Facility Details - WINDY PASS CABIN, UNKN

Overview

Windy Pass Cabin was built in 1934. It provides a rustic mountain retreat with few amenities, so guests need to bring most of their own supplies and gear to make their experience comfortable and enjoyable.

The cabin is available from mid-June through mid-October. It is accessible via a 2.5-mile hike or horseback ride up the Windy Pass Trail with an elevation gain of 1,300 feet.

Natural Features:

Windy Pass Cabin is located near the Gallatin Crest at approximately 8,900 feet in the Gallatin Mountains. A small stream flows just below it. High alpine meadows dotted with evergreens surround the cabin and fill with colorful wildflowers in July.

A short walk to the top of the Gallatin Crest offers views of the distant snow-dusted peaks of the Absarokas and the Yellowstone River to the east and the Madison Range to the west.

Grizzly bear, gray wolf, mountain lion, deer, elk, moose, bighorn sheep and the Canada lynx are some of the wildlife that inhabit this area. Birders may see a wide variety of bird species.

Recreation:

The Windy Pass Trail passes by the cabin and takes hikers and equestrians along the ridge and down through the Gallatin Range. Several other trails crisscross the area, including the Gallatin Crest Trail. Hunting in designated areas is also a popular activity.

Facilities:

The cabin sleeps four people with a set of bunk beds with mattresses downstairs and two beds in the loft. A wood-burning stove provides heat. A table with chairs, cookware and utensils are available. A horse corral and outhouse with vault toilet are located outside.

Drinking water, electricity and firewood are not provided. Guests needs to bring their own water supply. Trash bags are needed for packing out garbage, and guests are expected to clean the cabin before leaving.

A cook stove is not provided. Visitors should bring items such as bedding, flashlights or lanterns, matches and extra toilet paper.

Activities and Amenities

Within Facility
Bed(s) With Mattress Birding Broom & Dust Pan Bunkbed(s) With Mattresses Cabin Rentals Cooking Pots Cooking Utensils Fire Extinguisher Hiking	Horseback Riding Horseback Riding Trails Hunting Snow shovel Table & Chairs Trails Vault Toilets Wildlife Viewing Wood Stove

Know Before You Go

Make sure to have the lock combination for the cabin door; the combination code to the cabin is included in the confirmation e-mail or letter
Water is not available in the cabin; water obtained from nearby natural water sources should be treated prior to use
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 that you pack in
Burning candles in the cabin is prohibited
Firing a gun or use of any other weapon is not allowed: a) in or within 150 yards of the developed recreation site; b)across or on a road or body of water; c) in any circumstance whereby any person may be injured or property damaged
Hay and feed must be certified weed-free
Pets not recommended; solid pet wastes must be removed within 100 yards of cabin
Guests should be aware that there is a risk of exposure to hantavirus when visiting remote cabins; click here to learn more
Click here for more information about Gallatin National Forest

Getting There:

GPS Info. (Latitude, Longitude):
45.26528, -111.10139
45°15'55"N, 111°6'5"W

From Bozeman, Montana, proceed southbound for 30 miles on Highway 191 until you reach the Portal Creek Road 984. Follow this rough gravel road (note: may not be suitable for low clearance vehicles) up approximately 6 miles to the end at the Windy Pass and Golden Trout Lakes Trailheads. Windy Pass Trail 82 is left of the bulletin board. The cabin is 2.5 miles up (1300 foot elevation gain) the Windy Pass Trail 82.

The cabin is also accessible by longer routes from Big Creek out of the Yellowstone Valley (Trails 180 and 192), the Gallatin Crest Trail from the north and south (96), and the Moose Creek Trail (187).

Portal Creek Road is gated near Highway 191 between December 2 through June 15th. Motorized vehicles (with the exception of snowmobiles) cannot use the road during these dates.