Best Cabin Camping near Carmen, ID

Spent 3 nights at Hogan Cabin, MT last summer (Aug 2018). I loved the isolation of the location. Up at 7200ft you get a little winded hiking around, but the incredible scenery is worth it. Found a primitive A-frame structure in the woods about a mile from the cabin. Saw several deer and elk feeding in the field near the cabin, as well as a moose in the marsh along the creek. 

The cabin itself is nothing to jump up and down about. With only 2 sets of bunk beds, my wife and I put the bedding on the floor and made a full sized bed. There's no running water so be sure to bring plenty. 

There's an vault toilet in the outhouse. 

There is also a HUGE fire pit with swinging grill for cooking.

I was camping at a nearby national park site that had a flyer for Camp Sula, saying that if you show the receipt from your stay you can use Camp Sulas shower, laundry facilities and wifi at no cost. I arrived there and the ladies working in the combination store/restaurant/gas and coffee station were so friendly and down to earth. I was given a towel and shampoo/conditioner for the shower, they had complimentary and coin washing machines, and coin dryers, all very efficient. After my shower and waiting for clothes to dry, I walked around the camp, the log cabins are adorable and cozy, each has its own porch, picnic table and adjacent fire pit. There is free put-put golf, horseshoes, tetherball and a small well stocked fishing pond with benches to watch the action or simply admire the beauty of the surroundings. It is close to the main highway but tucked back enough you feel "away" from the bustle. I enjoyed myself so much I inquired about camping there for the night & I would only need a parking space because I sleep in my truck bed canopy. They were full (accommodates RVs and tents) but offered a makeshift spot right by the creek. It was perfect. Because of COVID, they had limited reservations for dinner, and practiced social distancing and requested patrons wear masks. Not everyone participated with their request but were equally treated with kindness and respect. I highly recommend their breakfast, big fluffy pancakes and local meats. They kept the restaurant, showers & bathroom & store very very clean. The location is a landmark, the Lewis and Clark expedition camped there on their way to discover the west. I highly recommend them

If you like history, ghost towns and camping then Bannack State Park is for you. Bannack Montana was the 1st Territorial Capital of Montana. The Ghost town allows you a look at how settlers and miners leaved in the early day of Montana. See the 1st Territorial Governors Manson (ok, small cabin). Almost all of building you can enter. The best times to visit is when reenactments are happening at the park. The state park has two small campgrounds, Vigilante Campground with 15 sites and one Tipi site. One of the sites at the Vigilante site is only for bikers. Vigilante campsites can be reserved. The other campground is Road Agent Campground. Road Agent has 8 sites. Both sites have Vault Toilets, water and trash bins.

It is a very off the beaten path, tucked away in the woods, true getaway from the busy city life. Travel south on 278 from Wisdom, MT and take the chance on an 18 mile gravel road to find a place only you see in pictures and read about in magazines. Drive through open cattle ranges and find a beautiful campground nestled up to 2 small lakes connected by a shallow channel. Clear water to see the bottom where it's shallow enough. No motorized boats allowed, so bring your own kayak or canoe and a fishing pole or two to enjoy the refreshing waters at the bottom of the mountains. Even in July, you can see snow atop the mountains on the Montana-Idaho border.

• Large, open water front spaces to set up "shop"
• Site 10 had room for 3 tents, 3 SUVs, 1 picnic table + extra side table, fire ring/grill, canoe, chairs around fire and shoreline, laundry lines
• Not crowded (maybe 5 sites taken when we were there)
• Bathrooms are clean (but no locks or hand sanitzer...at least the one I used)
• Water available
• One bear storage container at front entrance
• Must pack up and take out your own trash (no bear proof trash cans)
• Fire rings with grills available

Overall it was a great campsite. There are currently 17 camping spots with a cabin as well. The campsite is located right on the lake and it’s about a 15 mile commute on a gravel road to get there. If your plan is to stay at the campsite for the duration of your visit I would recommended it. But if you are going to explore the area you have to make the 30 mile round trip in order to get to the main road. It was also busy when we got there (Friday night) all 17 campsites were full. There are plenty of great campsites that aren’t 30 mile round trip on gravel roads. The actual sites itself were nice with picnic tables and fire pits.

We have done only boondocking but were tired and wanted proximity to town. A few spots left and asked for one on the river, which had its own deck. Kind of shocked it was $45 a night after so much free camping !

But nice to have hookups and our own deck looking over the river watching osprey fish

Host is a bit peculiar, almost grumpy but if you chat for a bit he’s actually a wealth of local folklore Quiet enough. And felt private from other campers , so on a 12 night trip it was worth it. Walked to dinner at Shady Nook My second pic is a drive we took on Shoup Rd