BLM considering nightly rentals of Sarvis Cabin on the Yampa River

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Local land managers have proposed allowing the public to rent out Sarvis Cabin on the banks of the Yampa River just below Stagecoach Reservoir.

The Bureau of Land Management is accepting public comment on the proposal, which would allow nightly rentals of the historic cabin south of Steamboat Springs.

The BLM is proposing a $90-per-night fee to stay in the cabin, which will have gas appliances to cook and heat the cabin, an outdoor deck and a fire pit. There is no indoor plumbing, but the BLM plans to install a vault toilet in an outhouse near the cabin. These amenities will be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The cabin would be available to rent in the fall, summer and winter. It is situated on the banks of a prime trout fishing stretch of the Yampa and is less than a mile from the Sarvis Creek Wilderness Area.

Revenue from the fees would be used to maintain the cabin. So far, funds directed from the state office have been used to maintain and improve the cabin.

“We just need an emergency fund in case something were to happen, but there are a lot of day-to-day type maintenance that’s going to have to go on over there,” said Kathy McKinstry, assistant field manager for nonrenewable resources at the BLM’s Little Snake Field Office.

Revenue also might help pay for the maintenance of nearby roads and parking areas and contribute to the salary of a seasonal BLM ranger who would check the cabin between guests and monitor other BLM lands in Routt County, she said.

The BLM is soliciting public comment on the proposal until July 9. After that, the proposal will be reviewed by the Northwest Colorado Resource Advisory Council. If approved, it will be listed on the Federal Register.

McKinstry said there will be another opportunity for public comment when a finalized proposal is listed on the Federal Register. The proposal and a detailed draft business plan are available online by navigating to the documents tab at https://go.usa.gov/xy36Q. 

McKinstry said the earliest the cabin would be available to rent would be late summer 2020.

Renovating the historic cabin

The Hubbard family built the cabin as a place to stay in the summer in 1956. They started ranching in the valley around 1940, until much of their livestock operation was inundated by Stagecoach Reservoir in 1989, according to the BLM. The BLM acquired the land in 2015 with Land and Water Conservation Fund program funds.

Since that time, and over the tenure of multiple field managers, the BLM has been working toward a goal of making the cabin available for public use, McKinstry said. Right now, the cabin isn’t being used.

“The goal is to have a fun, safe and comfortable place for the public to use,” she said. “I’m super excited about this cabin.”

The BLM has already completed some renovations, replacing floors and windows in the cabin. This summer, McKinstry said the agency is planning more updates to the cabin, including repairing the foundation, insulating the roof of the cabin, adding a staircase where there’s currently a ship ladder being used to access a loft bedroom and installing new gas appliances.  

To reach Eleanor Hasenbeck, call 970-871-4210, email ehasenbeck@SteamboatPilot.com or follow her on Twitter @elHasenbeck.