Bend Guard Station
The Bend Guard Station is located in a historic site within the Lolo National Forest of northwestern Montana. It is equipped with modern features, including a full-service kitchen and bathrooms, and provides guests with access to a variety of activities. The cabin sits within an open meadow surrounded by an evergreen forest, providing beautiful scenery during any season.
Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Site mix
| Cabins with electric | 1 |
Site guide
1 site. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.
| Site | Surface | Shade | People / vehicles | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | Gravel | Full | 16 / 15 | 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 11:00 AM.
Amenities & rules
| Max vehicle length | 40 ft |
| Fees | Starting January 1, 2021 fees will be changing from $45 to $90 per night. |
The two-story cabin has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large kitchen and a living area. Beds with mattresses can sleep up to 16 people. It has electric heaters, flush toilets, hot showers and a fully furnished kitchen, with modern appliances including a two electric stoves, a microwave, two refrigerators and two sinks with running hot and cold water. Basic cooking and eating utensils are also supplied. Guests will need to bring their own bedding, food, toilet paper and garbage bags. The cabin will need to be cleaned before leaving and basic cleaning equipment is provided. A horse corral is also located on the property. A frost-free water hydrant also services the corral area. The cabin is available to rent year-round, except for a week in the month of May, when it is reserved for administrative and educational uses. A key code will be provided after a reservation is made. The key code gives you access to the entry gate and a lock box, which holds the key to unlock the cabin. Please make sure to 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
Getting there
This rental is located approximately 32 miles up the Thompson River Road (County Road 56 on maps, County Road 556 on the ground) from its junction with Montana Highway 200, five miles east of Thompson Falls, Montana. It may also be accessed from U.S.
| Nearest town | Plains, Montana |
| Coordinates | 47.9008° N, 115.0383° W · Directions ↗ |
Supplies & services
| RV sales & service | Bish's RV ↗ | 38.9 mi |
| Outdoor gear | Rocky Mountain Outfitter ↗ | 39.3 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
Explore
Trails nearby
- 3 miBig Rock Creek ↗10.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 4.7 miMurr Creek ↗6.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
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
Kootenai National Forest begins about 6 miles away, and it is the closest of these.
- 6 miKootenai National Forest ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 2,622,202 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
Natural features
The 3,200-foot elevation site has multiple structures and has previously been used as a ranger station for the old Cabinet National Forest, which was divided by the Forest Service in 1954. The original log cabin is on-site and was constructed in 1911. While there are several buildings at Bend, the only one available for recreation rental use is the combined bunkhouse and cookhouse building. It was built in 1923 to house Forest Service work crews and rangers working in the area and was remodeled in 1984. The 2 million-acre forest includes four wilderness areas and a wide variety of trees, plants and wildlife. The area is home to mountain goats, bighorn sheep, elk, moose, deer and grizzly and black bears. Both the bald and golden eagle reside in the forest, along with trumpeter swan, herons and dozens of varieties of duck. The cabin is accessible by vehicle, but requires high-clearance with tire chains during winter months. The roads leading to the cabin may not be plowed on a regular basis in the winter. There is no cell phone service or a land line at Bend. The nearest cell phone service is a few miles away.
Recreation
The Bend area offers opportunities for a variety of outdoor recreation experiences, including hiking, fishing, mountain biking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing and berry picking. A variety of trails snake around the campground and through the forest, several of which are accessible near the cabin. The Thompson River is a short walk from the cabin. Anglers might see a variety of trout as well as mountain whitefish in the river.
Nearby
Fishing and water sports are available at Thompson and McGregor Lakes, both of which are a 30-minute drive from the cabin.
Guidebooks for Montana
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
Do I need a reservation at Bend Guard Station?
Sites at Bend Guard Station 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 Bend Guard Station?
Starting January 1, 2021 fees will be changing from $45 to $90 per night.
Source: Recreation.gov
What time is check-in at Bend Guard Station?
Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.
Source: Recreation.gov
How many sites does Bend Guard Station have?
1 site, including 1 cabin with power.
Source: Recreation.gov
Will my RV fit at Bend Guard Station?
The longest site here provides 40 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.
Source: Will my RV fit
Are there showers or a dump station at Bend Guard Station?
It has electric heaters, flush toilets, hot showers and a fully furnished kitchen, with modern appliances including a two electric stoves, a microwave, two refrigerators and two sinks with running hot and cold water.
Source: Recreation.gov
What is there to do at Bend Guard Station?
The Bend area offers opportunities for a variety of outdoor recreation experiences, including hiking, fishing, mountain biking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing and berry picking. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.
Source: Recreation
What is the nearest town to Bend Guard Station?
Plains, Montana. Fishing and water sports are available at Thompson and McGregor Lakes, both of which are a 30-minute drive from the cabin.
Source: Getting there
What if Bend Guard Station is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Fishtrap Lake Campground (8.1 mi, first-come), Mcgregor Lake Campground (11 mi, partly first-come), and Sylvan Lake Campground (11.2 mi, first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby