kumbrabow state forest

Places like Kumbrabow you look for and hope you one day find! It's a truly special place. Secluded, quite, peaceful, and completely beautiful settings! The campground is not usually full and offers a quite nights stream side sleep. There are no fancy modern convinces, electricity, or running water! The peaceful nature, the surroundings, and the cold mountain stream that runs through make up for it. If your an outdoors person this is a truly special destination!

We have stayed in the cabins in Kumbrabow several times. They are very nice rustic cabins with bedroom area, loft, kitchen area and living area. There is no running water in the cabin, and the water you can draw should be boiled first (we've brought our own from home due to a shameful level of laziness on my part). The cabins are heated by fireplace which can keep the place toasty in the fall. The lights are gas lights, and there is a gas fridge. The stove is wood burning. They are furnished and equipped with houskeeping needs (sheets, cookware, dishes, etc). There are fantastic trails right outside from the cabins to explore the forest. They have several levels of difficulty for the trails, so there is something for everyone. This is a beautiful way to get away for a while!

Kumbrabow is one of my very favorite places. There are five cabins built along Mill Creek, nestled in a small valley. There is a waterfall and swimming hole just downstream from cabin 1. These cabins were built of log and stone by the CCC in the 1930's; there is no running water or electricity: propane lights and refrigerator; a wood-burning cookstove, and pumps for water. There is now a bathhouse at the office, so it is possible to take a hot shower. There is a newer handicapped-accessible cabin on the road going down to the old cabins. There is a lot of wildlife, and very nice hiking trails. There are many things to do nearby; Cass Scenic RR is about an hour away, as well as the Greenbank Radio Observatory. Helvetia, a small community settled by the Swiss, is not too far away; there is a good restaurant there. This is a wonderful place to relax, watch birds, and enjoy the peace and quiet.