Indian Flats Cabin

My wife and I stayed here. Great place to get away from it all! Was a cold and wet for most of our stay but the cabin kept us warm and dry. The last half mile or so of the road is pretty washed out so be careful.

Our experience at Indian Flats was great. We were able to drive to the first switchback and snowmobiled the rest of the way. We arrived at dusk and immediately built a roaring fire. The stove in the cabin works well and heated up the tiny space quickly. The cabin is small and cozy. Well stocked with dishes and cooking equipment.The propane cook stove worked well. We cleaned up the cabin as previous users had left candles that were burned down, empty Gatorade bottles, and empty propane canisters. Once we tidied up, the cabin left larger. During our time there, we shoveled out the picnic table area, wiped down all the surfaces and the cookstove. We also emptied the stove for the next guests. While there were signs of mice; we did not see any. The trap that was set under the bunk was empty.
We had plenty of snow and great weather for exploring. We rode down the road to the junction of Trout Creek and he Vigilante campground trail. We also braved the wind and rode to the top of Hogback. We had a great three and half days at Indian Flats. We will visit this cabin again during the summer to enjoy the wildflowers and mountain biking.
Thank you USFS for the cabin rental program.

Cozy cabin in a beautiful area. Lots of hiking opportunities. Highly recommend Trout Creek Canyon.

As ususal, the cabin and grounds were tidy and welcoming. I did the hike to Vigilante campground, and loved it. However, the flies were the worst I've ever experienced outside (my 3rd time coming to the cabin). If you sat to read by the campfire ring, or even half way down the drive, you'd have 8+ flies on you immediately. I left two days early since sitting outside and reading in the quiet is a primary reason for getting a cabin.

Beautiful location, the wildflowers were incredible to observe on our hikes. Having the creek nearby was awesome so we could filter all our water for eating and drinking and fill the solar shower for a refreshing shower after hiking. The set-up was perfect for two people and the dog. We have a camp tote we travel with so didn’t use the dishes and cookware provided but the cabin appeared to have most kitchen equipment in the cupboard The road left a lot to be desired-especially after the rain. Hopefully the work they were doing on it will be an improvement. Less boulders and more gravel would certainly be better. All in all a relaxing, cozy hangout for a week.

Do NOT use Google Maps to try to get there. It took us to the wrong place. Luckily it came to a dead-end, so we realized sooner than later. Also, before you leave service, take screenshots of the info provided (directions & email w/ combo). Luckily I did, so we backtracked to the bar in York, then started using the directions provided, which aren't the greatest. Nelson is 7 miles from the bar in York, not 5. I didn't notice any of the landmarks in the directions marked. We had a lot of anxiety, worried that we weren't going the right way, especially after Google did get us lost & it was getting close to dark (we spent most of the day in Helena, then swimming @ Canyon Ferry). Right when we started considering turning around, luckily there was a sign pointing us in the right direction, but I feel there should be a few more. It was WAY back up in there - more so than I'd realized. It ended up being around 25 miles from the bar in York (which wouldn't been nice to know prior).
The cabin & restroom were nice. I was worried that we'd get all that way up there & the combo wouldn't work, but thankfully it did (it was confusing b/c I got an email right before saying call for combo but the email had the combo, so I went with that but I was worried maybe I should have called). There was no key or combination lock to the wood shed as described (which we didn't need luckily). There IS a picnic table outside as well as a fire pit. I wasn't able to determine that prior & I really wanted to know, so FYI. Bring twin fitted sheets if you're using blankets. I just brought another blanket to sleep on & it got all twisted up. I would have preferred 1 less cabinet & have one set of bunkbeds be queen-sized @ least so that I could've slept with my husband more comfortably.
It's a cute cabin, well maintained, pretty area but we probably won't be back b/c it's so far & there's no water nearby.
We hiked Refrigerator Canyon on the way out - enjoyed that! Try to find the time capsule ;)

We had a pleasant stay despite it rained for part of each day. Because the road was drifted in we had to spend a couple hours figuring out how to get in. Would have been nice for FS office to mention that when we talked to them the night before to confirm lock combination. The road situation meant we had the entire area to ourselves; peace and solitude. There is good area for all kinds of activity. We even witnessed some flash flooding of the little creek after one tremendous bout of rain. Plenty of area to gather wood and explore. And we must note, as others who have stayed here, it has one of the cleanest vault toilets around.

Need to put in solar panels for inside pluss possibly outside lighting

Hiked up the 8 miles from Trout Creek to the cabin on Feb 3 2024. There was ice and snow, did not need snow shoes. The time we were there we it snowed the entire time. I recommend bringing snow shoes regardless of the conditions. The hike is long but fairly straightforward, beautiful scenery and very enjoyable.

The cabin was tidy, but needed some general cleaning, the cabinets filled with remanence of stuff people felt they should leave behind. The cabinets could be cleaned up and many things could be thrown away. Otherwise, the cabin is perfect size for 2 anymore it would be very crammed. The wood stove is hot and fast with chopped pine as the fuel. Be prepared to keep the fire going all night, a full stove will burn out and be cool to the hand in about 2-3 hours.

Be cautious of CO2 if you have the propane stove and lantern running, i suggest keeping a window crack open the entire time, especially since the stove can turn the cabin into 100degree sauna very quickly.

Overall it was a great experience and I highly suggest this as a winter getaway. We did not see a single person the entire time. As a nice gesture, bring 1 full propane canister, use it, and leave it. The cabin needs 2, 1 for the stove and 1 for the lantern.

Loved it!