Cabin rental · U.S. Forest Service · Custer Gallatin National Forest · Livingston, MT

Deer Creek Cabin

The Todd Family began building Deer Creek Cabin in 1953 and finished it in 1960. They used it as a retreat while they grazed cattle on federal lands in the summer and hunted in the fall. The cabin has survived two forest fires. Gallatin National Forest assumed ownership of the cabin in 1993. The cabin is open year-round, but access is challenging. There are three routes to the cabin that can be used by equestrians, hikers and ATVs in the summer. During the winter, by snowshoes, skis and snowmobiles. Snowmobilers will need to park their trailers down low on the Iron Mountain Road, keeping the road passable for others. These trails will be marked as to uses.

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Deer Creek CabinJim's Gulch route to DEER CREEK CABIN (MT)Overlooking Deer Creek CabinDeer Creek Corral
Photos courtesy of J Barton · Recreation.gov

Site mix

Cabins1
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.

SiteShadePeople / vehicles
001Partial4 / –

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 12:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

FeesRequest for refunds or cancellations must be made through the National Recreation Reservation Service, in accordance with their policy. Changes to online reservations can only be made via the NRRS Contact Center: 1-877-444-6777.

The single-room cabin has a wood cook stove and a wood heating stove. It can sleep up to four people on a provided double bed and set of bunk beds. There are no mattresses. Please bring your own sleeping pads. Other amenities include basic cooking supplies, a table with chairs, some cleaning gear, propane-fueled lantern,propane-fueled cookstove, axe, maul, bucket and shovel. Bring propane canisters for the lantern and stove. A campfire ring and outhouse with pit toilet are located outside the cabin. Livestock may be kept at the available adjacent corral and in partially fenced pasture. No water or electricity is provided. Guests must bring their own drinking water or treat water taken from the creek. Items such as battery-powered flashlights or lanterns, bedding, matches, extra toilet paper and dish soap are not provided.

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

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Deer Creek Cabin20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 0.45 inches of precipitation, 7.2 inches of snowFebruary: 0.84 inches of precipitation, 9.9 inches of snowMarch: 1.07 inches of precipitation, 10.0 inches of snowApril: 1.81 inches of precipitation, 13.1 inches of snowMay: 3.31 inches of precipitation, 2.4 inches of snowJune: 3.05 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowJuly: 1.62 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 1.15 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.44 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowOctober: 1.67 inches of precipitation, 7.5 inches of snowNovember: 0.83 inches of precipitation, 9.9 inches of snowDecember: 0.66 inches of precipitation, 9.4 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 29.4°F averageFebruary: 29.3°F averageMarch: 36.3°F averageApril: 42.3°F averageMay: 50.1°F averageJune: 57.8°F averageJuly: 65.3°F averageAugust: 64.8°F averageSeptember: 56.7°F averageOctober: 46.0°F averageNovember: 35.7°F averageDecember: 28.2°F average0 in5 in10 in15 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Nye #2, 12 miles from the campground at 4,840 feet, station USC00246190 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 18 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 70 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

Deer Creek Cabin is located approximately 30 miles south of Big Timber, Montana. It can be accessed by 3 different routes. It is recommended that renters carry topographic maps, GPS and compasses for navigation since the route may be difficult to find.

Nearest townLivingston, Montana
Coordinates45.6014° N, 109.8981° W · Directions ↗

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearBob’s Outdoors ↗32.3 mi
RV sales & serviceLaurel Trading Post ↗55.5 mi

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

Explore

  • 0.1 mi
    Tie Cutter Gulch
    3.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 0.3 mi
    Placer Gulch ↗
    5.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 0.6 mi
    Jims Gulch
    2.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.8 mi
    Upper Derby Ridge
    0.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 1.9 mi
    Derby Gulch
    2.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 2.6 mi
    Lower Deer Creek ↗
    11.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more

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 Custer Gallatin National Forest.

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.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Natural features

This remote location provides habitat for a variety of wildlife, including bear, moose, antelope, elk and deer. Many species of birds also inhabit the area. Blackened trees from a 2006 forest fire still line the nearby hillsides.

Recreation

There are numerous trails around the cabin that provide opportunities for exploration. Experienced cross-country skiers and snowshoers will find a challenging winter landscape. Anglers can fish for trout in the nearby creek. The area offers good big game and bird hunting opportunities in the fall.

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 Deer Creek Cabin?

Sites at Deer 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 Deer Creek Cabin?

Request for refunds or cancellations must be made through the National Recreation Reservation Service, in accordance with their policy. Changes to online reservations can only be made via the NRRS Contact Center: 1-877-444-6777.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Deer Creek Cabin?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Deer Creek Cabin have?

1 site, including 1 cabin.

Source: Recreation.gov

What is there to do at Deer Creek Cabin?

There are numerous trails around the cabin that provide opportunities for exploration. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Deer Creek Cabin?

Livingston, Montana.

Source: Getting there

What if Deer Creek Cabin is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Initial Creek Campground (13.9 mi, first-come), Woodbine Campground (17.2 mi), and Pine Grove Campground (25.6 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby