| Getting Around lodging and Campgrounds |
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Getting Around, Lodging and Campgrounds TRANSPORTATION
Numerous roads and trails facilitate travel within the Madison Ranger District. More than 750 seven hundred miles of trail provide opportunities for hikers, horse folks, and motorized visitors. All trails are open to foot and horse travel. Some trails are open to motorcycles or ATVs in summer and fall and many roads become snowmobile routes in winter. However, not all trails are open to motorized use or to all types of motorized use. To prevent resource damage and violations, which can carry up to a $5,000 fine, visitors need to become familiar with travel plan regulations.
The Southwest Montana Interagency Visitor/Travel map displays the travel plan regulations on all federal and state lands in the area. These maps are available from Forest Service district offices and other federal agencies at a cost of $9.00 per map. In addition, a table listing allowed and suggested means for trail travel accompanies this brochure. Please see the Trails Index. More detailed trail descriptions of featured trails can be found in the Madison District Trails Guide included in this guide.
RENTAL CABINS
The Madison District offers nine cabins for rent on a nightly or weekly basis. The cost is $25.00 to $50.00 per night. The cabins are fully equipped with pots, pans, plates and eating utensils. There are stoves, lanterns, tables chairs and bunks.
Note to Cabin Renters: Divide Cabin is listed first here as a reminder to all cabin renters. Divide Cabin is not actually available for rent because it no longer exists. lt was burned to the ground several years ago by cabin renters who brought in their own propane lighting system. Please be careful with fire in these cabins. We are in the process of rebuilding Divide Cabin as funds and time allow. Hopefully it will soon again be available both for rental and administrative use.
Divide Cabin, open to rent in the summer, fall, and winter, is perched on the Centennial Divide in the Ruby Valley 45 miles south of Alder, Montana. Highway vehicle access is impossible in winter and unlikely until late spring, but a snowmobile can get you there in the cold months. This cabin sleeps four.
Black Butte Cabin, open to rent in the summer, fall, or winter, sits near the top of the Gravelly Range. Constructed in 1919, the cabin served as an outpost for the old Lyon's Ranger District, primarily as a seasonal residence for range managers who administered sheep grazing in the area. Accessible only by snowmobile in the winter, Black Butte provides an outstanding base for winter recreation. This cabin bunks four.
Wall Creek Cabin, available for rent from May 16 through December 1, is adjacent to the Wall Creek Game Management Area in the Gravelly Range. Built circa 1930 as crew quarters for the Wall Creek Ranger District, the cabin can easily accommodate four but has plenty of floor space for more.
Bear Creek Cabin(s), open to rent in late fall and winter, sits on the boundary of the Lee Metcalf Wilderness. Built in 1935, this cabin once served as the year-round residence of the ranger of the Bear Creek District and his family. Bear Creek now houses seasonal Forest Service wilderness and trail crews in the summer and early fall. The main cabin has bunks for four, while the small cabin can sleep two. Bear Creek and Vigilante are the only rental facility with electricity.
Antone Cabin, open to rent in the summer, fall, and winter, lies 34 miles southeast of Dillon, Montana, at the southern end of the Snowcrest Range. Depending on the snow conditions, a snowmobile or ski trip may be necessary to reach the cabin in winter and spring. There are bunks for four.
The Notch Cabin, open to rent in the summer and fall, sits high in the Snowcrest Range. Vehicle access is by 4-wheel drive road and is difficult under wet or snowy conditions. The cabin may also be reached on foot or horseback from trails in the Ruby Valley. There are just two bunks in this tiny building.
Vigilante Middle House, is one of the buildings at the Vigilante Station. Vigilante Station was constructed in 1925 as a Range Experiment Station. Vigilante Station continues to serve as a base of operations for seasonal employees and volunteers working in the Upper Ruby River drainage. The Middle House is a four room frame house that has beds for six and is available for rent all year. The Middle House has electric lights and an electric range for cooking and wood heat. During the summer months there is running water but the rest of the year the water has to be turned off to prevent freezing. Road access is good during spring summer and fall but in winter the plowed road ends about a mile from Vigilante Station.
