Strawberry Cabin, Helena, MT

Strawberry Cabin is located in the Helena Ranger District of the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest (32 min southeast of Helena, MT) with an elevation of 6,105 feet. The site is open all year. There is a fee of $50.00 per night.

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Campsite Reviews (36)

4.2 out of 5

5 star		47%
4 star		36%
3 star		11%
2 star		0%
1 star		6%

@SusieB15835E00 · Camped on Mar 22, 2024 at Campsite #1

The cabin was very well kept! Lots of firewood and clean! We enjoyed our 2 nights there.

@HollyA2467819 · Camped on Dec 30, 2023 at Campsite #1

Stayed here for NYE! Awesome experience, cozy cabin with a great wood stove. I have a 2wd with snow tires and made it to the gate without difficulty because there was hardly any snow. Highly suggest AWD or 4WD and good tires for winter access, the road condition is decent but there are tight turns and steeper uphill and downhill sections. Couple things to note: the splitting maul is one of the dullest I've encountered even for FS cabins but gets the job done (if you have files and sharpening skills, would serve it well), and there is no hatchet for kindling. Plenty of wood rounds in shed adjacent to the cabin. Cooking pots are limited to one small saucepan, and one small frying pan, best to bring your own bigger pots or pans if you plan on making a larger group meal. Counter top propane stove does have a griddle side and one burner. Supplies were somewhat scant, but I left a few essential things and an oil lantern that takes paraffin oil and left a 32 oz supply of oil. There's definitely mice but not an infestation I'd say- I did find a dish sponge left out in the open covered in poop- best to put these things and other food in containers or bags or locked away in cabinets. Don't forget garbage bags and disinfectant wipes as there's none at the cabin and maybe leave a few for the next folks :) Wonderful little cabin!

@BritaniG108498 · Camped on Sep 23, 2023 at Campsite #1

Overall, this cabin was wonderful. Very clean, amazing views with windows on all 4 sides, and great cabin. The indoor stove was top notch (didn't leak and very clean). The only reason this cabin didn't get 5 stars: the traffic that came up to the cabin was excessive. I even had a couple park directly in front of the cabin and walk around the cabin at sunset to "see the sights". It was very inconsiderate. Most others saw that I was there in front of the cabin and they turned around and left. But there only option was to turn around at the cabin or awkwardly turn around before they got to it. There should be access to the renter to close the cabin to deter others from coming up that 1 mile of "driveway". Without the constant bombardment of vehicles this would be a 5 star cabin.

@ShelbyB560737D · Camped on Sep 8, 2023 at Campsite #1

A friend and I stayed two nights over Labor Day weekend 2023. The cabin itself is one of the cleanest, and nicest ones we've stayed in. It comes stocked with games, eating utensils, tea, camping supplies and more. The fire ring is really nice and has a built-in grill you can move on and off the fire. That area comes with logs to sit on and two picnic tables as well. The bathroom was nice and clean, and stocked with toilet paper. Now the cons of the cabin - We were told that the cabin and the woodshed both had combo locks. When we got to the cabin though, both had key padlocks. The cabin was unlocked with the padlock inside, but the woodshed's lock was still on, and we weren't able to use the firewood all weekend. If you are booking this cabin for the lookout - think again. We booked this cabin back in April with the intent of watching the sunrise in the lookout. When we arrived Labor Day weekend, the lookout had a gate that was padlocked, a sign that said "Closed to Public", and a fence that was being built around it. So we were very disappointed. The third and quite possibly MOST frustrating aspect about this cabin is the traffic. Just like other reviews stated - be prepared for random people to show up. Over the two-night stay, we had 22 separate vehicles with multiple people show up, starting from 15 minutes after arrival on Friday, all the way until 10AM Sunday morning. At one point we had six Forestry trucks hauling 20 some people up to build part of a fence at 11AM on Saturday. Saturday was the worst day for traffic, as we were awaken by a large diesel truck flying up the hill at 5:30AM and ended the day with a car hanging out at 9:30PM as we were laying down. If you stay here, be very prepared to get woken up by side-by-sides and have random people stop by your camp and ask to look around for a bit....even if you're in the middle of breakfast. It was NOT peaceful to say the very least and actually stressful at times.

@CarolC9482923 · Camped on Jun 12, 2023 at Campsite #1

Strawberry lookout cabin was very clean and comfomtable. The first night there was not a "camp stove" as listed in the outline of what to expect but we enjoyed a wonderful dinner over the outdoor fire. When we returned from a hike the next day, the camp stove was leaning against the cabin door with a note from Forest Service technician requesting we put it in the cabin as she did not want to invade our privacy by entering. We greatly appreciated respecting our privacy. The tech also left another roll of toilet paper. SO-- Our suggestion for future cabin renters .. come prepared, be flexible regarding your hikes (changes in weather) as well as # of general public looking in your cabin windows. Most importantly please leave the cabin as clean as ,or better, than you left it. We definitley give our experience a strong 5 of 5 stars. A HUGE thank you to the forest service for opening it to public use!!!

@LeeB7982328 · Camped on May 14, 2023 at Campsite #1

Be careful renting in the winter. Many folks have gotten stuck in the snow. It is not plowed

@TroyH3282239 · Camped on Jul 20, 2022 at Campsite #1

Non-resident was camping in the parking lot upon our arrival. He agreed to leave when found we rented for our family. Very rustic, we just slept on the bunks and cooked on the fire grate. Disappointed not able to climb into fire tower.

