By:
Submission
Eagle Guard Station is located in high grasslands and surrounded by a scattered forest in the Elkhorn Mountains in west-central Montana.
The former Eagle Creek Ranger Station was built by miner Richard Owen in 1895. While his family lived there, the area was in a booming gold rush. In 1908, the cabin was taken over by the Forest Service for administrative use. It is the oldest administrative log structure on the Helena National Forest, predating the establishment of the Forest.
Today the cabin is a rustic retreat for guests seeking relaxation and recreation. The cabin is accessible by car, but the last 4 miles are only open to foot, horseback and cross-country ski traffic from December 2nd through May 15th. Several amenities are provided, but guests should be prepared to pack in some of their own supplies and gear.
Eagle Guard Station provides guests with outstanding opportunities for photography, fishing, hunting, and hiking.
The area offers centralized access to the Elkhorn Mountains with numerous hiking trails and roads leading to the Elkhorn's historical resources. Popular hikes include those to Crow Creek Falls and Poe Park. An interpretive trail is accessible just beyond the cabin.
When snow allows, skiing gives visitors an up-close look at concentrations of wintering elk.
The entire site consists of the cabin, a woodshed, vault toilet, barn, horse corrals and a fire ring. The cabin can accommodate up to six people on three sets of bunk beds with mattresses. A wood stove provides heat and a propane camp stove can be used for cooking. The kitchen is equipped with a table and chairs, dishes, propane lantern, utensils and cookware.
An axe and snow shovel are provided. Firewood may be available, but it is not guaranteed.
There is no available potable water or electricity at this facility. Guests must bring a sufficient amount of water for drinking, cooking and washing, as well as one or two small propane canisters to use with the propane stove and lantern.
Guests need to provide their own sleeping bags, flashlights, linens, towels, dish soap, matches, first aid kit, toilet paper and garbage bags. All trash and food should be packed out, and guests should clean the cabin before leaving.
No firewood provided from June 1st - August 31.
Eagle Guard Station is situated on the southeast flanks of the Elkhorn Mountains in a beautiful open grassland setting, an outstanding location for viewing elk.
Crow Creek Falls, the largest waterfall in Helena National Forest, is located within hiking distance of the cabin and is a sanctuary for many wildlife species, including the threatened Canada lynx, the sensitive goshawk and westslope cutthroat trout.
The area offers unique opportunities for viewing wildlife in their natural habitat. Bighorn sheep, mule and white-tailed deer, black bear, moose and a variety of birds are commonly seen. The more elusive badger, wolverine and mountain lion find habitat here as well.
Historic town sites and mining areas such as Elkhorn, Hassel, Ruddville and Diamond Hill mines are nearby for guests interested in the mining history of the Elkhorns.
All mileage is approximate from the highway.
Directions to Eagle Guard Station from the intersection of highway 287 and Indian Creek Road (which is just north of the Missouri River Bridge, north of Townsend). Take the Indian Creek Road (traveling west) approximately 3.5 miles, you will pass a National Forest Access that says "Indian Creek", there will also be a sign on the left saying "Eagle Guard Station", take the left at this intersection. Stay on this road that travels through the canyon, for approximately 4.7 miles, you will come to a "Y" in the road, take the left which is the #4031 road. Stay on road 4031 for approximately 5 miles (you should pass a sign saying "Eagle Guard Station" with a straight arrow) until you come to a "T" intersection. There will be a sign that says "Radersburg/Crow Creek left" and "Eagle Guard Station right". Take a right for approziately .7 miles to the next intersection. Take the left and cabin is about .3 miles on the left.
From December 2 through May 15, the last 4 miles are not open to motorized vehicles. Access
to the cabin is by foot, ski, or horseback.
Nice cabin in the mountains. Perfect setting for a quiet get away. Contact the FS for rental info.
**driving a 2013 GMC Acadia FWD & hauling a 4x8 trailer**
I planned a 10 night stay and ended up only staying 2 nights due to the road to get to the cabin. (I traveled over 1,700 miles with NO issues until those last FIVE miles to get to the cabin)
We didn't plan on being stuck at the cabin. We wanted to site see while we were there too.
It's about 14 miles from the base of the mountain to the cabin. 9 miles in, after driving on perfectly graveled roads and only 5 miles left to go, we hit some really bad parts in the road. Large long craters in the road due to rain wash out, huge pot holes, large rocks etc.
My SUV barely made it & mind you we are also hauling a 4x8 trailer. My check engine light came on, the car was overheating severely (had to put the heat on 90 to get it to cool down and it's like 90 outside), we got stuck in one part, the car was stalling... just a bad stressful time.
I barely slept the final night because I was so scared we were going to stall going uphill, but thankfully that didn't happen.
When I called the ranger station (yes I got 1 bar in the cabin. I go thru metropcs) to ask if there was another way to get off the mountain (which there is but it's not a better route) he mentioned that people try to drive their sedans up there! He also mentioned they don't have enough money to fix the last 5 miles of the road.
My advice would be, since the government failed to add this in the description, is to not come to this particular cabin unless you have 4WD or AWD.
DO NOT come here in your Sedans or SUV with FWD. Save yourself the headache and find a different cabin.
The cabin, mountains, views, stars at night... nothing beats it. I wish they would fix the roads. This place is PERFECT.
