Some national forest areas are so beautiful, so tranquil, that it would be wonderful to settle in and make yourself at home.
Well, you can do just that — at least for a few days at a time.
Ten cabins and historic sites on national forest land around Arizona are available for public rental through a program called Rooms With a View.
Want to escape the heat of summer? Try the rustic Fernow Cabin, nestled among pine trees 22 miles south of Flagstaff. It sleeps up to eight people and rents for $75 to $100 a night, depending on the season.
Interested in history? Bed down for a few nights at the Kentucky Camp Cabin in a onetime mining camp — now a ghost town — nine miles north of Sonoita. The small cabin sleeps five and costs $75 a night.
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That's just a sampling. See inside today's section for more information on booking a room in a national forest. – Doug Kreutz
Imagine a crowded hotel smack in the heart of a big city — with traffic whizzing by on the streets and the whole area throbbing with restaurants, bars, music and nightlife.
If such a hotel is your idea of lodging perfection, you might not get too excited about the Rooms With a View program. But if nights of splendid solitude in a rustic mountain cabin in a scenic national forest are more your style, the U.S. Forest Service program is ready to book you in.
Ten cabins and historic buildings in Arizona — all of them in national forests — are available for rental to the public.
"It's an ideal option for people who want to be out in primo-primo spots — but don't particularly want to camp," says Kathy Makansi, spokeswoman for the Forest Service.
"We see it as a win-win situation for the forests and the public," Makansi says. "Income from the program helps us preserve these historic buildings — and it's a great opportunity for the public to stay in some beautiful settings."
Cabin locations vary from a former mining camp and ghost town near Sonoita to a high mountain meadow 22 miles north of Flagstaff with views of the state's highest peaks.
All the cabins are accessible by road. All have electricity. Most have indoor plumbing.
Makansi notes that the cabins are furnished with wood or propane heaters, beds, tables, chairs, basic cooking facilities and some of the other comforts of home. But don't expect maid service or electronic entertainment centers.
It's all about location, location, location. Instead of a big-screen TV, cabin occupants get wildlife-watching, hiking, mountain biking, fishing, hunting, stargazing — and an opportunity to savor solitude.
Glance around this page for brief descriptions of cabins in the program and photos of some of them.
1 KENDRICK CABIN
• Where: 22 miles north of Flagstaff.
• The view: Picture windows in the two-story stone cabin frame views of Kendrick Peak and the San Francisco Peaks. Autumn visitors will see vast expanses of golden aspen trees. Hikers can experience a segment of the cross-state Arizona Trail, which passes two miles to the east.
• Capacity: Sleeps 10.
• Cost: $75 to $125 depending on season.
2 SPRING VALLEY CABIN
• Where: North of the community of Parks midway between Flagstaff and Williams.
• The view: Arizona's highest mountains, the San Francisco Peaks, stand out as the scenic centerpiece from this forest cabin on the edge of an alpine meadow. A cross-country ski trail passes nearby. Watch for hummingbirds, bluebirds, nuthatches and woodpeckers — and mammals such as elk and deer.
• Capacity: Cabin sleeps up to eight, with additional capacity in a bunkhouse.
• Cost: $100, with added fees for use of the bunkhouse.
3 FERNOW CABIN
• Where: 22 miles south of Flagstaff.
• The view: From the front porch of this rustic log cabin, occupants look out on tall pines, grassy meadows and the big skies of the Mogollon Rim country. Critters in the surrounding forests include elk, deer, bears and mountain lions. The natural soundtrack: gentle breezes in the trees and lilting birdsongs.
• Capacity: Sleeps eight.
• Cost: $75 to $100 depending on the season.
5 SYCAMORE CABIN
• Where: Near Dugas, east of Interstate 17 about halfway between Phoenix and Flagstaff.
• The view: The cabin sits on the bank of Sycamore Creek in a setting shaded by cottonwoods, willows and other trees. Pronghorn antelope and mule deer roam the area. Watch for yellow-billed cuckoos along the creek.
• Capacity: Sleeps eight.
• Cost: $100 a night.
4 CRESCENT MOON RANCH
• Where: At the foot of Cathedral Rock on the banks of Oak Creek near Sedona.
• The view: Renters get views of Cathedral Rock, fishing for smallmouth bass and rainbow trout in season, and creekside bird-watching. Winged wildlife includes black Phoebes, yellow warblers, Western tanagers and hooded orioles. Hikers will find trails along the creek.
• Capacity: Sleeps 10.
• Cost: $200 a night.
6 GROOM CREEK SCHOOLHOUSE
• Where: Outside Prescott at 64 Senator Highway.
• The view: Unlike other sites in the Rooms With a View program, this century-old schoolhouse is a day-use site for meetings, weddings and other events. No overnight lodging is permitted, but visitors can spend the evening at a nearby group campground.
• Capacity: The schoolhouse accommodates 50 day-use visitors, and there is additional space at a picnic area.
• Cost: $150 a day.
7 HORSETHIEF CABIN
• Where: Near the community of Crown King, south of Prescott.
• The view: Cabin renters are within walking distance of Horsethief Basin Lake, which has a boat-launching area and fishing for catfish, largemouth bass and sunfish. Wildlife species in the area include mule deer, black bears and bobcats. You might see a great blue heron near the lake.
• Capacity: Sleeps six.
• Cost: $100 a night.
8 TOWERS MOUNTAIN CABIN
• Where: Bradshaw Mountains, south of Prescott.
• The view: Perched on a 7,628-foot mountaintop next to a historic fire lookout tower, the cabin overlooks the community of Crown King. Hikers can trek the surrounding terrain on the nearby Bradshaw and Bull Road trails. A porch, grill and picnic table invite outside dining.
• Capacity: Sleeps four.
• Cost: $100 a night.
9 KENTUCKY CAMP CABIN
• Where: Nine miles north of Sonoita.
• The view: Renters stay in the heart of a onetime mining camp where century-old buildings have been partly restored. The cross-state Arizona Trail passes near the cabin, and wildlife in the area includes white-tailed deer, coatimundis, pronghorns and coyotes.
• Capacity: Sleeps five.
• Cost: $75 a night.
10 CALDWELL CABIN
• Where: 30 miles southwest of Alpine in eastern Arizona.
• The view: Cabin occupants can settle into chairs on the porch and look out over an open meadow at an altitude of about 8,000 feet. The site is on land that's part of the habitat for recovery of the Mexican gray wolf species — and many other kinds of wildlife roam the area. Bring clothing for chilly nights.
• Capacity: Sleeps six.
• Cost: $110 a night.
