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

Forest Service cabin or lookout

Hogback Homestead

Forest Service cabin or lookout in Lolo National Forest, Granite County, Montana. 4,551 feet. 19.6 miles from Stevensville.

Managed by
Forest Service Lolo National Forest
Elevation
4,551 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
1 1 cabin non-electric
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

The Hogback Homestead is a fully furnished log cabin that sits on approximately five acres along Hogback Creek in western Montana. It provides access to a variety of recreational activities as well as exceptional scenery.

Recreation

This area offers spring, summer and fall recreation opportunities including hiking, fishing, hunting and wildlife viewing. The area is popular for big game hunting in designated areas. Visitors enjoy fishing nearby in Rock Creek, a Blue Ribbon trout stream. Access to the Hogback Ridge trailhead and an extensive network of trails is located at the entrance to the homestead site.

Facilities

The two-story cabin has three bedrooms and can sleep up to eight people. The kitchen, living room/dining room, and a single bedroom with a double bed are located on the first floor. Two bedrooms, one with a double bed and one with two bunk beds, are located on the second floor. The first floor is wheelchair accessible.

The cabin is heated with a wood stove and a propane cook stove. The lights are powered by a solar panel array with a battery bank. The rental is outfitted with period furniture including a large bench-style dining table, kitchen table, chairs, couches and dressers. Cleaning supplies, kitchen utensils, cookware and other amenities may be available, but are not guaranteed; call for availability, (406) 329-3814.

Water is available intermittently at the hand pump located behind the homestead. Potable water cannot be guaranteed,recommended you bring an adiquate supply of your own drinking water. An accessible vault toilet is also provided outside, behind the cabin.

Guests should bring water for drinking, cooking and cleaning purposes. Bedding, pillows, towels, food, matches, flashlights, toilet paper and garbage bags are not provided. Guests are responsible for cleaning the cabin prior to their departure.

The cabin is accessible by vehicle. In the late fall and early spring, depending on weather conditions, guests may need to hike or ski up to a mile to the cabin. Guests are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety.

Natural Features

The cabin is located near the scenic Hogback Creek, in the rugged Sapphire Mountains, at an elevation of 4,500 feet. It was built in 1917 as a permanent home. In the early 1990s the Missoula Ranger District, along with many dedicated volunteers, restored the Hogback Homestead to its original historic condition, providing renters an opportunity to experience the setting and lifestyle of the early 1900s.

The Sapphire Mountains contain large stands of Douglas fir and lodgepole pine forests and are home to a variety of wildlife, including bighorn sheep, mountain goats, elk, moose, deer and black bears.

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

What people do here

  • camping
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • historic & cultural site
  • hunting
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Hogback Homestead

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