Windy Pass Cabin

Yellowstone

Windy Pass Cabin

Yellowstone

About this campsite

Overview

Windy Pass Cabin was built in 1934. It provides a rustic mountain retreat with few amenities, so guests need to bring most of their own supplies and gear to make their experience comfortable and enjoyable. The cabin is available from June 16th through October 14th each year. It is accessible via a 2.5-mile hike or horseback ride up the Windy Pass Trail with an elevation gain of 1,300 feet.

Recreation

The Windy Pass Trail passes by the cabin and takes hikers and equestrians along the ridge and down through the Gallatin Range. Several other trails crisscross the area, including the Gallatin Crest Trail. Hunting in designated areas is also a popular activity.

Facilities

The cabin sleeps four people with a set of bunk beds with mattresses downstairs and two beds in the loft. A wood-burning stove provides heat. A table with chairs, cookware and utensils are available. A horse corral and outhouse with vault toilet are located outside. Drinking water, electricity and firewood are not provided. A spring fed stream runs close to the cabin in spring and summer but may dry up in the fall, another stream flows more reliably 500ft. south of the cabin. All found water sources should be treated prior to human consumption. Trash bags are needed for packing out garbage, and guests are expected to clean the cabin before leaving. A cook stove is not provided. Visitors should bring items such as bedding, flashlights or lanterns, matches and extra toilet paper.

Natural Features

Windy Pass Cabin is located near the Gallatin Crest at approximately 8,900 feet in the Gallatin Mountains. A small stream flows just below it. High alpine meadows dotted with evergreens surround the cabin and fill with colorful wildflowers in July. A short walk to the top of the Gallatin Crest offers views of the distant snow-dusted peaks of the Absarokas and the Yellowstone River to the east and the Madison Range to the west. Grizzly bear, gray wolf, mountain lion, deer, elk, moose, bighorn sheep and the Canada lynx are some of the wildlife that inhabit this area. Birders may see a wide variety of bird species.

Location

WINDY PASS CABIN•MT

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Weather Forecast

via Open-Meteo

TODAY☀️

17° / 5°

💧 5%

TUE☁️

15° / 5°

💧 1%

WED🌤️

18° / 3°

—

THU☁️

17° / 3°

—

FRI☁️

16° / 2°

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Nearby Campsites

within 50km

11.0 km away

MOOSE CREEK GROUP SITE

Overview Moose Creek Group Site is located in the scenic Gallatin Canyon on the Bozeman Ranger District of the Gallatin National Forest of Montana. It is 32 miles south of Bozeman. The surrounding area offers many outdoor recreational opportunities, including fishing, rafting, hiking and viewing local wildlife. Recreation Great opportunities for hiking, fishing, scenic driving and wildlife viewing are available around the campground. Anglers cast for rainbow, brown, brook and cutthroat trout, whitefish and Arctic grayling on the Gallatin River. Rafting and kayaking are popular activities as well. Many trails can be found in Gallatin Canyon. The Swan Creek Trail begins at nearby Swan Creek Campground. Golden Trout Lakes Trail begins about 15 minutes away up Portal Creek Road, three miles south of the campground. Facilities Moose Creek is available for group picnicking or camping and can accommodate up to 90 people. Picnic tables and campfire rings are provided, as are vault toilets. Drinking water and trash collection are not available at the campground. Natural Features The group site sits next to the Gallatin River and Moose Creek, just off Highway 191, at an elevation of 5,700 feet. The site is partly surrounded by pine and fir trees. A variety of wildlife makes its home in this scenic canyon. Visitors can often glimpse bald eagles, bighorn sheep, moose, elk, mountain goats, deer and coyotes. Black and grizzly bears also live in the canyon. Contact Info For facility specific information, please call (661) 702-1420.

11.6 km away

MOOSE CREEK FLAT CAMPGROUND

Overview Moose Creek Flat Campground is located in scenic Gallatin Canyon on the Bozeman Ranger District of the Gallatin National Forest, in Montana. It is 32 miles south of Bozeman. The surrounding area offers many outdoor recreational opportunities, including fishing, rafting, hiking and viewing local wildlife. Recreation The surrounding area provides great opportunities for hiking, fishing, scenic driving and wildlife viewing. Anglers cast for rainbow, brown, brook and cutthroat trout, whitefish and Arctic grayling on the Gallatin River. An accessible fishing dock is located at the river's edge. Rafting and kayaking are popular activities as well. Many trails can be found in Gallatin Canyon. The Swan Creek Trail begins at nearby Swan Creek Campground. Golden Trout Lakes Trail begins about 15 minutes away up Portal Creek Road, three miles south of the campground. Facilities This fully accessible campground offers several single-family campsites, each equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring. A GROUP PICNIC AREA (SITE 14) for DAY USE ONLY equipped with 3 standard size picnic tables is also available and can accommodate up to 50 people. Vault toilets, drinking water and trash collection are provided. Roads within the campground are paved, but the parking spurs are gravel. Natural Features The campground sits next to the Gallatin River near Moose Creek, just off Highway 191, at an elevation of 5,700 feet. A forest of pine and fir trees covers the surrounding mountainsides, but the campground itself lies in an open meadow. A variety of wildlife makes its home in this scenic canyon. Visitors can often catch a glimpse of bald eagles, bighorn sheep, moose, elk, mountain goats, deer and coyotes. Black and grizzly bears also live in the canyon. Contact Info For facility specific information, please call (661) 702-1420.

