OutReserve

Star Meadows Guard Station

Historic forest service cabin with treed mountain behind.
Star Meadows Guard Station
Star Meadows Guard Station
Benches around a campfire in the wintertime.
Star Meadows Guard Station

About Star Meadows Guard Station

The Star Meadows Guard Station has all the rustic feel of a remote Forest Service cabin while still being accessible by paved road from Whitefish. Furnished with a refrigerator/freezer, range and oven, microwave, coffeemaker, pots and pans, dishes and silverware, and electric heat, this cabin has everything you need to come and enjoy some time in the Forest. Nearby Tally Lake and Sylvia Lake offer opportunities for water play and fishing and a centralized location in the Tally Lake District to access miles of hiking, biking or horseback riding trails with a trailhead right behind the cabin. Enjoy a large backyard area for family games, or just sit in front of the campfire with s’mores and make some memories. Star Meadows Guard Station is 23 miles from Whitefish on Forest Service Road #539. The road is paved and open year-round.  The Star Meadows Guard Station was built in 1941 to house Forest Service personnel and stock for the Tally Lake District. It was built to replace a 1908 building at the same location. The site operated as a work center when the Ranger Station was located at Tally Lake. In 1953, the District Office moved to Whitefish. The station housed fire suppression crews, contractors, and timber camps, and served as a staging area for engineers designing and building the roads on the District. During the winter months, the road was not plowed, and the site was inaccessible.  In 1991 a cultural survey found that the facilities were historically significant and were placed on the National Historic Register. In 2001, A Passport in Time project (PIT) funded the beginning of the restoration. 

Number of accommodations: 1

Seasonal information

2026 (Current year)

2026 Season availability

Current season
Upcoming seasons
Past seasons
Closed periods
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

Sites & Availability

1 Site Available

Site
Price
🏠 001, Loop: AREA STAR MEADOWS GUARD STATION
12 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$75.00
/ per night

Reviews (43)

What Guests Are Saying

Star Meadows Guard Station offers fantastic accommodations in a beautiful location, with clean and well-stocked cabins ideal for family gatherings. Guests appreciated the thoughtful amenities, including comfortable beds, games, and kitchen supplies, which enhanced their stay. The only notable drawbacks were the unpleasant outhouse smell and some difficulty locating the nearby Tally Lake turnoff, but overall, guests enjoyed a memorable experience.

Review Summary

4.6
43 reviews
5
76.7%
33
4
14.0%
6
3
2.3%
1
2
7.0%
3
1
0.0%
0

BJ B

Verified

February 14, 2022 Stayed at: 001, Loop: AREA STAR MEADOWS GUARD STATION

4

Very cozy cabin. It was great to have consistent electric heat throughout with a 10 month old along for the trip. Great kitchen and comfy couch as well. We went in February when there was 2-3 feet of snow outside in the meadow and all around the cabin so we couldn’t quite do as much as we normally would at a forest service cabin, but it the nearby snowed-in forest service roads would be a dream for anyone with a snowmobile or dogsled team. Outhouse was very clean and the whole cabin was very clean overall. If you like to play board games or cards, this cabin has the best collection I’ve seen.

Only reason this cabin didn’t receive 5 stars from me is the lack of options for us with an infant, but even if you have kids just a couple years old you could probably have a lot of fun in the snow. I imagine I would be a fantastic cabin for a large family/group in the summer/spring/fall.

Stacy I

Verified

November 9, 2021 Stayed at: 001, Loop: AREA STAR MEADOWS GUARD STATION

4

Nice cabin well stocked. I was not able to get the thermostats going.

Thomas P

Verified

October 1, 2021 Stayed at: 001, Loop: AREA STAR MEADOWS GUARD STATION

5

Cabin was everything we expected and more. Previous guests did a great job cleaning the cabin; so no surprises there. Nice new refrigerator and electric range. All utensils as well as coffee maker, microwave, etc were in the kitchen. Lots of sleeping space between main cabin & bunk house. All items for grilling were provided other than the charcoal. We brought firewood but there was LOTS onsite already. Great experience and we will definitely be back. Thank you USFS.

Jen S

Verified

September 20, 2021 Stayed at: 001, Loop: AREA STAR MEADOWS GUARD STATION

5

It was one of the nicest we've stayed at. Clean, great supplies to keep it that way, well stocked cooking supplies, nice furniture, water on site with hand pump, pit toilet serviced. It was great.

Jesse T

Verified

August 2, 2021 Stayed at: 001, Loop: AREA STAR MEADOWS GUARD STATION

5

Please clean up the cabin, especially the dishes for the next guests! It’s a wonderful place!

karen w

Verified

July 3, 2021 Stayed at: 001, Loop: AREA STAR MEADOWS GUARD STATION

5

Comfortable beds (except for the futon, but we didn't need to use it), great kitchen, spotless outhouse, all the comforts of home -- without the TV. It was great.

William A

Verified

May 24, 2021 Stayed at: 001, Loop: AREA STAR MEADOWS GUARD STATION

2

Lots of dog wast

Catherine S

Verified

April 22, 2021 Stayed at: 001, Loop: AREA STAR MEADOWS GUARD STATION

5

Beautiful time at Star Meadows! Such a wonderful spot! Previous guests left it a mess, we had to take some time to clean before we settled in. Remember to clean up after yourselves!

Justin H

Verified

April 6, 2021 Stayed at: 001, Loop: AREA STAR MEADOWS GUARD STATION

4

Nice place.

Britt K

Verified

April 4, 2021 Stayed at: 001, Loop: AREA STAR MEADOWS GUARD STATION

2

We hiked and played games. The cabin was not clean. There was a lot of dog hair. We cleaned it before we left. There was dog poop all around the cabin. Please pick up after your dog. We are dog people too.

Location Star Meadows Guard Station

Address:
5250 Star Meadow Road
Whitefish, MT, 59937
United States

Latitude & Longitude: 48.3819 / -114.71

Elevation: 1223 feet

Policies & Rules

Category About
General

Check out time is 11 AM Check in time is 1 PM

General

For more information, contact the Tally Lake Ranger District (406) 758-5204, Monday -- Friday, 8 a.m. through 4:30 p.m.

General

Pack-in and pack-out all garbage; clean cabin before departing.

General

The combination to the cabin will be on your letter of confirmation from Recreation.gov

General

There is a food storage order in the Flathead National Forest. Please keep all food and attractants in the cabin or your vehicle. This is bear country.

General

Hand-pump will be left on well over the winter of 2025-2026 as an experiment to see if freezing is an issue. Be prepared to bring your own water if the pump becomes frozen. If pump continues to work, please pump an ample amount of water during each use to warm up pipe.

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