Birch Creek Cabin
Birch Creek Cabin is a historic log cabin with electricity. It provides access to a variety of hiking, ohv, and for cross-country skiing and snowshoe trails (depending on the season). A vaulted toilet lies 100' west of the cabin. Guests can typically access the cabin by vehicle, depending on conditions. The roads leading to the cabin are gravel - but suitable for passenger cars (depending on the season and snow levels). The final quarter-mile may be covered with impassible snow during the winter, requiring skis, snowshoes or snowmobile to complete the route. There is a reliable parking area just off of the Birch Creek Road near the Thief Creek Bridge.
Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Site mix
| Cabins | 1 |
Site guide
1 site. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.
| Site | Entry | Fits, ft | Surface | Shade | People / vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | Back-in | 20 | Gravel | Partial | 4 / – |
Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 12:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.
Amenities & rules
The two-room log cabin is equipped with bunkbeds and mattress pads that will sleep up to four people. A separate kitchen has a table and chairs, an electric cook stove, pots and pans and basic eating and cooking utensils. A wood stove is available inside the cabin for heat. Firewood is provided, but not guaranteed. Please be conservative with wood, this will help us maintain the supply for heating purposes. An axe is provide but do not split wood inside the cabin or on the porch. An outhouse with a vault toilet is available outside the cabin. Drinking water is unavailable at this time, sorry for any inconvenience. Guests will need to bring their own bedding, including blankets and pillows, as well as matches, food, toilet paper, garbage bags and other necessities. Wood may be available, but the supply cannot be guaranteed. Those staying at the cabin during the winter months will need to bring their own water for drinking, cooking and cleaning purposes.
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Weather by month
Getting there
From Dillon, travel north on I-15 for 12 miles to exit 74 at Apex. Turn west and continue about 8 miles on Birch Creek Road. Cross the bridge and take the first right onto Thief Creek Road. The cabin is about 1/4-mile to the west at Thief Creek.
| Nearest town | Dillon, Montana |
| Coordinates | 45.4153° N, 112.8547° W · Directions ↗ |
Fire nearby
- WildfireSand Creek
25 mi from the campground · 35,520 acres · 83% contained
- PrescribedRx Hell'S Canyon
45 mi from the campground
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.
Supplies & services
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 17 mi |
| RV sales & service | Bretz RV & Marine - Butte, MT ↗ | 40 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
Explore
Trails nearby
- 0.2 miBirch Bender Eet1.9 mi trail
- 0.2 miBirch Bender Loop0.8 mi trail
- 2.5 miBirch Creek/Boot/Anchor-Pear ↗5.8 mi trail
- 2.6 miDeerhead Lake1.1 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
This campground sits inside Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.
- inBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 3,614,456 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
Historic landmarks nearby
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Natural features
The cabin sits below a historic Civilian Conservation Corps work camp at the confluence of Birch Creek and Thief Creek. It is situated on the eastern slopes of the Pioneer Mountains in southwestern Montana, and was used as a forest ranger station as early as 1908. A forested picnic area is nearby. An abundance of wildlife live in the area, including elk, moose, deer, pine marten, wolverine, northern goshawk, wolf, black bear and (rarely) grizzly bear.
Recreation
An extensive network of hiking trails exists on the surrounding peaks and valleys. Some lead to alpine lakes, which offer quality mountain fishing. Grayling, cutthroat trout, brook trout and rainbow trout can all be found in the mountain waters. There are two popular cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trails adjacent to the cabin. The Birch Creek Loop and the May Lake Ski Trail both traverse through the area. Old mining roads are plentiful in the area, providing excellent opportunities for exploration on foot, bike, ohv or horseback.
Nearby
Farlin Mining Community, Torrey Mountain, Tweedy Mountain, Thief Creek Road (passable in summer and fall), Aspen Picnic Area, Dinner Station Campground, Bond Lake Trailhead, Deerhead Lake Trailhead, Minneopa Trailhead. From Willow Creek Road - Gorge Lake Trailhead, Torrey Lake Trailhead, Rainbow Lake Trailheads
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 Birch Creek Cabin?
Sites at Birch Creek Cabin are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.
Source: Recreation.gov
What time is check-in at Birch Creek Cabin?
Check-in 12:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.
Source: Recreation.gov
How many sites does Birch Creek Cabin have?
1 site, including 1 cabin.
Source: Recreation.gov
What is there to do at Birch Creek Cabin?
An extensive network of hiking trails exists on the surrounding peaks and valleys. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.
Source: Recreation
What is the nearest town to Birch Creek Cabin?
Dillon, Montana. Farlin Mining Community, Torrey Mountain, Tweedy Mountain, Thief Creek Road (passable in summer and fall), Aspen Picnic Area, Dinner Station Campground, Bond Lake Trailhead, Deerhead Lake Trailhead, Minneopa Trailhead.
Source: Getting there
What if Birch Creek Cabin is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Dinner Station Campground and Picnic Area (2.5 mi, first-come), Price Creek Campground (11.9 mi, partly first-come), and Grasshopper Campground (13.3 mi, partly first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby