This campground, on the shoreline of Cooper's Lake near Ovando, Montana, is a
semi-remote, developed campground which offers shady rest and a beautiful view
of the lake and adjacent mountains. The Bob Marshall and Scapegoat
wildernesses are 7 miles away by trail. Big Nelson has tent camping only. No
camping is allowed in the parking lot and no trailers are permitted.

<p>This campground, on the shoreline of Cooper&#39;s Lake near Ovando, Montana, is a semi-remote, developed campground which offers shady rest and a beautiful view of the lake and adjacent mountains. The Bob Marshall and Scapegoat wildernesses are 7 miles away by trail. Big Nelson has tent camping only. No camping is allowed in the parking lot and no trailers are permitted.</p>

At this time we are not charging any use fees at this recreation site.

Bird's eye view of the campground

Big Nelson Campground

Open, grassy areas and large ponderosa pine make this out-of-the-way
campground a delight for people who like open spaces as well as trees. The
campground is located along Monture Creek and adjacent to the Monture Creek
Trailhead. Fishing opportunities available. 16 miles by trail to Bob Marshall
and 11 miles to Scapegoat wildernesses. Public stock facilities available.

<p>Open, grassy areas and large ponderosa pine make this out-of-the-way campground a delight for people who like open spaces as well as trees. The campground is located along Monture Creek and adjacent to the Monture Creek Trailhead. Fishing opportunities available. 16 miles by trail to Bob Marshall and 11 miles to Scapegoat wildernesses. Public stock facilities available.</p>

Monture Creek Campground

## Overview

Monture Guard Station sits in the Lolo National Forest in western Montana,
offering a variety of excellent winter recreation for visitors.

## Recreation

Monture Guard Station offers modern amenities and furnishings just like home,
but it also provides access to a variety of outdoor winter recreation
opportunities that can only be enjoyed in a National Forest. A system of
groomed trails surrounds the cabin and the nearby Seeley Lake, leaving lots of
land for exploration.  
  
The area also offers plentiful opportunities for cross country skiing,
snowshoeing and snowmobiling.

## Facilities

The two-story cabin is fully furnished and can accommodate up to eight people.
Beds with mattresses are available on the second floor, while the first floor
contains the kitchen, dining room and living room areas. A vault toilet
outhouse is located approximately 75 yards northeast of the cabin.  
  
The kitchen is equipped with a propane stove and oven, a small microwave,
refrigerator and a variety of cooking and eating dishes and utensils, as well
as pots and pans. There is a large table and ten chairs, as well as couches
and other seating. The living space has electricity, rugs and wood floors
throughout. Heat is provided by a propane heater. Propane fuel is provided.  
  
Guests should bring their own bedding, towels, food, water, garbage bags,
toilet paper and other necessities. Cleaning supplies and equipment are
provided and guests will need to clean the cabin prior to leaving. There are
no trash services, please pack out all garbage at departure.  
  
The cabin is only available in the winter and guests will need to hike,
snowmobile or ski about a mile to the cabin. Guests are responsible for their
own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own
amenities.

## Natural Features

The cabin is located about 8 miles north of the town of Ovando at an elevation
of 4,200 feet. The surrounding forest contains a wide variety of trees, plants
and wildlife. The area is home to mountain goats, bighorn sheep, elk, moose,
deer and grizzly and black bears. Both the bald and golden eagle reside in the
forest, along with trumpeter swan, herons and dozens of varieties of ducks.

## Nearby Attractions

The nearest gas and groceries is available about 10 miles from the cabin.

