West Fork Cabin (s of Ennis)

West Fork Cabin is a small, secluded cabin in the mountains of southwestern Montana, located high in the Gravelly Range. It was built in 1928 as an intermediate station for patrolling grazing allotments. The cabin is available from July 1 through March 31, and is closed on Wednesdays for administrative purposes from July through November. It can typically be accessed by vehicle; however, a portion of the roadway may be muddy or snow-covered, requiring four-wheel drive or chains. Beginning around mid-October, snow may make access very difficult. In winter, over-snow vehicles are necessary to reach the cabin, but are only permitted after December 1. The cabin is popular year-long, especially during hunting season. In early summer it is an excellent base camp for viewing the spectacular wildflower displays in Eureka Basin and along the Gravelly Range Road. Visitors are encouraged to practice safe snowmobiling techniques and to be aware of avalanche danger. Miles of hiking and horseback riding trails, which wind through the mountains and to the 10,542-foot Black Butte, can be accessed near the cabin, and Hellroaring trailhead, just a few miles north, leads to an extensive network of backcountry trails. Off-road vehicles must stay on designated trails at all times. The primitive, one-room cabin has a set of bunk beds and one twin bed to sleep up to three people, along with a table and chairs, a propane stove and lantern, and a wood stove for heat. Firewood is stacked against the outside fence or within a box on the porch, and the cabin is stocked with basic cookware, dishes, utensils and cleaning equipment. An outhouse with a vault toilet is located about 30 yards south of the cabin at the tree line; it is not visible from the cabin and must be accessed through the gate in the back corner of the fence. Guests may use the large administrative horse pasture, though the take-down fence is usually down and not maintained, and stock is not allowed within the small, rail-fenced area immediately surrounding the cabin. There is no drinking water or electricity, and no fuel is provided for the stove or lantern, which use small one-gallon disposable bottles. Guests need to bring their own water for drinking, cooking and cleaning; water taken from the nearby spring box should be filtered or boiled prior to use. Other items to bring include bedding, pillows, propane fuel canisters, food, flashlights, toilet paper, matches and garbage bags. Cell phone service may be available a few miles to the north near the Hellroaring trailhead. All garbage and food must be packed out, and guests must clean the cabin and replenish the wood in the woodbox before leaving. The cabin sits at the southern end of the Gravelly Range at an elevation of 8,460 feet, at the headwaters of the West Fork Madison River. Much of the area around it was burned in the Eureka Fire in 2013. Black Butte, the highest peak in the range and an old volcanic cone, is about 10 miles to the north and can be easily climbed. The area is home to some of the highest-elevation pronghorn antelope, as well as elk, moose and bears. Red Rocks National Wildlife Refuge is a short drive south, historic Virginia City is nearby to the north, and Yellowstone National Park is about 60 miles east.