Now accepting online bookings! Cabins are open for the season starting June 1.
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A Piece of Colorado History
Van Camp Cabins is more than a retreat. You could say it’s a living Colorado Legacy. Founded in the 1880s, these cabins, then known as the Van Camp Stage Stop, served as crucial rest on the stagecoach route from Wolcott to Steamboat Springs. One fascinating tale involves Joe Ward, a cattle rustler, and horse thief, whose cabin on the property adds intrigue to our rich past. By 1884, Ira Van Camp and his wife acquired Ward’s cabin, marking the beginning of a community hub that thrived until the arrival of the railroad in Steamboat Springs.
With each generation, we honor the echoes of history within these walls, ensuring that Van Camp Cabins remains a cherished treasure for years to come.
The earliest documented homesteaders arrive in Routt County and begin to establish the town of Yampa.
Ira Van Camp, a stage driver, arrives from Leadville with his wife Louise and builds the first log cabin on his new land. The cabin was used as a stagecoach shop to supply the surrounding community with essential transportation services, connecting settlers, miners, and merchants across the new frontier.
Ira Van Camp passes away at 83 and Louise follows two years later. Having no children, the estate was purchased in 1941.
Monty and Susan Younglund arrive in Yampa with their daughter, Michelle, and son, Zane, and purchase the Van Camp property. In 1991, Monty and Susan work tirelessly to craft new log structures, starting with the garage that still stands proudly today. They also transformed the original cabins from simple structures with dirt floors into the modern havens they are today.
In the spring of 1992, the Younglunds, with a close friend, constructed four new cabins and restored of the original Cabin Four. By that fall the cabins were ready for rental, offering a rustic charm and escape from the hum drum of daily life while maintaining the simplicity of the original vision. The rooms remain devoid of distractions like TVs, creating a homey and comfortable atmosphere.
Over the years, the cabins became a beloved destination of visitors in search of hiking, fishing, and fresh air.
Fate intervenes at the local Antlers bar, where Zane meets Shaylin, a familiar face from his father’s cattle-hauling days. Their relationship blossoms, leading to marriage in 2022 and the arrival of their first child in the winter of 2024.
Zane and Shaylin took full control of the reins as Susan (Zane’s mom) retires. Van Camp Cabins became their legacy to uphold and a space to welcome both returning and new clientele. Susan, now a proud grandparent, plans to spend her free time at the cabins, surrounded by the beauty of the flattops she holds dear.
In 2018, fate intervened at the local Antlers bar, where Zane met Shaylin, a familiar face from his father’s cattle-hauling days. Their relationship blossomed, leading to marriage in 2022 and the arrival of their first child in the winter of 2024. Since 2021, Shaylin has immersed herself in the cabins’ history, becoming an integral part of the operation.
In spring 2023, Zane and Shaylin took the reins as Susan (Zane’s mom) retired. Van Camp Cabins became their legacy to uphold and a space to welcome both returning and new clientele. Susan, now a proud grandparent, plans to spend her free time at the cabins, surrounded by the beauty of the flattops she holds dear.
Shaylin’s story adds another layer to the legacy. Born in Routt County, her family’s roots in the area date back to the early 1900s. Growing up in the quarter horse show circuit, her family eventually sold the ranch and moved to the front range. After a stint in Wyoming and Texas, she returned to Colorado in 2021, coincidentally crossing paths with Zane in the flattops.
Their connection, sparked by a brake malfunction on a mountain descent, marked the beginning of a shared journey. Today, Zane and Shaylin stand as the stewards of Van Camp Cabins, ready to weave new chapters into the legacy that began with logs and horses, now continuing with love and dedication.