<h2>Overview</h2>
<p>Monture Guard Station sits in the Lolo National Forest in western Montana, offering a variety of excellent winter recreation for visitors.</p>
<h2>Recreation</h2>
Monture Guard Station offers modern amenities and furnishings just like home, but it also provides access to a variety of outdoor winter recreation opportunities that can only be enjoyed in a National Forest. A system of groomed trails surrounds the cabin and the nearby Seeley Lake, leaving lots of land for exploration.
<br/><br/>
The area also offers plentiful opportunities for cross country skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling.<h2>Facilities</h2>
<p>The two-story cabin is fully furnished and can accommodate up to eight people. Beds with mattresses are available on the second floor, while the first floor contains the kitchen, dining room and living room areas. A vault toilet outhouse is located approximately 75 yards northeast of the cabin.<br> <br>The kitchen is equipped with a propane stove and oven, a small microwave, refrigerator and a variety of cooking and eating dishes and utensils, as well as pots and pans. There is a large table and ten chairs, as well as couches and other seating. The living space has electricity, rugs and wood floors throughout. Heat is provided by a propane heater. Propane fuel is provided.<br> <br>Guests should bring their own bedding, towels, food, water, garbage bags, toilet paper and other necessities. Cleaning supplies and equipment are provided and guests will need to clean the cabin prior to leaving. There are no trash services, please pack out all garbage at departure. <br> <br>The cabin is only available in the winter and guests will need to hike, snowmobile or ski about a mile to the cabin. Guests are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.</p>
<h2>Natural Features</h2>
The cabin is located about 8 miles north of the town of Ovando at an elevation of 4,200 feet. The surrounding forest contains a wide variety of trees, plants and wildlife. The area is home to mountain goats, bighorn sheep, elk, moose, deer and grizzly and black bears. Both the bald and golden eagle reside in the forest, along with trumpeter swan, herons and dozens of varieties of ducks.
<h2>Nearby Attractions</h2>
The nearest gas and groceries is available about 10 miles from the cabin.

Monture Guard Station Rental Cabin in the Winter.

MONTURE GUARD STATION CABIN

Monture Gaurd Station

Monture Guard Station Rental Cabin in the Summertime.

Monture Guard Station Rental Cabin in the Summertime. An American Flag Waves in the Front Yard.

Monture Guard Station Cabin Interior Entrance and Living Room.

Monture Guard Station Cabin

Together, the Great Bear Wilderness, the Bob Marshall Wilderness, and the
Scapegoat Wilderness form the **Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex** , an area of
more than 1.5 million acres. This is the third largest wilderness complex in
the lower 48 states. They are managed by three national forests - Flathead,
Helena-Lewis and Clark, and Lolo, and five ranger districts - Spotted Bear,
Hungry Horse, Lincoln, Rocky Mountain, and Seeley Lake.

Seeley Lake trailheads on the Lolo National Forest offer access to much of the
Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex for hiking, backpacking, and horse packing.
Motorized and mechanized uses are prohibited in wilderness. Visit the BMWC
Page for regulations including food storage requirements, and to access
information on trail conditions. The BMWC is grizzly bear country!

The Lolo National Forest manages a large portion of the Scapegoat Wilderness
within the Complex. To read more about the Bob Marshall and Great Bear
Wildernesses, visit the BMWC Page. Continue reading below to learn more about
the Scapegoat Wilderness.

## Scapegoat Wilderness

The United States Congress designated the Scapegoat Wilderness in 1972 and it
now has a total of 239,936 acres. The entire wilderness is in Montana and is
managed by the Rocky Mountain and Lincoln Ranger Districts (Helena-Lewis and
Clark National Forests) and Seeley Lake Ranger District (Lolo National
Forest). The Lolo National Forest manages nearly 76,000 acres, and the Helena-
Lewis and Clark National Forest manages the other 184,000 acres.

The Scapegoat Wilderness was designated through a community effort and earned
a place in history as the first citizen-initiated wilderness area in the
nation. In the 1960s, community members joined together to advocate for the
protection of the Lincoln Back Country, a 75,000-acre stretch of undeveloped
Helena National Forest-administered lands. Eventually, the proposed
designation was expanded to nearly 240,000 acres to capture the Scapegoat
Mountain region. During legislative hearings regarding the designation, Tom
Edwards, a member of the Lincoln Back Country Association, passionately
shared: "_Into this land of spiritual strength, I have been privileged to
guide on horseback literally thousands of people … I have harvested a self-
sustaining natural resource of the forest of vast importance. No one word will
suffice to explain this resource but let us call it the 'hush' of the land.
This hush is infinitely more valuable to me than money or my business."
_Finally, on August 20, 1972, Congress passed Public Law 92-395 and Scapegoat
joined the National Wilderness Preservation System.

The long northwest border of Scapegoat Wilderness is shared with Bob Marshall
Wilderness and the massive limestone cliffs that dominate 9,204-foot Scapegoat
Mountain are an extension of the "Bob's" Chinese Wall. Scapegoat's rugged
ridge tops slope down onto alpine meadows, heavily forested hillsides, and
timbered river bottoms. Fish are plentiful in the 14 lakes and 89 miles of
streams. Elevations range from about 5,000 feet on the Blackfoot River to
about 9,400 feet on Red Mountain. Wildlife includes wolverines, moose, deer,
elk, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, mountain lions, black bears, and numerous
grizzly bears.

