Windy Pass Cabin

Custer Gallatin National Forest — riverside, hiking

Location: Gallatin Gateway, MT, MT

Price: From $55 per night

Rating: 4.6 out of 5 (9 reviews)

Season: May through October

Windy Pass Cabin was built in 1934. It provides a rustic mountain retreat with few amenities, so guests need to bring most of their own supplies and gear to make their experience comfortable and enjoyable. The cabin is available from June 16th through October 14th each year.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Drinking Water, Electric Hookups, Firewood for Sale

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/windy-pass-cabin to be notified when sites open up.

Historic 1934 cabin offering a rustic mountain retreat in meadows at Windy Pass. Highly rated by campers (5/5 from 2 reviews) for providing shelter in alpine conditions.

Wildlife alert: American Black Bear, Gray Wolf, Moose, North American Porcupine, and Pine Grosbeak present in area

Insider tips for Windy Pass Cabin: Book early — federal campground with limited availability Access requires 2.5-mile hike or horseback ride from Upper Portal Trailhead with 1,300 feet elevation gain; no motorized access Bring most of your own supplies and gear — rustic cabin with few amenities

Skip Windy Pass Cabin if: Seeking hookups — no hookups available. Visiting outside June 16 - October 14 — cabin unavailable. Unable to hike 2.5 miles at elevation — only trail access available.

Best time to visit Windy Pass Cabin: June 16 - October 14 — Official availability window per RIDB; May through October listed as general season but cabin specifically available June 16th through October 14th.

Nearby campgrounds: Moose Creek Group Site (WEST YELLOWSTONE, MT), Moose Creek Flat Campground (Gallatin Gateway, MT), Swan Creek Campground (Gallatin Gateway, MT), Greek Creek Campground (Gallatin Gateway, MT).

Cell Phone Coverage at Windy Pass Cabin

Cell signal at Windy Pass Cabin (Gallatin Gateway, MT): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

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CamperWatch›MT›Windy Pass Cabin
Windy Pass Cabin — photo 1
Windy Pass Cabin — photo 2
Windy Pass Cabin — photo 3
Custer Gallatin National Forest — riverside, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Windy Pass Cabin

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Gallatin Gateway, MT, MT★ 4.6 (9 reviews)From $55/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Windy Pass Cabin was built in 1934. It provides a rustic mountain retreat with few amenities, so guests need to bring most of their own supplies and gear to make their experience comfortable and enjoyable. The cabin is available from June 16th through October 14th each year.

Best for:HikersWildlife watchersFamiliesSites:Tent
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
HookupsNo hookups.
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking Water
Recreation
Picnic TablesElectric Hookups
Family & Pets
Vault ToiletsFirewood for Sale

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ Seeking hookups — no hookups available✕ Visiting outside June 16 - October 14 — cabin unavailable✕ Unable to hike 2.5 miles at elevation — only trail access available

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

federal campground with limited availability

Access requires 2.5-mile hike or horseback ride from Upper Portal Trailhead with 1,300 feet elevation gain; no motorized access

Bring most of your own supplies and gear

rustic cabin with few amenities

Best: June 16 - October 14

Official availability window per RIDB; May through October listed as general season but cabin specifically available June 16th through October 14th

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: American Black Bear, Gray Wolf, Moose, North American Porcupine, and Pine Grosbeak present in area

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
406-522-2520· Custer Gallatin National Forest
Getting there →

There is no motorized access to this cabin. From Bozeman, MT: Drive west towards Four Corners, then south towards Big Sky/West Yellowstone on US Highway 191 for about 35 miles. Turn left (east) onto Portal Creek Road, FS 984. Travel for 3.5 miles to the FS Road 6959 and FS Road 984 junction. Take the right fork (southeast) and stay on FS Road 984 toward Upper Portal Creek/Windy Pass Trailhead and drive for 5.3 more miles. Stay to the left on FS Rd. 984 past the junction of FS Road 2686 (to the H

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Custer Gallatin National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Custer Gallatin National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.
  • Bear country — store all food in bear boxes or locked vehicle at all times.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Windy Pass Cabin cost per night?+
Windy Pass Cabin costs $55 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Windy Pass Cabin open?+
Windy Pass Cabin is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Windy Pass Cabin have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Windy Pass Cabin?+
Windy Pass Cabin is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Windy Pass Cabin?+
Windy Pass Cabin is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Windy Pass Cabin?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Windy Pass Cabin is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Windy Pass Cabin open, and what are check-in times?+
Windy Pass Cabin is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
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●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$55 /night★ 4.6 (9)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Windy Pass Cabin cost per night?+
What season is Windy Pass Cabin open?+
Does Windy Pass Cabin have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Moose Creek Group Site

WEST YELLOWSTONE, MT

From $115/night

Moose Creek Flat Campground

Gallatin Gateway, MT

From $26/night

Swan Creek Campground

Gallatin Gateway, MT

From $26/night

Greek Creek Campground

Gallatin Gateway, MT

From $26/night

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