Ever since we can remember, we’ve been infatuated with this little old cabin in the middle of our hometown of Toquerville, Utah. It looked as if it had been there forever, and we often wondered if it was one of the longest standing buildings in town. Whenever we had friends or family here to visit we drove them by this one of a kind picture perfect building to show it off. One day when we drove by to show it to some friends we noticed that it had a “For Sale By Owner” sign on it, and that’s when we knew we had to find out more about it.

We called the number on the sign to find out more, and what we learned was that the cabin was originally built in the Uinta Mountains of Northern Utah somewhere between the mid to late 1800’s. It was built by a Pioneer who was a hunter / trapper residing in the area at the time. He hand built this cabin to use as shelter and a place to dry out his beaver pelts.

Fast forward many years and the cabin was left abandoned with a dark fate of being demolished where it stood for more than a century, until an elderly couple from Farmington discovered it, fell in love with it, and knew they had to save it. They took it apart log by log, labeled each one to keep track of which log goes where, and transported it to this little lot that sits in the middle of old town Toquerville where they would then reassemble it at it’s new home.

This couple that saved the cabin nearly 20 years ago were now in their 90’s and could no longer maintain it. These are the people that were now selling it, and when we first met them it was apparent how much love and care they had put into this place. They said they felt like it was meant to go onto us and that it was fate that we met, so we knew it was our responsibility to restore and preserve this place so that we can keep the legacy of the trapper’s cabin going on for many more years.

When we acquired the cabin, it was evident that it needed a lot of attention and it turned out to be much more of an undertaking than what we had originally anticipated. Our first work of order was to preserve the structural integrity of it. We patched up all the chinking and cracks that needed attention, coated the logs with a stain to seal it from the elements, eradicated the termites that were now calling the cabin home, sealed the doors, and replaced the windows that were broken and practically falling out of their frames. We gave the cabin a deep clean to clear the years of cobwebs and dust, and then it was time for renovations.

Our objective going into this project was to preserve the pioneer aesthetic and feel of this unique log cabin without sacrificing the comforts and conveniences of modern amenities. We insulated the ceiling of the bathroom and upstairs sleeping quarters and covered it in rough cut shiplap for better temperature retention. We installed a water softener and 3 head mini-split HVAC to take care of heating and cooling but did so in a tasteful and non-intrusive way. We did not want modern day appliances in sight next to our cabin, so we trenched the lines and hoses underground where they would connect to the units hidden underneath the west wing of the shed to ensure they were out of sight. We installed a new toilet, sink faucet, shower head, tiled the bathroom floor and shower to upgrade them from their current corrugated steel panels, and installed an electric tankless water heater underneath the sink to conserve space and maintain the visual aesthetic that we wanted.

When it came time to furnish the cabin, we did not spare any expense. Both beds are hybrid memory foam mattresses, the dining table was handmade by a woodworker in Santa Cruz, California out of Black Claro Walnut with a black epoxy resin river pour, and all of the decorations and other furnishings were handpicked from various antique stores and boutique shops in the area. We installed Starlink Wifi to ensure our guests can work while enjoying their stay (only if they choose, of course) a 40” flatscreen TV to watch from bed when upstairs, a Keurig coffee maker, microwave, mini fridge, and hot plate so that our guests can have the essentials needed during their time here.

What we have now is a comfy, clean, cozy, aesthetically authentic and pleasing cabin that feels like home and can provide an old time experience without sacrificing the comforts that our society has grown accustomed to. We are very proud of this cabin, and we hope to share this unique, one of a kind experience with people from all over the globe to show them what the Greater Zion area of Southern Utah has to offer.