Black Butte Cabin
Black Butte Cabin is a snug log cabin that sits high in the Gravelly Mountains. Originally part of the old Madison National Forest, the cabin was built in 1919 as an intermediate summer station for inspections of sheep allotments. It sleeps four people and has a beautiful view of Lion Mountain and the headwaters of Standard Creek. The area is home to a variety of wildlife and provides access to numerous trails for hiking, horseback riding and off-road vehicles during warmer months, and snowmobiles in the winter. The cabin is just off the side of Standard Creek Road 237 and can receive quite a bit of traffic on weekends.
Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Site mix
| Cabins | 1 |
Site guide
1 site. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.
| Site | People / vehicles | Fires |
|---|---|---|
| 001 | 4 / – | 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 3:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.
Amenities & rules
| Fees | 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. |
The primitive one-room cabin sleeps up to four people and has two bunkbeds with mattress pads. The small disposable cannisters are suggested. A table and chairs, basic cooking equipment and a wood stove for heat are provided. Firewood, for the wood stove only, is available, stacked against the fence behind the cabin. We do our best to keep the firewood stocked. However there is no guarantee that firewood will be available for your stay, especially in late winter and early spring. In winter, firewood may be buried deep in snow. An outhouse with a vault toilet is located across the road, about 100 feet from the cabin. Guests need to bring their own water for drinking, cooking and cleaning purposes, as well as bedding, towels, food, toilet paper and garbage bags, among other necessities.
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Weather by month
Getting there
Black Butte cabin is located one quarter mile from the junction of Forest Service roads FS290, FS1012 and FS237. From Ennis, travel south on US Highway 287 for about 32 miles to the West Fork Rest Area. Turn right onto West Fork Road/Forest Road 209 and continue for about 2 miles.
| Nearest town | Ennis, Montana |
| Coordinates | 44.9181° N, 111.8257° W · Directions ↗ |
Good to know
- The office is NOT open on Federal Holidays.
- It is equipped with a propane camp stove and propane lantern, however propane is not supplied.
- Wood is not provided for campfires.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedRx Hell'S Canyon
36 mi from the campground
- PrescribedShenango Pile Rx
47 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 gear | Grizzly Outfitters ↗ | 34.5 mi |
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 39.7 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
Explore
Worth a stop
The cabin is approximately 60 miles west of Yellowstone Park.
- 9.6 miPalisades Day Use ↗Day use
- 9.7 miWindy Point Boat Launch ↗Boat launch
Trails nearby
- 0.3 miClover Meadows Snowmobile ↗22.5 mi trail
- 1.5 miHyde Creek ↗11.3 mi trail
- 2.3 miHorse Creek ↗12.6 mi trail
- 2.6 miRebish Camp1.4 mi trail
- 2.7 miRebish Cutoff2.5 mi trail
- 3.1 miElk River Basin2.2 mi trail
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
Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge begins about 12.3 miles away, and it is the closest of these.
- 12.3 miRed Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge ↗National Wildlife Refuge · Fish and Wildlife Service · 85,504 acres
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.
Other campgrounds nearby
Cabin and lookout rentals nearby
On the National Register nearby
- Hutchins BridgeStructure · Cameron · 12.2 mi
Natural features
The cabin is located on the edge of a large, grassy meadow in the Gravelly Range at an elevation of 8,900 feet. 10,542' Black Butte, the highest peak on the range and an old volcanic cone, overlooks the cabin. The cabin is popular for hunting and snowmobiling and is available from July 1 to March 31. Four-wheel drive and chains may be needed to access the cabin due to mud or snow. During winter, snowmobiles may be necessary for up to 21 miles of the route. Various weather conditions can impact the area's avalanche risks; guests are encouraged to practice safe snowmobiling techniques.
Recreation
A number of hiking and horseback riding trails originate along the road adjacent to the cabin and explore various drainages in the area. Hikers can also summit Black Butte, just over the ridge from the cabin, on a user-created trail that leads to the peak. The cabin is an excellent base camp for viewing the expanses of wildflowers along the Gravelly Range Road (FS290) during early summer. All wheeled motorized vehicles must stay on designated roads or trails at all times. The area is also popular during winter months for cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and snowshoeing. Snowmobile use is allowed only from Decenber 2 through May 15. Guests enjoy hunting in the surrounding wilderness. The area is home to some of the highest-elevation pronghorn antelope, as well as other wildlife. Fishing is available in nearby Standard Creek, where anglers might catch cutthroat and brown trout.
Guidebooks for Montana
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
Do I need a reservation at Black Butte Cabin?
Sites at Black Butte 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 Black Butte 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 Black Butte Cabin?
Check-in 3:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.
Source: Recreation.gov
How many sites does Black Butte Cabin have?
1 site, including 1 cabin.
Source: Recreation.gov
What is there to do at Black Butte Cabin?
A number of hiking and horseback riding trails originate along the road adjacent to the cabin and explore various drainages in the area. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.
Source: Recreation
What is the nearest town to Black Butte Cabin?
Ennis, Montana. The cabin is approximately 60 miles west of Yellowstone Park.
Source: Getting there
What if Black Butte Cabin is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Cottonwood Campground (7.8 mi, first-come), Clover Meadows Dispersed Camping and Picnic Area (8.3 mi, first-come), and Palisades Campground (9.7 mi, first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby