A gray 4x4 Sprinter with a roof rack on a two-track through a wildflower meadow, cloud sitting on the mountains behind.

Forest Service cabin or lookout

Clear Creek Guard Station

Forest Service cabin or lookout in Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Caribou County, Idaho. About 6,500 feet. 10.4 miles from Georgetown.

Managed by
Forest Service Caribou-Targhee National Forest
Elevation
About 6,500 ft As the Forest Service states
Sites
1 1 cabin non-electric
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

Clear Creek Guard Station is located 20 miles northeast of Montpelier, Idaho. Not much is known about the history of this guard station site, but it's believed to have been an administrative site since 1910. Several different buildings have either been built or relocated to this site since then. The current A-frame cabin was built by the Young Adult Conservation Corps in 1980.

The cabin is accessible by car when there is no snow. Guests should be prepared to snowmobile in winter, and they are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety. The snowmobile trip is about 5 miles from Crow Creek and 10 miles from Montpelier Reservoir.

The cabin provides some basic comforts, but guests will need to bring some of their own supplies and gear to make their stay comfortable.

Recreation

This area offers myriad recreational opportunities. Nearby trails attract mountain bikers, hikers and off-road vehicle enthusiasts ( Idaho OHV safety message ). Snowmobiling and cross-country skiing are popular winter activities.

Anglers can fish in Clear Creek. Hunting is available in season.

Facilities

The guard station has a maximum capacity of 15 people. This single-room cabin has three single beds. Please bring your own sleeping pads and bedding. A wood stove is provided for heat and firewood may be available. A table and chairs are provided. An outhouse, picnic table and campfire ring are located outside.

Water is not provided at the cabin. Guests are required to bring their own water, as well as garbage bags for packing out trash. Lighting, a cook stove, cooking pots, kitchen utensils, bedding, towels and first aid supplies are not available.

Natural Features

Clear Creek Guard Station is tucked up against a mixed conifer and aspen forest at the edge of a meadow at an elevation of 6,500 feet. The cabin sits near the confluence of Crow Creek and Clear Creek. The surrounding landscape is rugged and mountainous. Area wildlife includes black bear, wolf, elk, moose, mule deer, bison, grizzly bear, mountain lion and pronghorn ( bear safety tips ).

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • biking
  • camping
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • hunting
  • winter sports

The land around Clear Creek Guard Station

The ringed pin is this cabin or lookout; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated May 22, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.