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

Crandall Creek Cabin

A historic cabin known as Bennett Creek Cabin was located over a mile from this site, but it was recently replaced with the current Crandall Creek Cabin, a traditional log structure. This cabin offers rustic accommodations with limited amenities, so guests should be prepared to bring most of the supplies and gear they need for a comfortable stay. Access to the cabin is via a semi-primitive dirt road. Four-wheel drive is suggested on this road from June 16 to Dec. 1. Guests who arrive after Dec. 1 must get to the cabin by hiking, snowshoeing, skiing or snowmobiling seven miles from the end of the plowed road to the cabin.

Cabin rentalReservable · Recreation.gov 1 sitePets okFires ok

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗

Photos courtesy of USFS, j.barton - usfs · Recreation.gov

2fires
active

North Bridger Brackett Creek Pile Burning Rx (prescribed burn) · 33 mi away

1 more within 50 miles

Incident details ↓

Site mix

Cabins

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.

Site	Entry	Fits, ft	Surface	Shade	People / vehicles	Fires	Accessible	Rating
CABIN	Pull-through	600	Gravel	Partial	6 / 2	Yes	Yes	Preferred

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

Pets	Allowed
Campfires	Allowed, subject to restrictions
Fees	Requests 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.
Accessibility	Site CABIN is listed accessible

The cabin can sleep up to six people, in three available bunk beds with mattresses. A table with benches, a wood stove for heat, a propane lantern and propane cookstove are provided. There is a mop and bucket for cleaning the cabin. Please bring firewood or gather from forest during summer. Do not burn provided firewood for outdoor fires,EVER, as it is extremely difficult to replace. Firewood is available during winter months as long as supplies last. An axe and splitting maul are also supplied. Both the cabin and adjacent vault toilet are wheelchair accessible. There is a campfire ring and picnic table outside. No water, electricity or propane canisters for the lantern or stove are provided. Guests need to provide their own water supply as well as bring propane canisters or battery-operated lanterns or flashlights. A propane two-burner cookstove is provided for cooking. A table is available to set up the propane camp stove.

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

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →

The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Wilsall 8 ENE, 12 miles from the campground at 5,865 feet, station USC00249023 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 19 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 82 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

Crandall Creek Cabin is located approximately 24 miles northeast of Wilsall, and 52 miles from Livingston. From Livingston, travel north on Highway 89 to Wilsall. Turn right from Highway 89 onto Shields River Road.

Nearest town	Livingston, Montana
Coordinates	46.1856° N, 110.4053° W · Directions ↗

Good to know

Firewood is not available from june 1ST through september 30TH.

Fire nearby

Prescribed
North Bridger Brackett Creek Pile Burning Rx
33 mi from the campground
Prescribed
Kings Hill Cabin Piles Rx
47 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

Outdoor gear	Round House Sports ↗	34.6 mi
RV sales & service	RV Center Montana ↗	47.1 mi

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

Explore

Worth a stop

12.7 mi
Halfmoon Picnic Area ↗Day use

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →

1.6 mi
Shields Lowline ↗
7.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
1.8 mi
Loco Mtn
1.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, e-bike
1.9 mi
West Lodgepole ↗
4.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, ATV and 1 more
2.2 mi
Castle Creek ↗
5.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
2.4 mi
Upper Lodgepole
1.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
2.4 mi
Lodgepole Creek
2.3 mi trail · hiking, horse

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 →

Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest begins about 7.7 miles away, and it is the closest of these.

7.7 mi
Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest ↗
National Forest · Forest Service · 3,177,729 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

Spring Creek Campground

First-come27.8 mi

FS · MT

Richardson Campground

First-come29 mi

FS · MT

Grasshopper Campground

First-come29.6 mi

Cabin and lookout rentals nearby

FS · MT

Porcupine Cabin

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FS · MT

Ibex Cabin

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Natural features

Crandall Creek Cabin is tucked beneath the foothills of the Crazy Mountains. The front porch of the cabin offers a majestic view of Target Rock and spectacular star gazing on a clear night. The cabin is situated at an elevation of approximately 6,400 feet, near several creeks and the Shields River. This area is home to bears, elk, deer and moose, among other wildlife species. Birders may spot a variety of birds.

Recreation

Activities in the area include hiking, mountain biking, birding, hunting, horseback riding and during the summer months, ATV's and motorcycles may be used on the main roads if street legal. Winter activities include snowshoeing, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing. Excellent fishing is available in the nearby creeks. Hunting is also a popular pastime in this area each 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 Crandall Creek Cabin?

Sites at Crandall 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 Crandall Creek Cabin?

Requests 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 Crandall Creek Cabin?

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

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Crandall Creek Cabin have?

1 site, including 1 cabin.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are pets allowed at Crandall Creek Cabin?

Yes, pets are allowed at Crandall Creek Cabin. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Crandall Creek Cabin?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions. As of 2026-10-16, there are 2 active fires within 50 miles, so check current restrictions before you light one.

Source: Fire nearby

Are there accessible sites at Crandall Creek Cabin?

Site CABIN is listed accessible on Recreation.gov. What that covers (a paved pad, an accessible table, a nearby accessible restroom) is on each site's booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

What is there to do at Crandall Creek Cabin?

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Crandall Creek Cabin?

Livingston, Montana.

Source: Getting there

What if Crandall Creek Cabin is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Halfmoon Campground (12.8 mi, first-come), Spring Creek Campground (27.8 mi, first-come), and Richardson Campground (29 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby