Overview

Basin Station Cabin is a primitive, rustic, two-room structure located in the Hebgen Lake Ranger District of the Custer Gallatin National Forest. The cabin is open year-round. The adjacent road is heavily traveled. Winter guests can snowshoe, ski, or snowmobile to the cabin up to three miles from the nearest available parking. This cabin is parking accessible during warmer months.

Guests are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and they must bring several of their own amenities.

Facilities

This is a primitive cabin. It sleeps four people and has a six persons maximum per group at cabin site. There is a seven day maximum stay per group. A wood stove is available for heat, and an old-fashioned wood cook stove is also available with firewood provided October 1st - May 31st for indoor use only. Basic amenities are provided such as an axe, shovel, and a table with chairs. The cabin is equipped with a double-bed platform and one set of bunk bed platforms, all equipped with mattresses.

No water or electricity is available at the cabin. Guests must either bring drinking water or treat water they retrieve from natural sources. It is also recommended that guests bring their own cooking stoves. Garbage bags are needed to pack out trash. A stock pot is provided for boiling water. It is strongly recommended that campers bring their own back country cookware and dishes for use.

Items such as bedding, flashlights or lanterns, first aid supplies, and extra toilet paper are also not available at the cabin.

Natural Features

The cabin sits in an open meadow in the Upper Madison River Valley with views of distant evergreen forests and mountain peaks on all sides. It is situated within a couple miles of the South Fork Arm of the Madison River; just down the road from Hebgen Lake.

The area around Basin Station Cabin is grizzly bear habitat, it's also home to bison, elk, pronghorn, and other wildlife. 

Recreation

Basin Station is surrounded by hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking trails as well as ATV/UTV and motorcyles routes subject to seasonal restrictions and delayed open dates. Please contact the Hebgen Lake Ranger District to obtain open dates. Horses are not allowed at the cabin. The horse corral is used administratively by the USDA Forest Service.  

Winter activities in the area include cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, and snowshoeing.

Nearby Hebgen Lake offers opportunities for fishing, boating, and hunting. A public boat launch with two docks is located about two miles from the cabin at Lonesomehurst Campground and additional access to the lake is available through surrounding day use areas.

Nearby Attractions

The cabin is approximately nine miles from West Yellowstone, MT, home of the West Gate to Yellowstone National Park. 

Other attractions include; Hebgen Lake, Earthquake lake and the Earthquake Lake Visitor Center, and Henry's Lake State Park across the Idaho Border. 

Important Notices

• Please be aware that the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service is not cleaning this rental cabin between user visits. To protect health and safety for all cabin visitors, we recommend you clean all "high touch surfaces" when you arrive and before you leave. Cleaning supplies are not provided; you are expected to bring your own. Leave nothing behind - pack it in, pack it out. Please take any garbage, food, books, and personal items with you. Immediately report any unsanitary conditions to the local Ranger Station.

• 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. 

• Grizzly bears frequent the area; store all attractants (coolers, food, beverages, stock feed, garbage, toiletrie, etc,) inside the cabin. Hebgen Lake Ranger staff will be patrolling for compliance with the Food Storage Order in the cabin vicinity throughout the season. 

• Water is not available in the cabin. Guests need to bring their own or be prepared to treat water taken from a natural source.
• No garbage service. Please bring garbage bags and pack out all trash and belongings.
• Candles are not permitted inside the cabin.
• Stock use at the cabin is not allowed due to lack of adequate space and because the adjacent pasture is administratively used to house Forest Service stock.

• Please keep the fence gate between the cabin and barn closed. There may be horses in the pasture adjacent to the cabin and they could escape if the gate is not closed.

• Guests should be aware that there is a risk of exposure to hantavirus when visiting remote cabins.

• FIREWOOD ROUNDS IN WOODSHED ARE LIMITED TO INDOOR USE ONLY. Availability of firewood cannot be guaranteed.Limited firewood supply is provided for INDOOR USE ONLY (October 1 -May 31) Not for outdoor campfires. Firewood is not provided from June 1st to September 30th. 

• Do not leave pets unattended.

• Weather conditions vary. Please check forcast and road conditions before your visit. 

Available Activities

• Wildlife Viewing - Wildlife Viewing
• Water Sports - Water Sports
• Winter Sports - Winter Sports
• Hunting - Hunting
• Horseback Riding - Horseback Riding
• Hiking - Hiking
• Fishing - Fishing
• Camping - Camping
• Boating - Boating
• Biking - Biking

Directions

<p><strong>Summer directions from West Yellowstone:</strong> Proceed west on U.S. Highway 20 for approximately 6.5 miles. Turn right on Denny Creek Road and continue approximately two miles north. The cabin is located on the right side of the road. <br><br><strong>Winter directions from West Yellowstone:</strong> Proceed west on U.S. Highway 20 for approximately 7.5 miles. Parking is available at the Buttermilk Trailhead, located approximately one mile up Highway 20 from Denny Creek Road, to the left. Guests will need to ski, snowmobile, or snowshoe one mile down Highway 20 from the Buttermilk Trailhead parking lot, and proceed along the two mile trail to the cabin. <br> <br>During the <strong>spring</strong> and <strong>fall</strong>, guests are encouraged to call the Hebgen Lake Ranger District at (406) 823-6961 for road conditions and access to the cabin. Road conditions can vary greatly. </p>

Contact Information

Phone: 406-823-6961 (FOR CABIN AND ROAD INFORMATION - NO BOOKING, ALL RESERVATIONS ARE MADE THROUGH REC.GOV)

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