Pole Creek Cabin

About

Pole Creek Cabin is a historic Forest Service rental cabin located at 8,200 feet elevation in the Bighorn National Forest, approximately 22 miles west of Buffalo, Wyoming. Originally built in the mid-1950s by the E-La-Ka-Wee Boy Scouts as a summer camp retreat, the cabin was refurbished in the early 1990s and converted into a winter warming hut for skiers and snowmobilers. The cabin is uniquely positioned along both a winter snowmobile trail and within the Pole Creek Cross Country Ski Area trail system. The two-room cabin features twin bunk beds sleeping up to four people, a wood stove for heating (with instructions posted), a kitchen area with cabinets, counter, table, and chairs, plus a Coleman lantern (fuel not provided). Outside you'll find a fire ring and picnic table. A vault toilet is located near the cabin. No potable water, electricity, or trash service is provided, so renters must bring their own water supply and pack out all trash. The cabin is surrounded by lodgepole pine forest and sits at the edge of a meadow where moose and other wildlife are frequently spotted. Spring brings wildflowers, while fall makes it an ideal hunting camp. A short drive away, visitors can tour scenic Crazy Woman Canyon or fish at Tie Hack Reservoir. The town of Buffalo is about 30 minutes away for supplies and amenities.

Directions

From Buffalo, Wyoming, take Highway 16 west 22 miles. Turn right on Forest System Road (FSR) 456 and travel approximately 1 mile to a large open meadow. The cabin is situated on the west side of the road, back in the trees about 50 yards and can be hard to spot from FSR 456. Park vehicles along the timber edge in front of the buck-and-rail fence. Winter access: from the Nordic Ski area parking lot at FSR 473 and Highway 16, accessible only by cross-country skis or snowmobiles.