13.0 km away

SWAN CREEK CAMPGROUND

Overview Swan Creek Campground is located in the scenic Gallatin Canyon, on the Bozeman Ranger District of the Gallatin National Forest, in southwestern Montana. It is 31 miles south of Bozeman. The surrounding area offers many outdoor recreational opportunities, including fishing, rafting, hiking and viewing local wildlife. Recreation Great opportunities for hiking, fishing, scenic driving and wildlife viewing are available in the area surrounding the campground. Anglers cast for rainbow, brown, brook and cutthroat trout, whitefish and Arctic grayling on the Gallatin River. Rafting and kayaking are popular activities as well. Many trails can be found in Gallatin Canyon. The Swan Creek Trail begins within the campground. Golden Trout Lakes Trail begins up nearby Portal Creek Road, five miles south of the campground. Facilities The campground offers single-family campsites. Vault toilets, drinking water and trash collection are provided. Roads within the campground are paved, but parking spurs are gravel. Firewood is available at Greek Creek Campground for $8.00 per bundle. Natural Features The campground sits next to scenic Swan Creek, a tributary of the Gallatin River. It is just off Highway 191, at an elevation of 5,800 feet. A beautiful, dense forest of spruce and fir trees covers the campground. A variety of wildlife makes its home in this scenic canyon. Visitors can often glimpse bald eagles, bighorn sheep, moose, elk, mountain goats, deer and coyotes. Black bears and grizzly bears also live in the canyon. Contact Info For facility specific information, please call (661) 702-1420.

14.3 km away

GREEK CREEK CAMPGROUND

Overview Greek Creek Campground is located in scenic Gallatin Canyon, in the Bozeman Ranger District of the Gallatin National Forest. It is 30 miles south of the city of Bozeman, Montana. The surrounding area offers many outdoor recreational opportunities, including fishing, rafting, hiking and viewing local wildlife. Recreation Great opportunities for hiking, fishing, scenic driving and wildlife viewing are available around the campground. Anglers cast for rainbow, brown, brook and cutthroat trout, whitefish and Arctic grayling on the Gallatin River. Rafting and kayaking are popular activities as well. Many trails can be found in Gallatin Canyon. The Swan Creek Trail begins at nearby Swan Creek Campground. Golden Trout Lakes Trail begins near the Portal Creek Road, about six miles south of the campground. Facilities The campground offers single-family campsites, each equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring. Vault toilets, drinking water and trash collection are provided. Roads within the campground are paved, while parking spurs are gravel. Natural Features The campground sits just off Highway 191 at an elevation of 5,600 feet. A beautiful forest of spruce, fir and cottonwood trees covers most of the campground. A variety of wildlife makes its home in this scenic canyon. Visitors can often glimpse bald eagles, bighorn sheep, moose, elk, mountain goats, deer and coyote. Black and grizzly bears also live in the canyon. Contact Info For facility specific information, please call (661) 702-1420.

14.7 km away

BIG CREEK CABIN

Overview The original Big Creek Cabin was built in 1907 and it still stands on this site. The current cabin, a former guard station, was completed in 1925 and sits right next to the original. Big Creek Cabin is the largest cabin in the Yellowstone District, a 28-by-40 log structure with five rooms and two porches. It offers rustic accommodations with limited amenities. Guests will need to bring much of their own gear and supplies. The cabin is accessible by vehicle when there's no snow, however, four-wheel drive is strongly recommended. In the winter, skis or snowshoes are required to cover the half-mile to the cabin from the plowed road. Guests are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety. Recreation A trailhead is located near the cabin that leads to three different trails for hikers and equestrians. One of these trails heads into the Gallatin Range. Good trout fishing is available in Big Creek. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are popular winter pastimes. Facilities The cabin is furnished with tables, chairs and enough beds with mattresses to accommodate 11 people (most are bunk beds). A propane lantern, wood cook stove and wood heat stove are also provided. FIREWOOD IS NOT AVAILABLE FROM JUNE 1ST TO SEPTEMBER 30TH. PLEASE BRING FIREWOOD OR GATHER FROM FOREST DURING SUMMER. DO NOT BURN PROVIDED FIREWOOD FOR OUTDOOR FIRES, EVER, AS IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO REPLACE. Firewood is available during winter months as long as supplies last. An axe and a splitting maul should be available. A mop and bucket are provided for cleaning the cabin. A corral is located across from the cabin, with room for six stock animals. A campfire ring and outhouse with vault toilet are just outside. Water and electricity are not available. Guests will need to bring their own water supply. Propane fuel for the lantern and cookstove is not provided, so it may be necessary to bring extra propane or battery-operated lanterns or flashlights. Garbage bags are needed to pack out trash. For a comfortable stay, guests should bring a propane canister for the lantern, flashlight, bedding, cookware, dishes, utensils, newspaper, garbage bags, matches, toilet paper and first aid kit. Guests are expected to pack out all trash and clean the cabin and the stock corral (if used) before leaving. Natural Features Big Creek Cabin is located in an area known as Paradise Valley, where the peaks of the Gallatin Range fracture the western sky and the Absarokas rise to the east. The cabin sits in a flat clearing surrounded by spruce and fir trees at an elevation of 5,800 feet. Big Creek flows about 50 feet from the back porch. Bears, elk, deer and moose are frequently seen in the vicinity.