Rustic style architecture is characterized by its natural setting and its use of log and stone for building materials. Designed to blend in with the natural environment, these structures are usually vacation homes, hunting lodges, dude ranches, or tourist-related facilities.

Traditional building techniques emphasizing hand craftsmanship were often employed in the construction of Rustic structures. The majority of these structures in Colorado were built after 1905 and are primarily of log construction with stone foundations, battered walls, overhanging roofs, and small paned windows.

Rustic style cabins differ from Pioneer Log structures which were generally built during initial settlement periods and often exhibited crude construction. Rustic cabins generally have stone chimneys while Pioneer Log cabins utilized metal flues attached to iron stoves. Rustic buildings have more commercially manufactured hardware and materials, such as window frames, doors, and interior paneling. Rustic buildings may also employ hip roofs, a form virtually never found on Pioneer Log structures.

Common elements:

1. log construction
2. stone foundation
3. small paned windows
4. overhanging roof
5. stone chimney
6. battered walls