Bear Creek Cabin (Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, MT)

The Bear Creek Cabin, at the base of the west slope of the Madison Range, lets visitors experience southwestern Montana's vast wilderness areas, wide open fields and nearby mountain ranges. Situated on the Trail Fork of Bear Creek, it is a scenic base for hunting, skiing and snowshoeing, as well as hiking and horseback riding on nearby trails. A smaller cabin, Bear Creek Bunkhouse, is about 100 feet to the west. The cabin is used as an administrative site in the summer and fall, and is open to the public between December and April. It can be reached by vehicle, though a portion of the road may be muddy or snow-covered, as it is not always plowed. The large, two-room cabin sleeps four comfortably, with one set of bunk beds and two single beds, each with a mattress. It has electricity and is equipped with lights, a refrigerator, a stove and an oven, plus a table with chairs and basic cooking equipment. A wood stove provides heat and comes with firewood, usually stacked on the porch and the south side of the cabin, though this is not guaranteed by March and April; that firewood is for cabin heating only, and renters must supply their own wood for campfires. An outhouse with vault toilets is 40 feet south of the cabin, and there are two additional concrete vault toilets in the adjacent campground to the west. Visitors must bring their own water — the creek is the only source of fresh water and may be difficult to access during the winter. Sleeping bags and blankets are not supplied, and guests will need their own food, toilet paper and garbage bags, among other necessities. Garbage and cleaning services are not provided; renters must clean the facility before departure and replenish the supply of split wood and kindling. A variety of hiking and horseback riding trails run through the area, popular in winter for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. The nearby wilderness areas do not allow motorized vehicles or bicycles. Camping and fishing in the backcountry are allowed with the proper permits. The Bear Creek Wildlife Management Area immediately to the north of the cabin is closed to all off-trail access, including foot traffic, between Dec. 2 and May 15. The cabin stands at the edge of the Lee Metcalf Wilderness at the foot of the Madison Range, at an elevation of 6,250 feet, amid open meadows surrounded by mature aspens and Douglas fir trees. Bear Creek runs near the cabin and the bunkhouse. The area is home to elk, mule deer, black bears and grizzly bears, mountain grouse and other species. Bear Creek is approximately 60 miles north of Yellowstone National Park; Lewis and Clark Caverns is about 60 miles north, and the historic towns of Virginia City and Nevada City are about 3 miles west.