Montana / Gallatin County / Custer Gallatin National Forest / Hyalite-Porcupine-Buffalo Horn Wilderness Study Area

Windy Pass Cabin

Closed — Closed for the season. Open annually from June 16 through October 14. Reservations available through Recreation.gov.

About

Windy Pass Cabin sits at approximately 8,900 feet near the Gallatin Crest in the Gallatin Mountains, offering a primitive mountain retreat built in 1934. The cabin accommodates up to 4 people and features a loft, but provides minimal amenities requiring guests to bring most of their own supplies and gear. Access requires a 2.5-mile hike or horseback ride from the Windy Pass/Upper Portal Creek Trailhead with an elevation gain of 1,300 feet, traveling Trail 82 to the junction with Windy Pass Trail 420. The cabin is surrounded by high alpine meadows dotted with evergreens that fill with colorful wildflowers in July. A small stream flows just below the cabin, and a short walk to the top of the Gallatin Crest provides views of distant snow-dusted peaks of the Absarokas and Yellowstone River to the east and the Madison Range to the west. A corral with capacity for 4 horses is available, with water accessible from the creek next to the corral and a small spring. The Windy Pass Trail passes by the cabin and continues along the ridge through the Gallatin Range, connecting to the Gallatin Crest Trail and other trails in the area. Wildlife in the region includes grizzly bear, gray wolf, mountain lion, deer, elk, moose, bighorn sheep, and Canada lynx. The area is also popular for hunting in designated areas and offers opportunities for birding.

Directions

From Bozeman, drive west towards Four Corners, then south on US Highway 191 for about 35 miles. Turn left onto Portal Creek Road (FS 984) and travel 3.5 miles to the FS Road 6959 and FS Road 984 junction. Take the right fork and stay on FS Road 984 toward Upper Portal Creek/Windy Pass Trailhead for 5.3 miles, staying left past the junction with FS Road 2686. From the trailhead, hike Trail 82 for 2.5 miles to the junction with Windy Pass Trail 420, turn left and hike about 0.25 miles to the cabin. Total elevation gain: 1,300 feet. Trails 82, 96, 420, and the area around the cabin are closed to all motor vehicles year-round.

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