0
Pull-thru
USFSHelena-Lewis and Clark National Forest · Montana
Crystal Lake Cabin
Overview Crystal Lake Cabin provides sweeping views of Crystal Lake in the heart of the Big Snowy Mountains of Central Montana.
Sites1all reservable
Elev.6,093ft
Comf.Jun-Sep4 months
Max rigtents
Electricnonesites
From Billings3h49real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
At 6,093 ft, Crystal Lake Cabin has a 4-month comfortable window (Jun-Sep). Winter nights average around 15°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. All 1 sites are reservable in advance, so plan ahead. Popular weekends book out. Within about 4 miles: 3 peaks, lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on shade and reservability. Softest on cool nights.
Six axes, each scored relative to every other federal campground in the region: quiet (miles to a major road), cool (elevation), roomy (average site spacing), shade, RV-fit (longest rig), and how reservable it is. All six come from data, nothing hand-tuned.
When to go
02 · CLIMATE
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Mar
Jun-Sep
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
70%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
May 27
Last spring frost; first fall frost Oct 2.
55°F
Average July low. Bring a fleece.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Billings
148 mi
3h49
02
Bozeman
163 mi
4h16
03
Helena
204 mi
4h38
04
Missoula
282 mi
6h17
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 11.6 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 1 SITES
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
0
Accessible
0
Prime
1
Sites
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Trail segments
1
Peaks
3
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
11.6 mi
Method
We synthesize public data layers: RIDB and Recreation.gov facility and site records, Open-Meteo climate normals, OpenStreetMap roads, trails, and water, OSRM drive times, and USGS elevation. We take no bookings, no ads, and no paid placements. Independence is the entire point.