Best Cabin Camping near Cooke City, MT

I really enjoyed my stay at the Sunlight Rangers Cabin. I am a huge outdoors person, so coming here was perfect for me. There are some awesome hiking trails that lead you to some great views and scenery. The campground is located within the Shoshone National Forest and near Sunlight Creek. The scenery that surrounds the cabin is beautiful- lots of trees and mountains. The cabin was really nice, clean and well kept. You do have to call ahead of time to make your reservations because they do not take walk-ins. You do need to bring your own food and supplies because the campground does not provide that. You also are responsible for cleaning the cabin before you leave- they did tell us that you will be charged if you leave the place a mess. They do provide some cleaning products. Also, no pets are allowed. Thankfully we asked when we were booking the place, or else we would have brought our dog. We stayed in a 2 bedroom cabin, and had 4 people. The two bedroom cabin was plenty of room for the 4 of us. The cabins have all the amenities you need- a kitchen (table, stove, fridge), full bathrooms, living room (with fireplace), and beds. You do need to bring your own sheets and sleeping bags. During my stay, we hiked both days. We did Bonneville Pass and Jade Lakes. Jade Lakes was a pretty easy hike, however Bonneville Pass was definitely harder. Great views for both! I would definitely recommend hiking at least once during your stay. The Shoshone National Forest offers a great variety of hikes for all levels. I would just do your research beforehand so you don't get stuck doing a hike you can't handle. I would recommend this campground (however, it is about $150 a night, but worth it!).

This is one of the best camping cabins for equestrians that I found so far in Montana. Getting from the main road into the cabin can be a bit tricky for vehicles over 30 feet. This cabin has plenty of room to sleep 6. There are Corrals for horses and pasture. And the trails into the forest service are endless in a couple different directions. There is also a vault toilet for day travelers. The cabin has electricity and running water a fire ring and it's also close to a creek. The only down holes are mosquitoes and you cannot overnight camp only rent the cabin so if you're planning a trip you need to plan and Reserve this cabin in advance as it goes really fast every year.

I camped here twice last summer when I worked in the park as a wildlife research technician studying bats (This cabin may only be available for park staff). The hike in is best done as a through hike with a planned pick up on the other side. The trail is hard to follow in some areas. Starts out flat then you go up Mary Mountain where the cabin is located. The Mary mountain cabin is small but has enough bedding for up to 5 or 6 people. It has bunk beds, cots, tons of sleeping bags and pads. There is a cute porch, pic nic table, fire pit, and a double seated outhouse. Locks up nicely as there are definitely bears in the area. The small lake in front of the cabin is cold and clear. One of my favorite places in the park!

This campsite was beautiful.

The sites are spread out and spread between the trees.  Even with every site full, you still have space.

Every site has a fire ring and a bear box.  Each loop has its own restrooms and dish wash station.  Each loop is farther back from the main road and the overall campground is large.

The check in building also has laundry and showers.  You get a punch card when you check in that gives you one free shower per person per day for your stay, and additional can be purchased.  This building also sells ice, firewood, and other essentials.  

Several gift shops, food options (gasp), and a gas station are just across or down the main road from checkin.

At checkin we were told there were less bear sightings as some of the other campgrounds in the park.  They still have a bear policy that says no scents outside of hard sided vehicles or bear box.  We were told the rangers are more likely to give you trouble for breaking the policy than the bears were, and while bear spray was recommended, it would not save you from a ticket from the rangers.   

Quiet hours begin at 8pm, after which rvs cannot run their generators.  The rangers actually drive around and enforce this, which is wonderful!  

I would recommend making sure you have enough gas to get you out of the park to the nearest town.  While there are several 24 hour pumps in the park including one right near the campground, the entire park lost power during our visit, and none of the gas pumps worked on the day we were leaving.

Also if you have T-mobile, there is coverage for emergency calls only in this part of the park.

Drive towards Yellowstone and the head east. The road is nice and meanders through ranches and homes, even after turning to dirt. We saw deer as well as an eagle taking flight next to us. Way at the end of the road is Snowbank. The road through camp is narrow and two-way so exercise caution. We were lucky to find a site unreserved for one night. 

Sites have different feels to them. Ours stretches- car then teardrop then picnic table then fire pit and finally extra space for tents. We’re right by the creek and it’s loud enough so we don’t hear that generator down the way. Water is available and there are a number of vault toilets throughout. We got set up just before the thunderstorms. It rained hard and then the hail started. 

A trailhead is just outside the entrance. Tall grass was everywhere and we never saw anyone parked there. We’re assuming that it doesn’t get used as much. 

This is active bear territory and there are ample warnings. This is a beautiful, remote campground that we are enjoying.