The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near Shawmut. Shawmut is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. At The Dyrt, campers like you share their favorite spots, plus tips and photos. No matter where you're headed in Shawmut, you'll find the best spot for you and your camping crew.
The Crystal Lake Group Campground is located in the beautiful Big Snowies south of Lewistown, Montana, at 5,700 feet. Home to the Crystal Lake recreation area, visitors enjoy hiking and fishing in the Snowies.
The lake provides opportunities for swimming, fishing and canoeing. The various trails that stem from the Crystal Lake complex provide excellent views and interesting photo opportunities. One trail displays old hieroglyphs in a cave allowing visitors a glimpse of the past.
Settled in the basin of Crystal Lake, the group site offers great access to trails and ta short drive or walk to the lake. Some trees are around the campsite but may not offer much shade.
Ice Caves Trail, Cascade Trails and the lake are all located in the complex.
$40 / night
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.
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.
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.
Crystal Lake, Ice Caves
$60 / night
Porcupine Cabin sits in the foothills of the Crazy Mountains at an elevation of 6,400 feet. It was built in 1914 after a previous structure burned down, and was remodeled by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1934. Since its construction, the cabin has been used as temporary housing by Forest Service rangers while they were patrolling for timber poachers, watching for fires and monitoring livestock. Today, it is available year-round to outdoor enthusiasts, offering access to a variety of activities. Guests can drive to the cabin in the summer, but a high-clearance, four-wheel drive vehicle is recommended due to road conditions. Winter access requires snowshoeing, skiing or snowmobiling up to 2 miles from the end of the maintained gravel road. Guests are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.
Guests can access the nearby trailhead for hiking, mountain biking and equestrian use, heading east into the Crazy Mountains. The trails are used by snowshoers and cross-country skiers in the winter.
The cabin sits on a hillside overlooking the grasslands of Shields Valley. This vantage point provides a majestic view of the Bridger Mountains and spectacular star gazing on a clear night. Guests can look out at the northern peaks of the Crazies from the front porch. Porcupine Cabin offers a quiet and fairly isolated retreat, however, there may be some passing traffic from recreational users accessing the nearby trailhead. Deer, moose, bears and elk may be spotted nearby. Several bird species that inhabit this area include bald eagles, owls, jays, western meadowlarks and mountain bluebirds.
$65 / night
A historic cabin known as Bennett Creek Cabin was located over a mile from this site, but it was recently replaced with the current Crandall Creek Cabin, a traditional log structure. This cabin offers rustic accommodations with limited amenities, so guests should be prepared to bring most of the supplies and gear they need for a comfortable stay. Access to the cabin is via a semi-primitive dirt road. Four-wheel drive is suggested on this road from June 16 to Dec. 1. Guests who arrive after Dec. 1 must get to the cabin by hiking, snowshoeing, skiing or snowmobiling seven miles from the end of the plowed road to the cabin. No off-road vehicles or motorcycles are allowed beyond the Shields River Loop gate from Dec. 2 to June 15. Guests are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety.
Activities in the area include hiking, mountain biking, birding, hunting, horseback riding and during the summer months, ATV's and motorcycles may be used on the main roads if street legal. Winter activities include snowshoeing, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing. Excellent fishing is available in the nearby creeks. Hunting is also a popular pastime in this area each fall.
Crandall Creek Cabin is tucked beneath the foothills of the Crazy Mountains. The front porch of the cabin offers a majestic view of Target Rock and spectacular star gazing on a clear night. The cabin is situated at an elevation of approximately 6,400 feet, near several creeks and the Shields River. This area is home to bears, elk, deer and moose, among other wildlife species. Birders may spot a variety of birds.
$65 / night
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Shawmut, MT?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Shawmut, MT is Spring Creek Campground & Trout Ranch with a 4.7-star rating from 18 reviews.
What is the best site to find cabin camping near Shawmut, MT?
TheDyrt.com has all 6 cabin camping locations near Shawmut, MT, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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