year-old and they both loved it. The cabin was clean and easy to use. You could tell that the local forest service really took care of the place. The stove kept the cabin warm and we were treated to nightly visits by deer and elk. I highly recommend this cabin for a family escape off the grid.
@WarrenB398 · Camped on Sep 18, 2020 at Campsite #1
I went to the Podunk GS for quiet and solitude. Without a proper gate on the main road, this was impossible. Every day, at least 10-20 ATV'ers pulled in, wandering around, using the outhouse, asking questions, picnicking, I kid you not, looking at the gear in my utility trailer, and all chances of a quiet afternoon nap vanished. Please put in a gate, chain, or something.
@SheaE182 · Camped on Jul 24, 2020 at Campsite #1
The cabin was awesome and the scenery was beautiful. My only complaint was there was no gate at the entrance of the property. When we first arrived I thought I had the wrong day because there was a car and a Razer parked at the cabin along with 3 trucks. Apparently some of them were there to use the outdoor bathroom and some just wanted to fish in the stream by the cabin. The bathroom people did their business and left but the fishermen stayed another 3 hours!!!! Then later, every four wheeler and razor that drove by (and there where plenty) stopped to use our outdoor bathroom. They were coming by at 1:00 in the morning. We finally blocked the road with a fallen tree. There needs to be a gate put at the entrance of this amazing place.
@WilliamS966 · Camped on Jul 22, 2020 at Campsite #1
The Podunk Guard Station has a perfect setting -- its own beaver ponds (miraculously mosquito-free), green meadows and surrounding hills and cliffs. The hiking trails nearby (especially Crawford Pass) are every bit as stunning as those in nearby Bryce National Park. Serene, peaceful, spotlessly clean and quaint. Your whole vacation could consist of sitting on the great front porch.
@MeganH455 · Camped on May 16, 2020 at Campsite #1
This was our second time staying at Podunk Guard Station. We love it here! The weather was beautiful. A new latrine was built between our last stay (summer 2019) and this stay, which was nice--it was very clean, especially for a vault toilet! Podunk is located very close to Bryce Canyon as well as to Kodachrome Basin State Park. Both are worth a visit. The only reason I didn't give a 5-star review is because the lock code we were given from recreation.gov was the incorrect number--two of the digits were switched. We figured this out after a little trial and error, but if we hadn't this error could have made our trip take a very unfortunate turn. We will be visiting again!

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