Cabin rental · U.S. Forest Service · Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest · Helena, MT

Strawberry Cabin

Explore a magnificent recreation and wildlife resource at the doorstep of Montana's Capital City. From prairie to alpine, mayflies to mountain goats, and scenic driving to expert climbing routes -- the Elkhorns you will discover a diverse landscape! Built in 1941, Strawberry Cabin lies at the top of Strawberry Butte (6,100 feet) in the heart of the Elkhorn Mountains. The combination of lookout and log cabin are typical of this period. The cabin is an excellent example of a C-46 one room cabin plan, which was designed by William Fox. This cabin style is one of the standard building plans used for housing personnel working at intermediate stations and at lookouts.

Cabin rentalReservable · Recreation.gov1 sitePets okFires ok
Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
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Photos via Recreation.gov
4fires
active
Wakina Sky Rx (prescribed burn) · 9 mi away · 300 acres
3 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

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.

SiteEntryFits, ftSurfaceShadePeople / vehiclesFiresRating
Strawberry CabinPull-through30GravelFull4 / 4YesBasic

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

PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions

Strawberry Cabin is designed for up to four guests. One portion of the cabin has two twin beds, all with mattresses. The kitchen is equipped with a small table and two chairs, dishes, utensils, cookware, with a Coleman stove and lights. The cabin has a wood stove. An outhouse with vault toilet is located on-site. A picnic table and campfire ring offer comfortable outdoor dining. No firewood is provided from June 1st - August 31. An axe and snow shovel are provided. There is no water on site, so guests must bring a sufficient supply for drinking, cooking and washing. Guests should bring their own sleeping bags, lanterns or flashlights, towels, dish soap, matches, and garbage bags. All garbage must be packed out, and guests are expected to clean the cabin before leaving. A fire lookout tower sits next to the cabin. This is one of the few metal lookout structures in the area and was built in the 1940s.

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

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Strawberry Cabin20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 0.80 inches of precipitationFebruary: 0.81 inches of precipitationMarch: 1.04 inches of precipitationApril: 2.03 inches of precipitationMay: 2.76 inches of precipitationJune: 3.13 inches of precipitationJuly: 1.39 inches of precipitationAugust: 1.31 inches of precipitationSeptember: 1.42 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.34 inches of precipitationNovember: 0.93 inches of precipitationDecember: 0.86 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 22.9°F averageFebruary: 23.7°F averageMarch: 31.8°F averageApril: 39.4°F averageMay: 47.4°F averageJune: 54.7°F averageJuly: 62.9°F averageAugust: 62.2°F averageSeptember: 53.1°F averageOctober: 41.2°F averageNovember: 30.8°F averageDecember: 21.9°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Tizer Gardens, 9 miles from the campground at 4,672 feet, station USC00248239 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 18 inches a year.

Getting there

Located about 15 miles south of Helena. From Interstate 15, take exit 187 for Montana City/MT-518. East on Jackson Creek road for 0.5 miles. Turn right/south onto Johns St (Papa Rays Pizza) and continue onto McClellan Creek road for four miles. Turn right/south onto Warm Springs Creek/Strawberry Lookout Rd and proceed 1.7 miles.

Nearest townHelena, Montana
Coordinates46.4756° N, 111.9153° W · Directions ↗

Good to know

  • The cabin is not wired for electricity.
  • Fuel is not provided for the propane stove or lanterns, so guests should bring a couple of small propane cylinders, as well as backup lighting.
  • Firewood may available, but it is not guaranteed.

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Wakina Sky Rx

    9 mi from the campground · 300 acres

  • Prescribed
    Bear Gulch Rx

    11 mi from the campground · 300 acres

  • Prescribed
    Sure Thing Swamp Rx

    19 mi from the campground · 180 acres

  • Prescribed
    Hogum Creek Road Piles Rx

    44 mi from the campground · 5 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

RV sales & serviceD & D RV Center ↗9 mi
Outdoor gearThe Base Camp ↗9.7 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗17.3 mi

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

Explore

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 2.7 mi
    Willard Creek
    2.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 3 mi
    Casey Meadows
    4.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 3.1 mi
    McClellan Creek ↗
    6.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 3.5 mi
    Jackson Creek
    2.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 3.9 mi
    Montgomery Park ↗
    7.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 4.9 mi
    Casey Peak
    1.4 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.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Natural features

The Elkhorn Mountains span both Broadwater and Jefferson counties, with the nearest city being Helena, Montana. The Elkhorns are surrounded by the Divide Mountains and Boulder Batholith to the west, and the Missouri and Boulder River valleys on the north, east, and south. The form of the Elkhorn Mountains is rounded and furrowed from extensive weathering. Drainages have carved steep gulches and canyons. The majority of the Elkhorns (north, west, southwest) is a part of a batholith. This geologic history has left the area rich in minerals. Evidence of glaciation is localized with boulder strewn areas of granitic rocks. The remaining approximate quarter (southwest) of the geographic area is underlain by sedimentary rock that lacks the same mineralization as the batholith but is rich in calcareous rock. The landforms are rugged, low mountains with hogback ridges and dry valleys. The sedimentary geologic area in the east is a gradient of foothill prairie and partially forested low mountains. Grassland is a major component. Limber pine and juniper woodland ebb and flow through this prairie landscape. The plant communities on the batholith portion are mostly forested with conifers.

Recreation

The area offers great access to the north end of the Elkhorn Mountains with numerous hiking trails and roads leading to the Elkhorn's historical resources. Popular hikes include Strawberry Creek, Casey Peak, and Willard Creek. When snow allows, cross country skiing or snowshoeing gives visitors an up-close look at concentrations of wintering elk.

Nearby

The Elkhorn Mountains are an island mountain range that provide open space, clean water and diverse animal and plant communities. The Elkhorns also provide livelihoods and places to hunt and recreate for the citizens in the surrounding communities and beyond. About 160,000 acres within the Elkhorn Mountains is managed by both the Helena and Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forests as a Wildlife Management Unit, the only one of its kind in the entire National Forest System. In addition, there is another 75,000 acres of foothills that is managed by the Bureau of Land Management as an Area of Critical Environment Concern.

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 Strawberry Cabin?

Sites at Strawberry 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 Strawberry Cabin?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Strawberry Cabin have?

1 site, including 1 cabin.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are pets allowed at Strawberry Cabin?

Yes, pets are allowed at Strawberry Cabin. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Strawberry Cabin?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions. As of 2026-10-16, there are 4 active fires within 50 miles, so check current restrictions before you light one.

Source: Fire nearby

Is there cell service at Strawberry Cabin?

FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 4G LTE at the campground point. Terrain changes that from one site to the next.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

What is there to do at Strawberry Cabin?

The area offers great access to the north end of the Elkhorn Mountains with numerous hiking trails and roads leading to the Elkhorn's historical resources. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Strawberry Cabin?

Helena, Montana. The Elkhorn Mountains are an island mountain range that provide open space, clean water and diverse animal and plant communities.

Source: Getting there

What if Strawberry Cabin is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Park Lake Campground (12.3 mi, first-come), Riverside Campground (15.2 mi), and White Earth Campground (15.9 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby