Kading Cabin

Kading Cabin is located 16 miles south of Elliston, Montana, in the Helena National Forest. This site has served the Forest Service since the early 1900s, when the agency was forming; it was selected for its central location, trail and wagon road accessibility, and telephone line service at the time. The present cabin was built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, with renovations and repairs in the 1960s and again in the early 1990s. The cabin is typically accessible by car, but heavy snow in winter can close the road to vehicles, leaving a 7-mile stretch passable by snowmobile, snowshoe, skis or dog sled. Guests must be prepared to pack in several of their own supplies. Plenty of hiking, fishing and wildlife viewing opportunities exist along the numerous trails and roads within a short distance of the cabin. Fly fishing on the Little Blackfoot River is excellent: brown trout are found in good numbers and large sizes below Elliston, brook and cutthroat trout above Elliston, and whitefish throughout the length of the river. In winter, guests will enjoy snowshoeing, skiing and snowmobiling on trails throughout the area. The cabin is furnished with two sets of bunk beds with mattresses, accommodating up to 4 people, and a wood stove for heat. Other amenities include propane lanterns, a table and chairs, cleaning supplies, a propane cooking stove, dishes, utensils and some cookware, plus an axe and snow shovel. An outhouse with a vault toilet is nearby. Firewood may be available but is not guaranteed, and none is provided from June 1 through August 31. A water spigot outside the cabin operates most of the winter, though water is not always available then, and the cabin is not wired for electricity. Fuel is not provided for the propane stove or lanterns, so bring a couple of small propane cylinders as well as backup lighting, along with sleeping bags, linens, towels, dish soap, matches, a first aid kit, toilet paper and garbage bags. Guests are expected to pack out all trash and food and clean the cabin before leaving. Hemmed in by old-growth conifer forest, Kading Cabin sits at the edge of a grassy clearing. The Little Blackfoot River flows nearby, a tributary to the Upper Clark Fork watershed draining 265,300 acres from the Boulder Mountains north of Butte and west of Helena. The area offers a variety of landscapes, from river banks to subalpine terrain — valley bottoms, dense forests, meadows and barren ridges mixed with streams, rivers and lakes. Elk, deer, squirrels and a variety of birds are commonly seen, while the more elusive badger, wolverine, mountain lion and lynx find habitat in nearby areas as well. Plenty of historic mines are scattered throughout the area, including Charter Oak Mine and the Mill and the Monarch Mine.