Bar Gulch Cabin
Bar Gulch Cabin is located in the Big Belt Mountain Range in Helena National Forest. The cabin was originally constructed in the 1930s on Forest Service lands to be used for mining purposes. Instead, it was used for recreational purposes and issued a special use permit, which was transferred to several owners until it was donated to the Forest Service in 1988. Today the cabin is a rustic getaway for guests seeking relaxation and recreation in west-central Montana. The cabin offers several amenities, but guests should be prepared to bring some of their own supplies and gear.
Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Site mix
| Cabins | 1 |
Site guide
1 site. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.
| Site | Surface | People / vehicles |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Gravel | 6 / 1 |
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
The small, single-room cabin can accommodate up to six people with two bunkbeds and a full-sized bed with mattresses. The cabin has a skylight, an antique cook stove, propane lanterns and a wood stove for heat. The kitchen is equipped with a table and chairs, a propane stove, some cooking utensils and cookware. A picnic table, campfire ring and accessible pit toilet are outside. An axe and snow shovel are available. The cabin does not have electricity, running water or indoor plumbing. Guests must bring a sufficient amount of water for drinking, cooking and washing during their stay. Bringing an additional light source is also recommended. Other supplies to bring include sleeping bags, linens, towels, cooking gear, dish soap, matches, first aid kit, toilet paper and garbage bags. Guests are expected to pack out all trash and food and clean the cabin before leaving.
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Weather by month
Getting there
Bar Gulch Cabin is located 24 miles from Helena and 30 miles from Townsend on Magpie Road (#425). From Helena, take Canyon Ferry Road over the dam, past Kim's Marina. Continuing east, watch for a left-hand turn onto Magpie Road. From this intersection, proceed up Magpie Road 3.9 miles. Turn left on Bar Gulch Road.
| Nearest town | Townsend, Montana |
| Coordinates | 46.6969° N, 111.6242° W · Directions ↗ |
Good to know
- It is accessible by car, but snow removal is not provided in winter.
- Firewood may be stocked at the cabin, but it is not guaranteed.
- Propane is not provided for the lanterns or propane stove, so guests must bring one or two small cylinders.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedBear Gulch Rx
23 mi from the campground · 300 acres
- PrescribedWakina Sky Rx
24 mi from the campground · 300 acres
- PrescribedSure Thing Swamp Rx
37 mi from the campground · 180 acres
- PrescribedKings Hill Cabin Piles Rx
45 mi from the campground · 1 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.
Supplies & services
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 11.1 mi |
| Outdoor gear | Sierra ↗ | 19 mi |
| RV sales & service | D & D RV Center ↗ | 19.1 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
Explore
Worth a stop
- 0.7 miNever Sweat Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 9.2 miClark's Bay Day Use Site ↗Day use
- 14.5 miMissouri River Fishing Access Site ↗Fishing site
Trails nearby
- 0.7 miNever Sweat4.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
- 1.2 miHunters Gulch ↗8.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
- 2 miCave Ridge ↗9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, e-bike
- 2 miThompson Hellgate ↗6.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
- 2.1 miCarpenter0.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, e-bike
- 2.2 miLittle Hellgate ↗6.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
Trailheads within three miles
- 0.7 miNever Sweat Trailhead ↗Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest
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
Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest begins about 6.7 miles away, and it is the closest of these.
- 6.7 miHelena-Lewis and Clark National Forest ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 3,177,729 acres
- 11.3 miGates of the Mountains Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 28,460 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
- Spokane Hill Airway BeaconStructure · Winston · 11.4 mi
Natural features
Bar Gulch Cabin sits in a grassy, open clearing surrounded by a canopy of mixed-conifer forest. The area around the cabin offers a variety of landscapes, from river banks to subalpine terrain. Valley bottoms, dense forests, meadows and barren ridges are mixed with streams, rivers and lakes. The area offers unique opportunities for viewing wildlife. Elk, bighorn sheep, mule and white-tailed deer, black bear, moose and a variety of birds are commonly seen. The more elusive badger, wolverine, mountain lion and lynx find habitat here as well.
Recreation
Guests at the cabin can step out to several hiking opportunities right out the backdoor. Belt Divide Trail and Bar Gulch Trail are favorites in the area. Bar Gulch Trail is actually an old road through a timbered gulch, and is mainly used for hunting. The Ridge Trail, located along the crest of the Big Belt Mountains, is a favorite for those on foot, offering expansive views of the surrounding mountain ranges as well as overnight camping opportunities. Guests can take advantage of boating and fishing at Canyon Ferry Lake, which is only five miles away. The lake offers excellent fishing opportunities for rainbow trout, perch, ling and walleye. The wildlife viewing near the lake is quite impressive as well. It is one of the best in the country for viewing large concentrations of bald eagles. A wildlife management area at the end of the reservoir is home to a colony of terns and pelicans.
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 Bar Gulch Cabin?
Sites at Bar Gulch 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 Bar Gulch Cabin?
Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.
Source: Recreation.gov
How many sites does Bar Gulch Cabin have?
1 site, including 1 cabin.
Source: Recreation.gov
What is there to do at Bar Gulch Cabin?
Guests at the cabin can step out to several hiking opportunities right out the backdoor. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.
Source: Recreation
What is the nearest town to Bar Gulch Cabin?
Townsend, Montana.
Source: Getting there
What if Bar Gulch Cabin is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Jo Bonner Campground (4.6 mi), Court Sheriff Campground (4.8 mi), and Chinamen's Campground (4.8 mi).
Source: Campgrounds nearby