@DylanY1561604 · Camped on Jun 18, 2022 at Campsite #1

Strawberry Cabin was the perfect one-night getaway! My partner and I live in Missoula and drove through Helena to stay at the cabin for the night. Parts of the road were fairly rocky/uneven, so definitely best to have a high clearance vehicle. Our CRV did just fine! The cabin was well stocked and we did not see any hikers during our stay. There were games and puzzles available, and the built in, fold-out tables were amazing! We can't wait to visit again!

@josephs9140090 · Camped on May 28, 2022 at Campsite #1

Beautiful and secluded, some great hikes a short drive away, but expect visitors in side by sides or 4x4s skidding to a stop after speeding around that last corner to see a family and dogs enjoying the woods. The only turn around is between cabin and fire pit, so its only momentary blindness as their headlights blare (yeah they show up in the dark, I'm sure they're sober) while they execute a messy three point turn and drive out if you're lucky.

@DanielN6100178 · Camped on Mar 27, 2022 at Campsite #1

The cabin may look a bit stark until you open up the shutters and kick back, but once you're there, it is a warm and inviting place. I was very glad that I rented it before the road opens up to drive to the top, as this area is a popular destination for people to drive to in the summertime. Don't expect any privacy during the summer months. In the winter months, the short mile climb up the last bit of road will get you peace and solitude (mostly). Note that you are still near enough to Helena to see the city lights at night and faintly hear some of the noise of urbanization, but it's never enough to be obnoxious or jarring. I didn't have any mouse/rat problems whatsoever and the cabin appeared to be well sealed, but some people have noted some mouse/rat issues in the past year. Keep the place clean and your food sealed up in hard containers, just to be safe. The only downside about the place is that you really don't have much of a view from the top, as it is treed in. The lookout tower next to the cabin gets above the trees, but the stairs up the tower are locked and inaccessible above the 20 foot level. It would be nice if the cabin also provided the renter with a key to go up to the lookout tower.

@RenaS9252760 · Camped on Jan 16, 2022 at Campsite #1

Great cabin! Had a beautiful view of the area, cabin had plenty of cooking supplies. There was not enough snow to ski in the whole road, but we managed alright!

@RenaS779 · Camped on Jan 16, 2022 at Campsite #1

Great cabin! Had a beautiful view of the area, cabin had plenty of cooking supplies. There was not enough snow to ski in the whole road, but we managed alright!

@KayB907 · Camped on Dec 31, 2021 at Campsite #1

We visited this cabin on New Year's Eve. Over a foot of fresh snow had fallen in Bozeman that week, so we figured we were in for a lot of snow. We were able to drive right to the locked gate in a truck with no trouble at all. The snow was pretty deep, but a forest service truck had come that morning and left treads that we could follow. We did snowshoe on the way up but ended up just hiking the way down, sticking to the tire treads. It was freezing at the top- around -14 degrees when the sun went down- and it did take a couple of hours for the stove to warm up the cabin. Once it did, it was of course boiling hot all night (tends to be the case with these!) so I suggest wearing layers :) This cabin is adorable and very well-equipped; it's not one of those where there is a single pot and nothing else. Some silverware and tableware, a box of games for kids, a couple of books, and plenty of wood. The privy was very clean.

@KayB8142962 · Camped on Dec 31, 2021 at Campsite #1

@SarahL7105976 · Camped on Oct 27, 2021 at Campsite #1

I got dumped

@SarahL670 · Camped on Oct 27, 2021 at Campsite #1

I got dumped

@ShaneB684 · Camped on Oct 15, 2021 at Campsite #1

What a wonderful hidden gem, close to it all. I loved the quaint cabin on top of the mountain. It was clean, well stocked, and plenty of firewood for the woodstove and outdoor fire ring. I highly recommend brining disenfecting wipes or spray and paper towels due to the mice. Be sure to pay attention to the dates when the road closes and you have to hike up from the gate. Great get away!

@ShaneB1070128 · Camped on Oct 15, 2021 at Campsite #1

@HollyC7934265 · Camped on Sep 26, 2021 at Campsite #1

Great cabin!

@HollyC494 · Camped on Sep 26, 2021 at Campsite #1

Great cabin!

@KristenI224 · Camped on Sep 11, 2021 at Campsite #1

There are four twin beds (two bunk beds). The road is wretched the last mile. We had a surprising number of people (six) roll up checking out the tower (from the ground in the afternoon and possibly higher at 10:30 pm. Cabin was wonderful. Somebody is taking great care of the outhouse. Thanks! Be sure to stargaze if the skies are clear.

@KristenI551502 · Camped on Sep 11, 2021 at Campsite #1

@VictorW551 · Camped on Aug 27, 2021 at Campsite #1

Great place to stay, very cozy; I was pleasantly surprised with the cleanliness, and all amenities inside the cabin left by other people staying there.

@ReneeK980 · Camped on Aug 2, 2021 at Campsite #1

What a wonderful experience! It was such a cool old cabin and great bunks!

@RNeilO582 · Camped on Jul 5, 2021 at Campsite #1

A semi private cabin look out station. Friendly people but the road to cabin is is not good for the last mile.

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