USDA Forest Service · Montana
Mystic Lake Cabin
USDA Forest Service · Montana, United States
- Sites
- 1
- Hookups
- 1 no hookups
- Season
- Year-round
- Drinking water
- No
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Elevation
- 6,385 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile none · AT&T none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Lake
- Custer Gallatin National Forest
- Address
- MT
- Phone
- 406-522-2520
- Activities
- Camping, Cross Country Skiing, Fishing, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Hunting, Mountain Biking, Wildlife Viewing
1 numbered sites are mapped one by one - the site map below shows each with its facts and pictures.
Site map
1 numbered sites are mapped one by one on the imagery, with the operator's own facts and pictures for each site where it publishes them. Tap a site to rate it, keep a note and add your own photos; press and hold the map for a pin of your own. Your ratings, notes, pins and photos are kept with the campground on your Saved list, the same list the camping map and the drive page keep.
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About
Overview
Mystic Lake Cabin was built in 1930 and is currently open year-round. It provides access to a variety of recreational activities, including fishing, hunting and exploration of numerous trails.
The cabin is located in a non-motorized area. Guests must be prepared to hike, horseback ride or mountain bike to get there in the summer, and winter access is by cross-country skis or snowshoes.
Guests are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.
Recreation
New World Gulch Trail and Bozeman Creek Trail are just a couple of the multi-use trails in the area for hikers, equestrians, mountain bikers, skiers and snowshoers.
The Mystic Lake Loop is popular with mountain bikers.
Anglers can fish for brook, rainbow and cutthroat trout in Mystic Lake. Hunting opportunities are good in the fall.
Facilities
The cabin has bunk beds with mattresses to sleep up to four people. A wood-burning cook stove also heats the cabin. Other amenities include a table with chairs, basic cookware, dishes and tableware. Firewood is supplied for the stove.
Outside is a campfire ring and a corral for up to two horses. An outhouse is equipped with a vault toilet.
No electricity or water is available at the cabin. Guests need to bring their own supply of drinking water, as well as items such as fire starters (matches and newspaper), flashlights or lanterns, bedding, extra toilet paper, first aid supplies and dish soap, which are also not provided
The cabin will need to be cleaned and all trash removed prior to leaving.
Natural Features
The cabin is tucked into a stand of pines near the southeastern shore of Mystic Lake, at an elevation of about 6,400 feet.
The landscape surrounding Mystic Lake includes meadows that fill with wildflowers in the summer, as well as evergreen forest and the peaks of the Gallatin Range.
Visitors may spot one of the resident black or grizzly bears, moose, elk or mule deer. Several bird species also inhabit the area.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 12° | -22° | 42° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 28° | 12° | -21° | 45° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 37° | 17° | 3° | 56° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 41° | 25° | -2° | 60° | 11 of 11 |
| May | 51° | 31° | 10° | 63° | 11 of 11 |
| June | 64° | 43° | 28° | 86° | 4 of 11 |
| July | 77° | 50° | 38° | 91° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 76° | 49° | 41° | 86° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 66° | 42° | 24° | 80° | 2 of 11 |
| October | 50° | 30° | 4° | 70° | 9 of 10 |
| November | 38° | 19° | -15° | 59° | 9 of 10 |
| December | 29° | 13° | -7° | 43° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Trails nearby
- Lick Creek Trailhead · 4.2 mi as the crow flies
Lower Wildhorse Lick 4.5 mi Hike · Drive there - Moser Creek Trailhead · 4.5 mi as the crow flies
Diaper Line 4.3 mi Hike, South Diaper Line 3.0 mi Hike, Moser Creek 1.5 mi Hike · Drive there - Palisade Falls Trailhead · 5.1 mi as the crow flies
Palisade Mountain Foothills 1.1 mi Hike, Palisade Falls 0.6 mi Hike · Drive there - Goose Creek Trailhead · 5.6 mi as the crow flies
Goose Creek 1.9 mi Hike · Drive there - Sourdough/Bozeman Creek Trailhead · 6.3 mi as the crow flies
Bozeman Creek 10 mi Hike · Drive there
All 817 trails in Custer Gallatin National Forest
Trailheads the Park Service and the Forest Service map, within 10 miles as the crow flies; each trail's page has its length, climbing and the Service's description.
Nearby campgrounds
- Trail Creek Cabin · USDA Forest Service · 5 mi · 1 sites
- Hood Creek Campground · USDA Forest Service · 5 mi · 26 sites
- Maxey Cabin · USDA Forest Service · 5 mi · 1 sites
- Langohr Campground · USDA Forest Service · 5 mi · 20 sites
- Hyalite Below Dam Camping · USDA Forest Service · 5 mi
All public campgrounds in Montana · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-03-03. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.