The Garnet Mountain Fire Lookout Cabin is a popular Forest Service rental just southwest of Bozeman in the Gallatin Canyon. Perched atop Garnet Mountain, the cabin sleeps 4 people and offers 360° views of the surrounding peaks. It is accessible via a 4.5-mile hike or, from June 16 through December 1, by motorcycle or ATV via the Rat Lake Trail. Rat Lake access is limited to vehicles under 50 inches wide.
The Views
Staying at this cabin is all about the views. You can see down the Gallatin Canyon, across to Storm Castle Peak, as well as the southern shore of Lava Lake.
Amenities
The Garnet Mountain Fire Lookout is a primitive one-room structure that sleeps four. There’s a table with four chairs and a wood-burning stove that can also be used for cooking. There is no electricity and there’s an outhouse a short walk from the front door. Recreation.gov lists basic cookware, dishes, and utensils, but do not count on a separate propane cook stove unless you verify it before your trip.
Firewood is not provided from June 1 through September 30. When firewood is provided, it is for indoor heating and cooking only. Plan to bring or gather wood for the outdoor fire ring, and check current restrictions before you rely on having a fire at all.
Things To Bring
The cabin comes with much of what you’ll need, but there’s a couple of crucial items to not be without.
Water
There is no water source near the cabin. If you’re hiking, you’ll need to bring all the water you need for your stay, as well as for the hike up and down.
This number might vary slightly depending on whether your dog is with you, you need water for cooking, or how warm the weather is while hiking, but for a one-night stay consider bringing at least 200 oz of water per person just for drinking. Plan more if you need the water for other things.
Cooking and Lighting
The listed cooking setup is the wood stove, with basic cookware, dishes, and utensils. Bring your own lighting, because flashlights or lanterns are not provided and there is no electricity.
Toilet Paper
It appears that the outhouse is not fully weatherproof. Be safe, bring your own toilet paper to the cabin.
Hatchet and Saw
Firewood is not provided in summer, and outside firewood is your responsibility year-round. Bring your hatchet and saw, or whatever you typically use to process wood when you’re camping, if you plan to gather dead and down wood where allowed.
Getting There
Garnet Mountain Trail
You’ll find the cabin at the end of the trail, detailed here.
Rat Lake Trail
A longer route to the cabin, open seasonally to motorcycles and ATVs under 50 inches wide from June 16 through December 1.
Considerations
Lightning
It appears that both the cabin and the outhouse are grounded to handle lightning strikes. Copper attached to lightning rods on the roof runs through and around the cabin and down into the earth below. Check the weather before your stay and determine if you’re comfortable staying in the cabin during a storm.
Privacy
If you don’t have the cabin rented, assume that somebody else does. If you’re hiking the trail and get to the cabin at the top, give the tenants space and consider not climbing the stairs and peering in the windows.