Landon Station, built in 1930, is a one-room frame cabin on the West Fork of the Madison River. The cabin sleeps two on the ground floor and has two additional bunks in the attic. The cabin has wood heat and a propane cook stove and lights. Through the spring, summer and fall the cabin is used by riders for the West Fork Grazing Association and is only available for renters from October 15 to March 30 each year. Access by 4-wheel drive road is usually possible in October and early November although it may be difficult in wet or snowy conditions. In years when snow comes early, late fall access may be possible only by snowmobile as is the case all winter.
West Fork Cabin is high in the Gravelly Range Mountains near the head of the West Fork of the Madison River at an elevation of over 8000 feet. The cabin has beds for three and a propane cook stove and lights and wood heat. The cabin is available for rent July 2 through March 31. There is road access in the summer and early fall. In winter access is over snow by snowmobile or ski touring.
RESORTS
Three resorts in the Gravelly Range operate on the district under special use permits to provide recreation services to the public.
West Fork Cabin Camp, right on the Madison River about 35 miles south of Ennis, provides lodging, trailer hook-ups, and camping. Call (406) 682-4802 for more information.
Wade Lake Resort, on Wade Lake, offers cabin and boat rentals. The resort stays open in the winter serving cross-country skiers with groomed trails and a set track. Call (406) 682-7560 for more information.
Elk Lake Resort, on Elk Lake, also offers cabin and boat rentals as well as a restaurant and bar. In winter the resort is a favorite stop for snowmobilers. Call 406-276-3282 for more information.
CAMPING
Camping is allowed everywhere on the district, unless posted as closed. However, motorized access to camp spots must follow the existing travel plan regulations. There is a 16 day stay limit. There are twelve developed campgrounds located on the district.
WADE LAKE, CLIFF POINT, AND HILLTOP CAMPGROUNDS
These three campgrounds are found in the popular Cliff and Wade Lakes area. To reach Cliff and Wade Lakes follow US Highway 287 about 40 miles south of Ennis. Turn right at the sign for Cliff and Wade Lakes and follow the gravel road about seven miles to the lakes. All three campgrounds are managed by a concessionaire who operates the facilities under a Forest Service Permit.
During the operating season (generally May 15 through September 15), a $7.00 per night fee is charged per campsite at Cliff Point and Hilltop, and $8.00 per night is charged at Wade Lake. There is no charge the rest of the year and the public is welcome at the campgrounds on a pack it in pack it out basis. Water and garbage services are only provided during the fee season. The interpretive trail detailed elsewhere in this brochure runs 0.7 miles between Hilltop and Wade Lake Campgrounds.
Wade Lake - This campground was recently upgraded with large parking spurs and facilities to accommodate modem recreation vehicles and camp trailers. The lake offers good fishing and a boat ramp provides access. A no wake restriction is enforced. There are 29 camping sites with picnic tables and fire grates. Several handicapped accessible toilets are located throughout the campground.
Cliff Point - Situated near the north shore of Cliff Lake, the campground provides spectacular views across the lake. The vehicle spurs are small, limiting the size of vehicles and trailers that can use the campground. There are six sites, each with picnic table and fire grate as well as a toilet facility on site. Hilltop - On a hill above the lakes and shaded by old growth Douglas-fir, this campground proves suitable for RV and trailer use. Eighteen camping units with picnic tables and fire grates as well as four toilets serve the area.
WEST FORK OF THE MADISON, MADISON AND RIVERVIEW CAMPGROUNDS
These three campgrounds are situated one mile apart and bear the names of the rivers on whose shores they sit. All are maintained by a concessionaire under a special use permit with the Forest Service. From approximately May 15 through September 1, a charge of $7.00 per unit per night at the West Fork and $8.00 per night at Madison and Riverview is enforced. The area may be used free of charge for the rest of the year, but no services (water, garbage hauling, toilet maintenance) are provided. Follow US Highway 287 about 35 miles south from Ennis. The campgrounds are located just past the highway rest area on the west side of the river.
West Fork - Located on the banks of the Madison's biggest tributary, the West Fork of the Madison, and shaded in spruce trees, this campground offers excellent fishing for brown, cutthroat, and rainbow trout. These seven campsites all have picnic tables and fire grates, but the parking spurs were designed to accommodate single vehicles only and are too narrow for RVs or large camp trailers.
Madison and Riverview - As close as 150 yards from the Madison River these campgrounds beckon visitors to fish one of the most famous trout streams in the country. There are limits on size, number of fish, bait, and catch and release on different sections of the river, so know the regulations before fishing. Ten sites are located on the banks of the river, while 24 sites are perched on the hills above the river to the west. There are picnic tables and fire grates at each site. The parking spurs here are big enough to accommodate RVs and trailers. The toilets at both of these campgrounds are handicapped accessible.
