Porcupine Cabin sits in the foothills of the Crazy Mountains at an elevation of 6.4 ft. It was built in 1914 after a previous structure burned down, and was remodeled by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1934. Since its construction, the cabin has been used as temporary housing by Forest Service rangers while they were patrolling for timber poachers, watching for fires and monitoring livestock. Today, it is available year-round to outdoor enthusiasts, offering access to a variety of activities.
Guests can drive to the cabin in the summer, but a high-clearance, four-wheel drive vehicle is recommended due to road conditions. Winter access requires snowshoeing, skiing or snowmobiling up to 3 mi from the end of the maintained gravel road. Please park out of the way of snow plow equipment and do not block other users access or turn-around areas.
Guests are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.
Seasonal information
2026
(Current year)
2026 Season availability
Current season
Operating hours and availability for the current season.
Upcoming seasons
Planned operating dates for future seasons to help you plan ahead.
Past seasons
Historical operating dates from previous years for reference.
Closed periods
View dates when this campground is temporarily closed during the season.
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Open year round
This campground is open year round, providing flexibility for your stay.
365 Days
Campground Amenities
Most popular amenities
Parking
Kitchen
Cooking and Fire
Firewood Available
Parking and Transport
Parking
Cabin Interior
Kitchen
Heating
Views and Setting
View
Missing information?
Select check-in and check-out dates to see availability.
Porcupine Cabin offers a clean, well-maintained space with beautiful views and great access to hiking trails. Guests appreciate the cozy atmosphere with a wood-burning stove and the cabin's well-stocked kitchen. While there are minor issues like mice at night and nearby campers, the overall experience is enjoyable, making it a recommended retreat for nature lovers.
Great Cabin! Road isn't too bad out there, narrow, but manageable in a crossover suv or smaller vehicle. The road was dry at the time, so not sure how it would be with snow, rain, mud, etc. Great size cabin, warm wood fire stove, nice vault toilet just outside the door. There is also a nice hiking trail outside the door, uphill for a quarter mile and then gets a little easier.
all went as expected. Mice and rats were surprisingly in low numbers. Cabin was cleaned and in great shape. There was a lot of maintenance that we didnt anticipate but worked around it. The only surprise or negative was not having wood available. It turned cold and needed fire most of the time. We managed but might want to reconsider the date for allowing the use of the stored wood.
Porcupine Cabin is a wonderful place to take in the natural beauty of Montana. Whether for hunting as my party and I did, or snowshoeing, cross country skiing, mountain biking, or hiking the trails. My party and I came from the east coast and west coast to archery hunt for elk, as out of state hunters it is very expensive to purchase a Montana hunting license and travel with hunting gear across the country. After doing so, we were met with closed trails and every trail accessible from the cabin had been regraded, torn apart by dirt bikes, add a few downpours, and that made for a very expensive and absolutely worthless hunting trip. The cabin itself is rustic, comfortable, and well maintained.
This is a fantastic cabin. We traveled on January 11 and were able to drive to the cabin, however it snowed overnight and it would have been tougher to drive by the 12th. There are beds for 8 people in two bedrooms. Lots of wood storage in the cabin. The splitting maul was broken in the wood shed, but we were able to make do. Great outdoor fire pit area. Indoor wood stove kept us toasty warm all night. Be sure to bring extra TP! The vault toilet ran out, so we left our extra TP for the next guests. There are a few pots for boiling water/humidification, but you'll need to bring your cooking supplies.
Awesome place to stay in any weather.
The year round beauty is majestic no matter the season.
It’s easy to sleep peacefully and the old fashion wood burning stove keeps you toasty cozy through the night.
Many Thanks to Rangers and volunteers who keep our heritage history alive for future generations to enjoy!
Sincerely
Ashley Gorman
Lord willing I’ll be back again next year.
The Porcupine Cabin is a large cabin in a nice area. The cabin has 3 rooms and a nice wood stove. The cabin is fairly well sealed, but there are some mice in the walls and attic and the occasional mouse that will run across the floor at night, so keep your food and trash well stored. The cabin has a large lovely porch. There is no reliable water source nearby, so bring plenty of water. Bears frequent the area, so don't leave any food or attractants unattended. Lots of interesting owls swoop around the area at dusk.
Helpful
Location & Directions for Porcupine Cabin
5242 Highway 89 South, Livingston, MT 59047 United States
From Livingston, Montana, travel north on Highway 89 to Wilsall. Just north of Wilsall, turn northeast onto Shields River Road. Continue 8 mi to Porcupine Road, turn east (right) and then drive another 8 mi to the cabin. Four-wheel drive vehicles ...
From Livingston, Montana, travel north on Highway 89 to Wilsall. Just north of Wilsall, turn northeast onto Shields River Road. Continue 8 mi to Porcupine Road, turn east (right) and then drive another 8 mi to the cabin. Four-wheel drive vehicles are recommended due to the road condition.
During the winter, the last two miles of the road to the cabin are not plowed. Skis, snowshoes or snowmobiles are required to reach the cabin.
The campground is accessible via Highway 89, which is approximately 12 miles from Livingston, Montana. From Highway 89, travelers can reach the cabin by taking Shields River Road.