Where the World Slows Down

The campfire has always been America’s oldest meeting place — a circle of warmth in the middle of the wild.

Chilao exists to keep that circle burning. We build heirloom goods that feel as natural beside a campfire as they do on a city street. What we make isn’t just for travel or work — it’s for connection. For those who value the hand-built, the story-laden, the real.

Come closer. The light’s better here.

Origin of the Name "Chilao"

There wouldn’t be Chilao without Tiburcio Vasquez - As the story goes, one of Vasquez’s men, Jose Gonzales, lived in a log cabin in the area where the Chilao Visitor Center now stands. Gonzales was guarding the hide-out and horses when a bear came upon him. He battled the huge bear, which he killed using only a knife, earning him the name Chillia--roughly translated as hot stuff. The name evolved into Chilao.