BEAR CREEK CAMPGROUND (No fee charged)
Located at the base of the Madison Range, this campground, adjacent to the trailhead for trails up bear Creek to Sphinx Mountain, Middle Fork Bear Creek and on into Indian Creek, and North Fork Bear Creek, offers opportunities to explore the Lee Metcalf Wilderness. Follow US Highway 287 south eleven miles from Ennis to Cameron. Tum left in Cameron at the sign for Bear Creek Campground. Follow the pavement and then gravel roads nine miles east and south, making a left at the Cameron Community Center and following the sign for Bear Creek Campground. Be careful not to turn off at signs for the Bear Creek Wildlife Management Area.
The 12 units have no picnic tables or fire grates, but there are two vault toilets and drinking water available during summer and fall. Campers pay no fee, but must pack out all garbage they pack in. The parking spurs accommodate large trailers and campers. Hitch rails are - available for holding stock. There are two stock panel corrals available on a first come first served basis. POTOSI CAMPGROUND (No fees charged)
This well shaded, free use campground lies on the banks 0f South Willow Creek in the Tobacco Root Mountains. Follow US Highway 287 north from Ennis to Harrison. Turn left at Harrison and drive five miles down the road to Pony. Just before Pony make a left at the sign for South Willow Creek. Follow the South Willow Creek Road eight miles to the campground. The 15 camping units at Potosi all have picnic tables and fire grates. Six toilets serve the campground and two hand pumps provide drinking water, however, all garbage must be packed out.
MILL CREEK, BALANCED ROCK, AND BRANHAM LAKES CAMPGROUNDS (No fees charged)
Located along Mill Creek in the Tobacco Roots outside of Sheridan, these campgrounds rest among high crags and clear streams. Trailer travel is not recommended on the road past the Mill Creek Campground. None of the campgrounds provide garbage service so you must pack out all you pack in. All three campgrounds have vault toilets. From Ennis, follow Montana Route 287 west to Sheridan, making a right in town onto the Mill Creek Road.
Mill Creek - Seven miles east of Sheridan up the Mill Creek Road this site offers nine camp spots with picnic tables and fire grates. Drinking water is supplied by two hand pumps.
Balanced Rock - These two campsites ten miles up the Mill Creek Road from Sheridan have picnic tables and fire grates but no potable drinking water.
Branham Lakes - This remote, high elevation campground lies on the shores of glacially formed Upper Branham Lake, 13 miles up the twisting Mill Creek Road from Sheridan. The ten sites offer picnic tables and fire grates as well as drinking water supplied by a hand pump.
COTTONWOOD CAMPGROUND No fees charged)
Located 36 miles southeast of Alder on the Ruby River, this campground offers fishing as well as access to the Gravelly and Snowcrest Ranges. The ten sites have picnic tables and fire grates and space for trailers, but no potable drinking water. There is no garbage collection so you must pack out all you pack in. From Ennis, follow Montana Route 287 west to Alder. Turn left towards the Ruby Reservoir, continuing up the Upper Ruby Road to the campground.
DISPERSED CAMPING
In addition to these developed campsites, several places on the district offer dispersed camping and toilet facilities. The 16 day stay limit applies to dispersed camping. On the Gravelly Range Road, two sites, Clover Meadows and West Fork Rest Area, have a picnic table, fire ring, and toilet. Other sites in the Gravellies along the West Fork Road at Lake Creek, Jackpine, and Miller Flats offer toilets but no other facilities. At the south end of the Gravellies two sites on Elk Lake and one at the end of the road near Hidden Lake offer toilets but no other facilities.
Antone Trailhead, at the extreme south west corner of the Snowcrest Range, also has parking, a toilet and hitch rails and is the starting point for the south end of the Snowcrest Trail.
In the Tobacco Roots, Sureshot Lakes and Bell Lake trailhead offer good dispersed camp sites with toilets. North Willow Creek Trailhead has a vault toilet, hitch rails, picnic table, and fire ring with space for a few vehicles to park and camp.
There is no charge for dispersed camping. Your efforts in leaving a clean camp is all the payment required (please see Leave No Trace section for tips on minimum impact camping).
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