The Long Way
Madison County
A rustic log cabin nestled in a forest.
Plate I. Exterior of Notch Cabin. From recreation.gov
A rustic log cabin stands in a clearing surrounded by a dense evergreen forest.
Plate II. Exterior of Notch Cabin. From recreation.gov
A cabin sits in a green meadow surrounded by tall pine trees.
Plate III. Notch Cabin in a forest meadow. From recreation.gov
A dirt road winds through a grassy landscape with mountains in the distance.
Plate IV. Surrounding landscape near Notch Cabin. From recreation.gov
The interior of a rustic wooden cabin with a bunk bed, table, and wood stove.
Plate V. Interior of Notch Cabin. From recreation.gov
An interior view of a rustic log cabin showing bunk beds, a cabinet, a table, and chairs.
Plate VI. Interior of Notch Cabin. From recreation.gov

Notch Cabin

Ennis, Madison County, Montana. Cabin Nonelectric; July 1 - November.

Details

Map. Ennis, Madison County, Montana. Larger map
Where
5 FOREST SERVICE RD, Ennis, MT 59729. Directions
Getting there
About 62 miles from Ennis, Montana; final 28 miles gravel, dirt or primitive two-track. From Ennis take Montana Highway 287 west 23 miles to Alder, then south on County 248 21 miles, right on Ledford Creek Road (County 50) southwest 3 miles to signed junction.
Access
A high clearance 4 wheel drive vehicle is necessary to reach the cabin; the natural surface road has many large rocks jutting out and becomes nearly impassable when wet; driving off the designated road is prohibited; there is a 6 day maximum stay rule within a rolling 30 day period.
Walk-in or reserve
Reservation required; key code provided with reservation receipt.
Phone
406-682-4253
Managed by
Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.
Established
2024 - 2026 (replacement built after original 2019 burn).
Coordinates
44.8822111, -112.1372306.

Notch Cabin is located in a remote part of southwestern Montana, within proposed wilderness, and is open from July 1 through November. It is somewhat difficult to access, but worth the trouble for outdoor enthusiasts.

Notable Events

  1. 2019The original cabin burned to the ground in 2019. recreation.gov
  2. 2023The Forest Service proposed the Notch project to rebuild the rental cabin that burned down in the fall of 2019. fs.usda.gov
  3. 2024A replacement, following the design of the original cabin, was built by Forest Service crews in the summers of 2024 - 2026. recreation.gov
  4. 2024The register record as archived in July 2024 stated that construction of the new cabin would occur in the summer of 2024. web.archive.org

Sources

  1. recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234321
  2. recreation.gov/api/camps/campgrounds/234321
  3. fs.usda.gov/r01/beaverhead-deerlodge/projects/64605
  4. fs.usda.gov/r01/beaverhead-deerlodge/projects/64605
  5. web.archive.org/web/20240719145953id_/https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234321