Montana / Beaverhead County / Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest

May Creek Cabin

Open — Open year-round for reservations via Recreation.gov. Accessible by 2-mile hike or ski from May Creek Campground. Winter access requires skiing from plowed parking area at highway. Pack in all water and pack out all garbage.

About

May Creek Cabin is a historic wood-frame structure built by miners in the early 1900s, used for about 30 years before being occupied by hunters for another three decades. After sitting unused for nearly 30 years, it was restored for public use in 1993, with additional safety and quality enhancements completed in 2011. The cabin sits at the base of the Anaconda Mountain Range at approximately 6,600 feet elevation, nestled in evergreen forest near the banks of May Creek. The one-room cabin accommodates up to four people with bunk beds and foam mattresses. It's equipped with a wood-burning stove for heat, a propane stove for cooking, a table with benches, cooking and eating utensils, axe, shovel, bucket, and cleaning gear. Firewood is provided from September 16 to June 15; guests must provide their own firewood during summer months. A vault toilet outhouse is located near the cabin. There is no electricity or running water, so visitors must bring their own water or treat water from the nearby creek. All garbage and food must be packed out. The cabin is located on the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, with access to the Nez Perce Trail and Continental Divide National Historic Trail. The surrounding area offers excellent hiking, backpacking, fishing for brook and rainbow trout in May Creek, and winter activities including cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. This is a major elk calving area with abundant wildlife including mountain lions, deer, moose, and bears. The area is non-motorized, accessible only by foot or horse in summer, and by ski or snowshoe in winter. Big Hole National Battlefield, site of the 1877 Nez Perce War, is located about nine miles east.

Directions

From Wisdom, travel west on Highway 43 for approximately 16 miles to May Creek Campground. During winter, park in the plowed parking area near the highway at the campground entrance. During summer, follow the campground road to the fence at the south end; parking is available in the meadow just west of the campground. From the campground, hike or ski south along the marked May Creek Trail. Cross a small bridge, and about a quarter-mile past the bridge, stay on the May Creek Trail at the intersection with May Creek Ridge Trail. Continue south for about 2 miles total. The cabin is located on the edge of a large meadow, in the trees, on the east side of the creek. Large blue diamond stakes mark the trail across the meadow to the cabin.

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