Thompson Guard Station

About

Thompson Guard Station is a historic Forest Service cabin nestled in a grassy clearing backed by mixed conifer forest in Montana's Big Belt Mountains. Originally built in 1954 for district rangers and possibly used earlier as a Civilian Conservation Corps cookhouse, the station now serves as a rustic getaway for visitors seeking solitude and recreation in west-central Montana. The two-room cabin is furnished with six single beds with mattresses, a Monarch cook stove, propane lanterns and stove, wood heating stove, table, chairs, and complete cookware and utensils. An outdoor vault toilet, picnic table, and campfire ring are provided, along with a fenced corral for horses. Guests must bring all drinking water, sleeping bags, linens, propane cylinders, and garbage bags, as no water, electricity, or indoor plumbing is available. Gipsy Lake is just 1 mile south and offers rainbow trout fishing and a launch for non-motorized boats. Hidden Lake, Upper Baldy Lake, and Edith Lake are 3 miles beyond. Multi-use trails provide opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. Winter visitors enjoy snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling. Wildlife including elk, mule deer, and occasionally mountain lion and lynx inhabit the surrounding area.

Directions

From White Sulphur Springs, travel west on Highway 360 for 1.6 miles. Make a sharp curve to the right off the highway at the Forest Service sign reading 'Gipsy Lake 14, Townsend 44.' Continue straight on the gravel road for 6.5 miles. At 6.5 miles, the road forks at a ranch entrance; stay right. Continue 7.5 miles to the Forest boundary. Within a quarter mile of the boundary, turn right onto Forest Road #383 at the Thompson Station sign. Take FR #383 for 0.6 miles to a sign directing you left to the cabin gate.