Farther out.
Fully here.
A hand-built log cabin at 11,400 feet on 40 private acres in Colorado's San Juan Mountains, with national forest on every side. Two stoves, hot showers, satellite internet and a full kitchen at the end of a long mountain road.
Grayback sits in southern Colorado on the northeast side of the San Juan Mountains, high above the town of Del Norte, on one of the few private parcels in this part of the Rio Grande National Forest. Spruce and aspen, open meadows, and Grayback Mountain behind the cabin. National forest surrounds it in every direction, with no neighbors for miles.
The cabin was built by hand from logs nearly twenty years ago. It's honest and warm rather than fancy: a big main room, three bedrooms and two baths, and you get the whole place to yourselves.
What sets it apart is how comfortable it is this far out. Two stoves for heat, one wood-burning and one modern propane. Electricity from solar, with battery and generator backup. Satellite internet and a TV. A full kitchen with a refrigerator and gas range. A private well with tested water.
Summit 12,605 ft · Lodge 11,400 ft
The lodge takes its name from Grayback Mountain, the broad, snow-holding summit that rises over the property. You see it from the porch, from the windows and from the meadow out front, and it looks different every hour.
A classic wood stove plus a modern propane stove that keeps the cabin warm through the night.
Solar with a battery bank, and a generator for backup during long storms.
Good for messages, forecasts and a show at night. Speeds can vary with weather.
Refrigerator, gas range and room to cook for the whole crew.
Fresh mountain well water, tested.
Hot showers after a cold day out.
A king room, a room with two queens, and a bunk room. Sleeps up to 10.
Meadow, timber and very dark night skies.
A quick read on the year. We provide the cabin; how you spend your days out there is up to you.
Golden aspens in early October, then the rifle seasons, first snow and cold clear nights. The road is usually still drivable by 4WD early in the fall; that can change with one storm.
Deep San Juan snow, groomed trails, ice fishing at Crystal Lakes. The last 7 miles are over snow, so this is a season for groups who bring their own sleds or skis and know how to use them.
Long days and a deep, settling snowpack up high. Access depends on road conditions and seasonal closures; ask before you plan.
Drive-up season. Long days, cool nights, and the whole network of trails, creeks and lakes open. September brings archery and muzzleloader seasons.
When the snow melts, the high country around Grayback opens up. Most of it is national forest, so it's yours to explore on your own terms.
Headwater creeks and the high lakes nearby, including Crystal Lakes, Fuchs Reservoir and Poage Lake, with brook trout and native cutthroat.
An extensive network of forest roads and trails for mountain biking, dirt biking, ATVs and off-road driving, plus hiking in every direction.
Big views by day and very dark skies by night. A good base for landscape photography, astrophotography and drone work.
Archery and muzzleloader in September, rifle seasons from mid-October. The cabin sits in GMU 80.
Know the rules for where you're going: a Colorado fishing license for anglers, motor vehicles only on designated routes, and no drones in designated wilderness.
Most backcountry trips start at a trailhead. At Grayback you start at 11,400 feet, already in the snow, with high open country right above the lodge. You can ride or skin out the door in the morning and be back by the stove at dark.
This corner of the San Juans gets deep, long-lasting snow. Wolf Creek, just to the west, is known for some of the heaviest snowfall in Colorado. Above the lodge, timber opens into broad ridges and bowls under Grayback Mountain, and the groomed South Fork trail system connects beyond. Crystal Lakes, a few miles out, is a favorite winter run and a spot for ice fishing.
See the Rio Grande area snowmobile trail map, maintained by the local clubs who groom the trails. Grayback sits on County Road 14, between Del Norte and Summitville.
About the snowcat. Our vintage orange Thiokol lives at Grayback and keeps the property running through winter. Guest transport by snowcat is not offered at this time.
Your terrain, your call. The San Juans have avalanche terrain. We don't guide, choose routes or make snow-safety decisions for guests. Carry rescue gear, know how to use it, and check the Colorado Avalanche Information Center forecast before you go.
Grayback is lodging for your crew, set inside the Rio Grande National Forest in southern Colorado, in Game Management Unit 80, close to the Unit 81 boundary. Come back from a cold day to hot showers, a real bed, a full kitchen and a wood stove, instead of a wall tent.
Bring your own license and your own plan. We don't guide, scout, pack or haul game. You hunt independently on public land under Colorado rules.
Third rifle (Nov 7–15): ask us. By then the road is often snowed in. Lodging only. Check season dates, unit boundaries and license rules with Colorado Parks & Wildlife.
Grayback is in the Rio Grande National Forest, southwest of Del Norte, Colorado, and east of Wolf Creek Pass. The nearest towns are Del Norte and South Fork; the nearest airport is Alamosa. Exact directions and gate details come after booking.
Drive times are approximate and assume good weather.
Our local operator keeps the place stocked and ready and is a phone call away for questions about the cabin. Getting here and back, and everything you do outside, is your group's call and your group's responsibility.
Grayback is a real backcountry place. Most of what makes it special also makes it serious. Please read this with your whole group.
Through our Airbnb listing for now. For a full week or special dates, message us there and we'll set it up.
$1,500 a night for the whole cabin, three-night minimum. Ask us about a weekly rate. Book on Airbnb.
Check-in at 3 p.m., check-out at 11 a.m. Directions and gate details come with your booking.
Linens and towels, firewood and propane. Because we can't make fuel deliveries in winter, we ask guests to use heat and power thoughtfully, the way you would at your own cabin.
In summer and early fall, usually yes with a 4WD vehicle. Once the snow comes the road closes to cars at a gate and the last 7 miles are over snow.
Assume none on the road or at the cabin. The cabin has satellite internet for messages, weather and a show at night; storms can interrupt it. Bring a satellite messenger for the backcountry.
Del Norte and South Fork, each about 45 minutes down the mountain in summer, have groceries, fuel and restaurants. Stock up before you come up; there's nothing closer.
The nearest hospital is Rio Grande Hospital in Del Norte, about 45 minutes away in summer and much longer in winter. Carry a first-aid kit and a satellite messenger that can reach 911, and keep a vehicle or sled ready.
Bookings are non-refundable, and disappointing snow or cold weather isn't grounds for a refund. If a storm makes it genuinely impossible to reach the cabin, talk to us; we'll work with you on dates.
No. Grayback is lodging. Guests hunt, ride and explore on their own, under their own judgment and the rules of the land they're on.
Yes, in the fire pit and the wood stove, whenever county and forest fire restrictions allow. We'll tell you the current status when you book.
Ask us when you book.
Food for your stay plus extra, warm layers, a first-aid kit, headlamps, and a satellite communicator. In winter, everything your group needs to travel safely over snow. We send a full packing list after booking.
Still have a question? Message us on Airbnb. We'd rather talk it through than have you guess.
Occasional notes from the mountain: snow reports, new photos and film, and first access to open dates. No spam.
