Crystal Lake Cabin

$60.00/night

Show on map406-566-2292 OR 406-236-5511
109 CENTRAL AVE. P.O. BOX 484
STANFORD, MT 59479

Overview

Crystal Lake Cabin provides sweeping views of Crystal Lake in the heart of the Big Snowy Mountains of Central Montana. Located about 20 miles south of Lewistown, the cabin adjoins Crystal Lake Campground, providing conveniences like a picnic area and boat ramp for non-motorized boats. Recreation opportunities abound, including floating, fishing, canoeing and hiking.

Access from December 1 through June 15 is by snowshoe, snowmobile, cross country skiing or hiking for 6 miles.

Recreation

The Ice Caves Trail leads hikers to the ridgetop of the Big Snowy Mountains, where it intersects with the Crystal Cascades Trail Bypass. The Lake Loop Trail trailhead, located at the north end of the Crystal Lake Campground, takes hikers to Grand View Trail Junction and additional ridgetop views. Both the Ice Caves Trail and Grand View Trail may be impacted by winter snow as late as the first part of July.

The lake freezes over and ice fishing is possible if the ice is thin enough for fish to survive. In summer months, the lake is stocked with rainbow trout. Kayaking and canoeing is popular.

Facilities

The one-room rustic cabin, accommodates up to six guests. Beds with mattresses, a cooking stove and a wood stove for heat is included. The firewood supplied is limited and only for use in the wood stove and guests are asked to restock the wood box in the cabin prior to departure. DO NOT USE THE SUPPLIED FIREWOOD FOR OUTSIDE FIRES. A vault toilet is located outside for year-round use. The cabin is furnished with pots, pans, dishes and utensils. Propane lights are provided but no electricity is available.



Guests should plan to bring plenty of water for drinking, cooking and cleaning purposes. Other items to bring: cleaning supplies, bedding, food, cooler, toilet paper, matches, flashlight, garbage bags and other personal necessities. Guest must clean the cabin/toilet completely, pack out all food and trash upon departure. NO PETS ALLOWED INSIDE CABIN. (Click here for more cabin details.)

Natural Features

The cabin sits near the shores of Crystal Lake. The beautiful lake spans 45 acres at an elevation of 5,700 feet. With a maximum depth of 15 feet, the lake seeps fresh water through a porous limestone bottom. The lake generally freezes in the winter.



The Big Snowy Mountains, lush with mixed conifers, rise up from the lake, providing spectacular views. The highest peaks in the mountain range reach 8,600 feet.

Nearby Attractions

Crystal Lake, Ice Caves

Camp site features

Across 1 camp site:

  • Largest party: 4 people

Directions

From Lewistown, drive west on Montana Highway 200/US 87 for about 8 miles. Turn left (south) on Crystal Lake Road. Continue south, following the well-signed directions to the lake for 20 miles. At the "T" junction, turn left and continue on to Crystal Lake. The last 6 miles is paved and mostly a single lane. On December 1, the paved section is gated, and access beyond the gate is by snowmobile, skis, snowshoes or hiking only.

Stay Limit

Check in from 2 PM, check out by 2 PM.

Reviews

29 reviews
5 stars
15
4 stars
9
3 stars
3
2 stars
1
1 stars
1
alex m
Loop:Area Crystal Lake Cabin
Site:
Reviewed 3 months ago
Great cabin, great location. Bring mouse traps and fly paper or indoor fly spray. Lots of mice and flies, and there isn't anything provided at cabin..I killed 5 mice with 1 trap
Clare D
Loop:Area Crystal Lake Cabin
Site:
Reviewed 3 months ago
Crystal Lake is a gem. The cabin is one of my new favorites. The cabin is cozy, comfortable, and setup nicely. I can't wait to go back in the colder seasons to sit and read a book by the fireplace on the cozy recliner. It was well maintained, mowed, and cared for. Plenty of firewood, well stocked. The oven needs to be lit manually by pulling out bottom drawer, ignore instructions on stove. Also would love some instructions on how to light the propane lights. Some mice sign, lots of flies, and over friendly deer. Also it's much closer to the actual campground than I had envisioned, but gives you some distance away being off a private spur w/ gate. Large, Loud group in group camp spot was unfortunate, but tolerated. Daughter was stung by a bee, so if you're allergic be prepared. The lake is shallow, stocked with rainbows, busy recreation area, but so worth the drive!
Michael C
Loop:Area Crystal Lake Cabin
Site:
Reviewed 3 months ago
I stayed here with my friend for 3 nights, and experienced a vacation we're unlikely to forget for mostly good reasons. I'll start with the prose: - The views from the cabin were incredible. Even though it was a cloudy (and smokey on our last day,) The mornings were epic and the nights were dominated by the moon, even though we weren't able to see very many stars. - The wild life was amazing. However, I will admit that the deer are TOO comfortable with people. The does especially. They would literally eat chips right out of my hand! The birds were lively, and if you like to bird watch, this should be a good place to do so. On the trail towards the Ice Caves (difficult hike, by the way) you'll even get pretty close to the hawks. - Ample firewood. I've been to some cabins where finding firewood can be difficult, but we had no trouble collecting firewood for hours of lounging around the fire pit. All dinners were spent outside on the picnic tables. Cons, there are lot here, hence my overall low rating: - Mice. They got into anything that was left out. We read in the journal people were feeding them, which is wild. 1 night, 1 of the mice tried to join me in bed. It made every night afterwards extremely difficult. - The flies were a nightmare. We spent 2 afternoons killing them. The last day wasn't so bad, but we had a bit of cooler day for our last day. - The campground is much closer than I thought. It wasn't too bad, but the privacy I've come to expect from the cabins was NOT met. That said, everyone we did cross paths with were friendly. - Over all, the cabin wasn't super messy, but the amount of dead flies was pretty gross. I plan on doing a full review on my YouTube channel (DRTY PRODUCTIONS). Full take? If you come prepared with fly/mouse traps, and come expecting nearby campers, and almost creepy experiences with deer, you'll probably enjoy this cabin. The mice almost ruined it for me, though.
LeaAnn T
Loop:Area Crystal Lake Cabin
Site:
Reviewed a year ago
Our second time there and we loved it!
Carmen T
Loop:Area Crystal Lake Cabin
Site:
Reviewed a year ago
Nice cabin to stay in. It was clean and rodent free when we stayed there. There was water outside, but we weren't sure if it was safe to drink. It was nice to have for washing dishes though. The propane lights were nice. It rained the whole time we were there, so the propane stove and fireplace were good to have. I think the only thing we didn't like was the view out the front is of the campground. It was very quiet when we were there.
Gary B
Loop:Area Crystal Lake Cabin
Site:
Reviewed 2 years ago
The cabin was disappointing since it was to recently had maintenance and repairs. The area around the cabin could not be enjoyed as the weeds and grass had not been mown and were high. A few campers drove down the cabin driveway thinking they could just take firewood which disturbed any chance of privacy.
Availability

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Reserve
Popularity: Very quiet

Busiest in November, when about 17% of guest capacity is reserved. Based on 4 years of reservations.

Season dates

Peak season

Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026

Reservable online

Peak season

Jan 1, 2027 – Dec 31, 2027

Reservable online

Peak season

Jan 1, 2028 – Dec 31, 2028

Reservable online

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