Cabin rental · U.S. Forest Service · Lolo National Forest · Haugan, MT

Savenac East Cottage

Savenac East Cottage provides a well-equipped kitchen and sleeping quarters for a family or small group of four people at the Savenac Historic Tree Nursery in the Lolo National Forest of Montana. The area is filled with history and was once the site of the U.S. Forest Service's largest and most beautiful nursery in the West. The cottage offers somewhat modern facilities, as well as access to a variety of recreational opportunities.

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Savenac East Cottage1Savenac Creek 2EntranceSavenac Creek
Photos courtesy of Syd Hawkins, Forest Service · Recreation.gov

Site mix

Cabins with electric1
This cabin is booked as a single unit on Recreation.gov. The booking page shows which dates are open and how far ahead they release. How the booking window works

Site guide

1 site. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteShadeWater / sewerPeople / vehiclesFiresRating
Savenac East CottagePartialNo / No4 / –YesStandard

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.

Amenities & rules

CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions

Guests are required to clean the facility before leaving. Follow the cleaning instructions posted in the kitchen. Hosts are onsite to perform a checkout inspection before leaving the facility. The cottage has two bedrooms, a modern bathroom and kitchen, a dining area, as well as a living room. It has one queen bed with mattress and two twin beds with mattresses that can sleep up to four people. The kitchen is equipped with a stove, a microwave, refrigerator and assorted cooking utensils and dishes for eating. Guests will need to bring their own bedding, including sleeping bags, blankets and pillows, as well as towels, soap, and other necessities. The cottage is available May to October, except when it is reserved for administrative use or maintenance. Guests to the facility are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety. The cottage is a locked facility. A key code will be sent in the reservation confirmation email. The key code will unlock the lock box located in the entry way of the cottage. The lock box holds the key to the front door. Please return the key to the lock box before leaving the facility.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Savenac East Cottage20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 5.28 inches of precipitationFebruary: 3.48 inches of precipitationMarch: 3.63 inches of precipitationApril: 2.45 inches of precipitationMay: 2.57 inches of precipitationJune: 2.53 inches of precipitationJuly: 1.01 inches of precipitationAugust: 1.17 inches of precipitationSeptember: 1.76 inches of precipitationOctober: 3.51 inches of precipitationNovember: 4.49 inches of precipitationDecember: 5.11 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 24.0°F averageFebruary: 27.5°F averageMarch: 33.5°F averageApril: 40.5°F averageMay: 49.8°F averageJune: 55.4°F averageJuly: 63.6°F averageAugust: 61.9°F averageSeptember: 53.7°F averageOctober: 41.5°F averageNovember: 31.2°F averageDecember: 24.2°F average0 in2 in4 in6 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Haugan 1 W, 1 mile from the campground at 3,160 feet, station USC00243984 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 37 inches a year.

Getting there

Traveling on Interstate 90 take Exit 16 at Haugan, Montana. At the stop sign head north to the frontage road. At the frontage road turn right and take the first left, crossing the cattle guard. Signs are onsite to follow. Maps are available online or for purchase by calling the Superior Ranger District.

Nearest townHaugan, Montana
Coordinates47.3858° N, 115.3958° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Wildfire
    Nugget Hill

    14 mi from the campground · 35 acres

  • Prescribed
    D4 Rx Hwy 50 Roadside Salvage

    15 mi from the campground

  • Prescribed
    D4 Rx Simmons Peak

    22 mi from the campground

  • Prescribed
    Rx D7 Lost Creek 155/559

    23 mi from the campground · 17 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗20.5 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

  • under 0.1 mi
    Savenac Arboretum West
    0.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.1 mi
    Savenac Arboretum East
    0.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.1 mi
    Savenac Arboretum North
    0.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.3 mi
    Milwaukee/Dominion Creek ↗
    10.4 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski
  • 0.4 mi
    Storm Peak ↗
    10.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
  • 0.6 mi
    Big Creek / Rivers Creek ↗
    19.4 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Natural features

The cottage is one of four rental cabins located at the Historic Savenac Nursery. The nursery was founded in 1907 to grow trees for the Forest Service Nursery operations that concluded in 1969. The site is now open to the public for recreation. The facilities are close to the Idaho border in the Bitterroot Mountains of western Montana. The Lolo National Forest is home to many species of wildlife, including deer, elk, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, mountain lions, moose and black bears.

Recreation

A variety of historic sites and memorials, as well as interpretive trails, are located around the cottage. A self-guided tour of the nursery is available to provide visitors with historical perspective. The world-class Route of the Hiawatha Trail is located just 14 miles to the west at Taft Exit # 5, offering pristine mountain biking. Numerous mountain streams and the St. Regis River are available for fishing, wading and non-motorized boating within just a few minutes of Savenac. The beautiful Savenac Creek runs through the compound. In the winter, trails in the area are groomed for snowmobile use and opportunities abound for cross country skiing and snowshoeing. Lookout Pass ski hill is located just 16 miles west, on Interstate 90.

Nearby

Savenac is in Haugan, Montana with easy access to Interstate 90. It is within walking distance of a family restaurant, gas and general store and gift shop. The Savenac Compound also consists of a visitor center that is operated from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Guidebooks for Montana

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Best Tent Camping: Montana
    Vicky Soderberg and Ken Soderberg, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Moon Montana, Wyoming and Idaho Camping
    Becky Lomax, 2015
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Camping Montana
    Kenneth L. Graham, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Savenac East Cottage?

Sites at Savenac East Cottage are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Savenac East Cottage?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Savenac East Cottage have?

1 site, including 1 cabin with power.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Savenac East Cottage?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions. As of 2026-10-16, there are 4 active fires within 50 miles, so check current restrictions before you light one.

Source: Fire nearby

Is there cell service at Savenac East Cottage?

FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the campground point. Terrain changes that from one site to the next.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

What is there to do at Savenac East Cottage?

A variety of historic sites and memorials, as well as interpretive trails, are located around the cottage. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Savenac East Cottage?

Haugan, Montana. Savenac is in Haugan, Montana with easy access to Interstate 90.

Source: Getting there

What if Savenac East Cottage is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Cabin City Campground (6.2 mi, partly first-come), Little Joe Campground (14.5 mi, first-come), and Tin Can Flat Campground (15.1 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby