Cabin rental · U.S. Forest Service · Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest · Ennis, MT

Bear Creek Cabin

The Bear Creek Cabin, located at the base of the west slope of the Madison Range, allows visitors to experience southwestern Montana's vast wilderness areas, including wide open fields and a variety of nearby mountain ranges. Situated on the Trail Fork of Bear Creek, the cabin offers a scenic location to enjoy activities such as hunting, skiing, snowshoeing, as well as hiking and horseback riding on nearby trails. A smaller cabin, Bear Creek Bunkhouse, is located about 100 feet to the west and is also on the rental program. The cabin is used as an administrative site in the summer and fall months, but is open to the public between December and April.

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Bear Creek Cabin Front viewBear Cr CabinsBEAR CREEK CABIN1BEAR CREEK CABIN2
Photos courtesy of USFS · 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.

SiteEntrySurfaceShadePeople / vehiclesFires
001Back-inGravelPartial4 / –Yes

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 2:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

PetsAllowed
FeesFee to rent cabin is non-refundable within 14 days of arrival date. Any changes in reserved dates may be assessed an additional fee by the National Recreation Reservation Service.

The large, two-room cabin can sleep four people comfortably with one set of bunk beds and two single beds, each with a mattress. The cabin has electricity and is equipped with lights, a refrigerator, a stove and an oven. A table with chairs and basic cooking equipment are also provided. The cabin has a wood stove for heat and comes with firewood, which is usually stacked on the porch and to the south side of the cabin, though not guaranteed by March and April. Renters must supply their own wood for campfires. An outhouse with vault toilets is located 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 users will need to bring their own food, toilet paper and garbage bags, among other necessities. Garbage and cleaning services are not provided. Renters must clean the facility prior to departure, as well as replenish the supply of split wood and kindling.

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

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Bear Creek Cabin10°20°30°40°50°60°January: 1.83 inches of precipitationFebruary: 1.51 inches of precipitationMarch: 1.88 inches of precipitationApril: 2.42 inches of precipitationMay: 2.83 inches of precipitationJune: 3.22 inches of precipitationJuly: 1.25 inches of precipitationAugust: 1.56 inches of precipitationSeptember: 1.70 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.77 inches of precipitationNovember: 1.60 inches of precipitationDecember: 1.74 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 19.2°F averageFebruary: 21.5°F averageMarch: 29.3°F averageApril: 35.2°F averageMay: 44.1°F averageJune: 51.4°F averageJuly: 59.5°F averageAugust: 58.0°F averageSeptember: 50.8°F averageOctober: 38.8°F averageNovember: 26.2°F averageDecember: 18.0°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Big Sky 2Wnw, 14 miles from the campground at 6,590 feet, station USC00240775 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 23 inches a year.

Getting there

From Ennis, take Highway 287 south for 11 miles, to Cameron, Montana. From Cameron, turn east on Bear Creek Loop and continue approximately 6 miles to the cabin. The last several miles are gravel or dirt roads, which may be muddy or snow-covered and may not always be plowed.

Nearest townEnnis, Montana
Coordinates45.1560° N, 111.5534° W · Directions ↗

Good to know

  • The site can be accessed by vehicle, however, a portion of the road may be muddy or snow-covered, as it is not always plowed.
  • Firewood is not supplied for campfires, only for cabin heating.

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Rx Hell'S Canyon

    26 mi from the campground

  • Prescribed
    Shenango Pile Rx

    26 mi from the campground

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

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearGrizzly Outfitters ↗13.9 mi
RV sales & serviceValley Trailer Sales Inc ↗44.8 mi

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

Explore

Worth a stop

Bear Creek is approximately 60 miles north of Yellowstone National Park. Lewis and Clark Caverns is about 60 miles north. The historic towns of Virginia City and Nevada City are about 3 miles west.

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

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Lee Metcalf Wilderness.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

Natural features

The facility is located at the edge of the Lee Metcalf Wilderness, at the foot of the Madison Range. The cabin is situated at an elevation of 6,250 feet, amid open meadows that are surrounded by mature aspens and Douglas fir trees. Bear Creek runs near the cabin and nearby bunkhouse, and the Bear Creek Wildlife Management Area lies immediately to the north. The area is home to a variety of wildlife, including elk, mule deer, black bears and grizzly bears, mountain grouse, and other species (learn more about bear safety).

Recreation

There are a variety of hiking and horseback riding trails in the area. The trails are popular among visitors for cross country skiing and snowshoeing during the winter months. The nearby wilderness areas do not allow motorized vehicles or bicycles. Camping and fishing in the backcountry are allowed, but the proper permits are required. 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.

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 Bear Creek Cabin?

Sites at Bear Creek Cabin are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Bear Creek Cabin?

Fee to rent cabin is non-refundable within 14 days of arrival date. Any changes in reserved dates may be assessed an additional fee by the National Recreation Reservation Service.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Bear Creek Cabin?

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

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Bear Creek Cabin have?

1 site, including 1 cabin with power.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are pets allowed at Bear Creek Cabin?

Yes, pets are allowed at Bear Creek Cabin. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

What is there to do at Bear Creek Cabin?

There are a variety of hiking and horseback riding trails in the area. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Bear Creek Cabin?

Ennis, Montana. Bear Creek is approximately 60 miles north of Yellowstone National Park.

Source: Getting there

What if Bear Creek Cabin is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Bear Creek Campground and Picnic Area (0.5 mi, first-come), Palisades Campground (12.2 mi, first-come), and Red Cliff Campground (15.2 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby