Indian Flats Cabin

A small stream runs in front of Indian Flats Cabin, and mixed conifer forest stands behind it. The single-room cabin sits in a hollow of old-growth trees about 40 miles northeast of Helena, in the Big Belt Mountains of west-central Montana. Within a mile of it, Hogback Mountain rises to 7,813 feet. The Helena Ranger District of the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest rents the cabin at $45 a night. Guests let themselves in by a combination lock whose numbers arrive with the reservation.

Inside are two sets of bunk beds with mattresses for up to four people, a table and four chairs, and cabinets and drawers. A wood stove heats the room and a propane stove cooks. The Forest Service leaves a lantern, dishes, silverware, pots and pans, cleaning supplies, an axe and a snow shovel. Firewood may be on hand but is not guaranteed, and none is supplied from June 1 through August 31. There is no electricity, no water and no indoor plumbing. An outhouse with a vault toilet stands nearby.

Recreation.gov tells guests to bring all the water they need for drinking, cooking and washing. The Forest Service’s own page allows that water from local sources may be treated or boiled instead. Guests also bring small propane cylinders for the lantern and stove, sleeping bags, flashlights, matches and toilet paper. They carry out all trash and food. No smoking is allowed in the cabin.

The road up Burnt Gulch

The way in leaves Helena east on Highway 280. Several miles past the Missouri River it reaches the small community of York. At the York Bar it turns left, and five miles on, at the smaller community of Nelson, it turns right onto Forest Service Road #138. The road follows Beaver Creek, climbs a series of switchbacks up Burnt Gulch, passes Pikes Gulch Campground, and comes to the junction of the Hogback Lookout and Indian Flats roads. The left fork runs about half a mile farther to the cabin, which stands on the right.

In summer and fall, passenger cars can usually drive to the door. The site lies at higher elevation, and most years no vehicle reaches it before June 1. In winter the last 8 miles are covered by ski, snowshoe or snowmobile.

On May 1, 2025, the Forest Service posted that there was no vehicle access yet. It said the big drift before Indian Flats meadows would likely be passable after mid-May. After a windstorm in December 2025, the forest listed Indian Flats Cabin among the sites where numerous trees lay across trails and roads and weakened trees might still come down. Volunteer groups were helping to restore access. The alert, which began December 17, 2025, carried no end date.

A lookout and a cold canyon

An active fire lookout sits at the top of Hogback Mountain. It can be reached by passenger vehicle and is staffed by Forest Service personnel from mid-June through September. A short walk from the lookout opens a view into Beaver Creek Canyon.

Nearby, a hike through Refrigerator Canyon follows a passage 10 feet wide and 200 feet high, cut through limestone by a small mountain stream. Breezes over the water and between the rock walls cool it by evaporation, so the canyon runs 20 degrees cooler than the country around it.

Elk, deer, squirrels and a variety of birds are commonly seen. Badger, wolverine, mountain lion and lynx find habitat in nearby areas. The Gates of the Mountains Wilderness and the Missouri River are a short drive away. Recreation.gov also lists the cabin as Hogback Mountain Cabin, Hogback Lookout Cabin and Indian Meadows Cabin.

Conway Station on Rock Creek

The cabin began somewhere else, under another name. Its predecessor was Conway Station, on Rock Creek in the Jim Ball Basin. The Forest Service’s page says the original station probably predates the Forest Service itself. It served as a way-station for rangers headquartered at the Checkerboard Ranger Station above Nelson.

In 1944 the present cabin was built on the same ground, replacing the first Conway Station, and rangers used it while on duty in the area. In 1969 it was moved to its present place below Indian Flats, where the Forest Service still calls it the Indian Flats Guard Station. In 1992 and 1993 it was remodeled for use in the Forest Service rental program.