A white Tacoma with a camper shell parked on a rise above a broad, empty basin under building cloud.

Forest Service cabin or lookout

Cabin Creek Cabin

Forest Service cabin or lookout in Custer Gallatin National Forest, Gallatin County, Montana. About 8,700 feet. 16.1 miles from West Yellowstone.

Managed by
Forest Service Custer Gallatin National Forest
Elevation
About 8,700 ft As the Forest Service states
Sites
1 1 cabin non-electric
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

Cabin Creek Cabin is a primitive, rustic, single-room structure that was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. It offers a few basic amenities, so guests will need to bring most of their own supplies and gear to ensure an enjoyable experience. Cabin Creek Cabin is closed during the spring season due to weather and trail conditions. The cabin is open during the summer, fall, and winter months; June to March.

Guests are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and they must bring several of their own amenities. This cabin is not accessible by vehicle.

Recreation

Cabin Creek is surrounded by hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking trails as well as ATV/UTV and motorcyles routes subject to seasonal restrictions and delayed open dates. Please contact the Hebgen Lake Ranger District to obtain open dates.

Hikers and equestrians have trailhead access to the Monument Mountain Unit of the Lee Metcalf Wilderness, which climbs 10,995 feet in elevation to the Monument Peak. There is a hitching rail provided for stock use. The Big Sky Snowmobile Trail used to access the cabin in winter provides challenging backcountry snowmobiling.

The area offers excellent big game hunting opportunities in the fall.

Facilities

The cabin can sleep up to three persons, with a maximum group size of four persons for overnight use. The cabin has a seven night maximum stay per group. The cabin has one bunk bed platform and three cots. A wood stove is available to heat the cabin, but firewood is not provided. Do not cut green trees for firewood. Basic cookware, dishes, an axe, shovel, broom, mop, and a table with chairs are provided.

An outhouse with a vault toilet is located outside and adjacent to the cabin. A hitching rail for stock is available.

Drinking water, electricity, and firewood are not provided. Guests need to bring their own water supply and firewood, since wood is scarce around the cabin. Garbage bags are also necessary for guests to pack out all trash. A stock pot is provided for boiling water. It is strongly recommended that campers bring their own back country cookware and dishes for use.

Lanterns or flashlights are not provided. Items like bedding, dish soap, matches, first aid supplies, and extra toilet paper are not available. Guests are expected to clean the cabin prior to leaving.

Please be aware that the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service is not cleaning this rental cabin between user visits. To protect health and safety for all cabin visitors, we recommend you clean all "high touch surfaces" when you arrive and before you leave. Cleaning supplies are not provided; you are expected to bring your own. Leave nothing behind - pack it in, pack it out. Please take any garbage, food, books, and personal items with you. Immediately report any unsanitary conditions to the local Ranger Station.

Natural Features

The cabin sits at an elevation of approximately 8,700 feet, among a stand of mixed conifers. Middle Fork Cabin Creek flows nearby. The surrounding meadow and forests give way to the peaks of the Madison Range. The Lee Metcalf Wilderness and Cabin Creek Wildlife Management Area are nearby. Wildlife species in this area include grizzly bears, elk, gray wolves, bighorn sheep, deer, and moose.

Nearby Attractions

Yellowstone National Park is approximately 20 miles from Cabin Creek Cabin, which makes it an ideal destination for a day trip.

The surrounding area also holds Hegben and Earthquake lakes as well as the Earthquake Lake Visitor Center

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

What people do here

  • camping
  • hiking
  • horseback riding
  • hunting
  • wildlife viewing
  • winter sports

The land around Cabin Creek Cabin

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 April 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.