Facility Details - MYSTIC LAKE CABIN, MT

Overview

Mystic Lake Cabin was built in 1930 and is currently open year-round. It provides access to a variety of recreational activities, including fishing, hunting and exploration of numerous trails.

The cabin is located in a non-motorized area. Guests must be prepared to hike, horseback ride or mountain bike to get there in the summer, and winter access is by cross-country skis or snowshoes. Guests are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.

Natural Features:

The cabin is tucked into a stand of pines near the southeastern shore of Mystic Lake, at an elevation of about 6,400 feet. The landscape surrounding Mystic Lake includes meadows that fill with wildflowers in the summer, as well as evergreen forest and the peaks of the Gallatin Range.

Visitors may spot one of the resident grizzly bears, bison, elk or mule deer. Several bird species also inhabit the area.

Recreation:

New World Gulch Trail and Bozeman Creek Trail are just a couple of the multi-use trails in the area for hikers, equestrians, mountain bikers, skiers and snowshoers. The Mystic Lake Loop is popular with mountain bikers.

Anglers can fish for brook, rainbow and cutthroat trout in Mystic Lake. Hunting opportunities are good in the fall.

Facilities:

The cabin has bunk beds with mattresses to sleep up to four people. A wood-burning cook stove also heats the cabin. Other amenities include a table with chairs, basic cookware, dishes and tableware. Firewood is supplied for the stove.

Outside is a campfire ring and a corral for up to two horses. An outhouse is equipped with a vault toilet.

No electricity or water is available at the cabin. Guests need to bring their own supply of drinking water, as well as items such as fire starters (matches and newspaper), flashlights or lanterns, bedding, extra toilet paper, first aid supplies and dish soap, which are also not provided. The cabin will need to be cleaned and all trash removed prior to leaving.

Activities and Amenities

Within Facility
Birding Broom & Dust Pan Bunkbed(s) With Mattresses Cabin Rentals Campfire Rings Cooking Pots Cooking Utensils Corrals Cross Country Skiing Firewood Fishing Hiking	Horseback Riding Horseback Riding Trails Hunting Lake Access Mountain Biking Snowshoeing Table & Chairs Trails Vault Toilets Wildlife Viewing Wood Stove

Know Before You Go

The cabin remains locked; a combination lock code will be contained in the reservation confirmation letter/email
Water is not available in the cabin; water obtained from nearby natural water sources should be treated prior to use
Grizzly bears may frequent the area; guests must carefully follow the food storage order for Gallatin National Forest (Click here for more information)
No garbage service; please bring garbage bags and pack out all trash and personal belongings
Candles are not permitted inside the cabin
Federal regulations prohibit firing a gun or use of any other weapon in or within 150 yards of a developed recreation site, across or on a road or body of water, or in any circumstance whereby any person may be injured or property damaged; violators will be prosecuted
Pets not recommended; solid pet wastes must be removed within 100 yards of cabin
Campfires must be contained within the fire ring adjacent to the facility; no other campfires are authorized
The burning of wood pallets is not authorized
This is a non-motorized area; off-road vehicles are prohibited
Click here for more information about Gallatin National Forest

Getting There:

GPS Info. (Latitude, Longitude):
45.54111, -110.91944
45°32'28"N, 110°55'10"W

Two trails lead to the cabin: New World Gulch Trail is 5.5 miles and is the more challenging option. The Bozeman Creek Trail is 10 miles.
Directions to the New Gulch Trailhead:
From Bozeman, travel east on Interstate 90 for 4.5 miles, to the Bear Canyon Exit. Head west for a half-mile, to Bear Canyon Road. Follow Bear Canyon Road for 3.5 miles to the New World Gulch parking area, which is about a quarter mile before the old Bozeman Ski Lodge. Please make sure to park away from the road.

The New World Gulch Trail is approximately 5.5 miles of steep trail to Mystic Lake Ranger Station. The trail closely follows the creek bed and climbs to a gate marking National Forest boundary. This part of the trail is steep with even steeper pitches. After passing through the gate, the trail breaks away from the creek and meanders through open meadows, then climbs slightly through lodgepole and spruce stands to the fenced and well-marked boundary between New World Gulch and the Bozeman Creek drainage. From the divide, the trail drops down to the northeast shoreline to the Mystic Lake Ranger Station and meets the trail to Bozeman Creek. (The cabin is located on the south end of Mystic Lake.)

Directions to the Bozeman Creek Trailhead:
From Bozeman, follow South Third for 4 miles to Nash Road. Go east on Nash for a mile, to Sourdough Canyon Road 979. The parking area is a mile south on Sourdough Canyon Road.

The Bozeman Creek Trail follows Bozeman Creek for the first several miles. After approximately 9 miles, take the trail to the left marked Mystic Lake and proceed a mile to the cabin.