Last updated: December 9, 2025
Place
Historic Cabin District
NPS/Seth Gayner
Quick Facts
Amenities
13 listed
Benches/Seating, Bus/Shuttle Stop, First Aid Kit Available, Gifts/Souvenirs/Books, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information, Information - Maps Available, Information - Ranger/Staff Member Present, Parking - Auto, Picnic Table, Restroom, Trailhead, Trash/Litter Receptacles
Four miles from the main entrance is the park's Cabin District. This cluster of historic log cabins facilitated spring, summer, and fall ranching operations on this land for nearly a century. The location offered the shelter of towering, old-growth conifers, ample spring water, and a vista of Valle Grande—qualities that have attracted human use and occupation here for several thousand years.
Beginning as a land grant in 1860, private ownership was held by a series of four families: the Cabeza de Bacas (1860-1899), the Oteros (1899-1917), the Bonds (1917-1962), and the Dunigans (1962-2000). Throughout this succession of owners, the land was used for sheep grazing, sulfur mining, cattle ranching, logging, geothermal exploration, and tourism. By 1963, logging operations had cut over 25,000 acres (10,000 hectares) of timber from the property, and a century of livestock grazing had trampled and compacted the soils beside streams, causing erosion, sedimentation, and unnatural channelization of waterways.
The Cabin District consists of the Historic Ranch Headquarters buildings and includes: the Volcano Discovery Center, where you can find the interactive park exhibit, passport stamp, and gift items for sale; the Cowboy Cabin (1951); the Otero Cabin (1915); the Commissary (1941); the Bond Cabin (1918); the Ranch Foreman's Cabin (1918); and Ruby's Home (1951). Visitors are welcome to take photos, but we ask you to please stay off of the porches and other parts of these structures. The cabins are not available for rent.
Parking and portable toilets can be found across from the Cowboy Cabin. This is also the designated parking area for the Cabin District Trailhead and Volcano Discovery Center.
Beginning as a land grant in 1860, private ownership was held by a series of four families: the Cabeza de Bacas (1860-1899), the Oteros (1899-1917), the Bonds (1917-1962), and the Dunigans (1962-2000). Throughout this succession of owners, the land was used for sheep grazing, sulfur mining, cattle ranching, logging, geothermal exploration, and tourism. By 1963, logging operations had cut over 25,000 acres (10,000 hectares) of timber from the property, and a century of livestock grazing had trampled and compacted the soils beside streams, causing erosion, sedimentation, and unnatural channelization of waterways.
The Cabin District consists of the Historic Ranch Headquarters buildings and includes: the Volcano Discovery Center, where you can find the interactive park exhibit, passport stamp, and gift items for sale; the Cowboy Cabin (1951); the Otero Cabin (1915); the Commissary (1941); the Bond Cabin (1918); the Ranch Foreman's Cabin (1918); and Ruby's Home (1951). Visitors are welcome to take photos, but we ask you to please stay off of the porches and other parts of these structures. The cabins are not available for rent.
Parking and portable toilets can be found across from the Cowboy Cabin. This is also the designated parking area for the Cabin District Trailhead and Volcano Discovery Center.
A seis kilómetros de la entrada principal se encuentra el distrito de cabañas del parque. Este conjunto de cabañas históricas de madera facilitó las operaciones ganaderas de primavera, verano y otoño en estas tierras durante casi un siglo. La ubicación ofrecía el refugio de imponentes coníferas antiguas, abundante agua de manantial y una vista panorámica de Valle Grande, cualidades que han atraído el uso y la ocupación humana aquí durante varios miles de años.
Comenzando como una concesión de tierras en 1860, la propiedad privada estuvo en manos de cuatro familias: los Cabeza de Bacas (1860-1899), los Oteros (1899-1917), los Bonds (1917-1962) y los Dunigans (1962-2000). A lo largo de esta sucesión de propietarios, la tierra se utilizó para el pastoreo de ovejas, la extracción de azufre, la ganadería, la tala, la exploración geotérmica y el turismo. En 1963, las operaciones de tala habían talado más de 25,000 acres (10,000 hectáreas) de madera de la propiedad, y un siglo de pastoreo de ganado había pisoteado y compactado los suelos junto a los arroyos, causando erosión, sedimentación y canalización antinatural de las vías fluviales.
El distrito de cabañas está formado por los edificios históricos de la sede del rancho e incluye: la estación de guardabosques, donde se puede sellar el pasaporte y comprar artículos de regalo relacionados con el parque; la cabaña de vaquero (1951); la cabaña Otero (1915); la tienda (1941); la cabaña Bond (1918); la cabaña del capataz del rancho (1918) y la cabaña del Ruby (1951). Los visitantes pueden tomar fotos, pero les pedimos que no se suban a los porches ni a otras partes de estas estructuras. Las cabañas no se pueden alquilar.
Hay estacionamiento y baños portátiles en frente de la cabaña del vaquero.