Click each thumbnail photo below to enlarge the photo. Photos 1, 2, and 4
showcase the scenic beauty of the Scapegoat Wilderness with the North Fork of
the Blackfoot River running through the forested, mountainous landscape. Photo
3 is Smokes Cabin Bridge. The Smokes Cabin bridge crosses the North Fork of
the Blackfoot River via Hobnail Tom Trail #32 at milepost 3.1.

<p>Together, the Great Bear Wilderness, the Bob Marshall Wilderness, and the Scapegoat Wilderness form the <strong><a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/flathead/recarea/?recid=70759">Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex</a></strong>, an area of more than 1.5 million acres. This is the third largest wilderness complex in the lower 48 states. They are managed by three national forests - Flathead, Helena-Lewis and Clark, and Lolo, and five ranger districts - Spotted Bear, Hungry Horse, Lincoln, Rocky Mountain, and Seeley Lake.</p><p>Seeley Lake trailheads on the Lolo National Forest offer access to much of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex for hiking, backpacking, and horse packing.&nbsp;Motorized and mechanized uses are prohibited in wilderness. Visit the <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/flathead/recarea/?recid=70759">BMWC Page</a> for regulations including food storage requirements, and to access information on trail conditions. The BMWC is grizzly bear country!</p><p>The Lolo National Forest manages a large portion of the Scapegoat Wilderness within the Complex. To read more about the Bob Marshall and Great Bear Wildernesses, visit the <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/flathead/recarea/?recid=70759">BMWC Page</a>. Continue reading below to learn more about the Scapegoat Wilderness.</p><h2>Scapegoat Wilderness</h2><p>The United States Congress designated the Scapegoat Wilderness in 1972 and it now has a total of 239,936 acres. The entire wilderness is in Montana and is managed by the Rocky Mountain and Lincoln Ranger Districts (Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forests) and Seeley Lake Ranger District (Lolo National Forest). The Lolo National Forest manages nearly 76,000 acres, and the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest manages the other 184,000 acres.</p><p>The Scapegoat Wilderness was designated through a community effort and earned a place in history as the first citizen-initiated wilderness area in the nation. In the 1960s, community members joined together to advocate for the protection of the Lincoln Back Country, a 75,000-acre stretch of undeveloped Helena National Forest-administered lands. Eventually, the proposed designation was expanded to nearly 240,000 acres to capture the Scapegoat Mountain region. During legislative hearings regarding the designation, Tom Edwards, a member of the Lincoln Back Country Association, passionately shared: &ldquo;<em>Into this land of spiritual strength, I have been privileged to guide on horseback literally thousands of people &hellip; I have harvested a self-sustaining natural resource of the forest of vast importance. No one word will suffice to explain this resource but let us call it the &lsquo;hush&rsquo; of the land. This hush is infinitely more valuable to me than money or my business.&rdquo; </em>Finally, on August 20, 1972, Congress passed Public Law 92-395 and Scapegoat joined the National Wilderness Preservation System.</p><p>The long northwest border of Scapegoat Wilderness is shared with Bob Marshall Wilderness and the massive limestone cliffs that dominate 9,204-foot Scapegoat Mountain are an extension of the &quot;Bob&#39;s&quot; Chinese Wall. Scapegoat&#39;s rugged ridge tops slope down onto alpine meadows, heavily forested hillsides, and timbered river bottoms. Fish are plentiful in the 14 lakes and 89 miles of streams. Elevations range from about 5,000 feet on the Blackfoot River to about 9,400 feet on Red Mountain. Wildlife includes wolverines, moose, deer, elk, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, mountain lions, black bears, and numerous grizzly bears.</p><p>Click each thumbnail photo below to enlarge the photo. Photos 1, 2, and 4 showcase the scenic beauty of the Scapegoat Wilderness with the North Fork of the Blackfoot River running through the forested, mountainous landscape. Photo 3 is Smokes Cabin Bridge. The Smokes Cabin bridge crosses the North Fork of the Blackfoot River via Hobnail Tom Trail #32 at milepost 3.1.</p>

Big Nelson Campground

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Monture Creek Campground

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