Destination Wild

Overview

The Star Meadows Guard Station has all the rustic feel of a remote Forest Service cabin while still being accessible by paved road from Whitefish. Furnished with a refrigerator/freezer, range and oven, microwave, coffeemaker, pots and pans, dishes and silverware, and electric heat, this cabin has everything you need to come and enjoy some time in the Forest. Nearby Tally Lake and Sylvia Lake offer opportunities for water play and fishing and a centralized location in the Tally Lake District to access miles of hiking, biking or horseback riding trails with a trailhead right behind the cabin. Enjoy a large backyard area for family games, or just sit in front of the campfire with s’mores and make some memories. Star Meadows Guard Station is 23 miles from Whitefish on Forest Service Road #539. The road is paved and open year-round.

The Star Meadows Guard Station was built in 1941 to house Forest Service personnel and stock for the Tally Lake District. It was built to replace a 1908 building at the same location. The site operated as a work center when the Ranger Station was located at Tally Lake. In 1953, the District Office moved to Whitefish. The station housed fire suppression crews, contractors, and timber camps, and served as a staging area for engineers designing and building the roads on the District. During the winter months, the road was not plowed, and the site was inaccessible.

In 1991 a cultural survey found that the facilities were historically significant and were placed on the National Historic Register. In 2001, A Passport in Time project (PIT) funded the beginning of the restoration.

Recreation

There is plenty of opportunity for hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking in the area surrounding the cabin. Trail #171A starts in the back yard and goes all the way to Sylvia Lake approximately 10 miles away. In the winter, visitors enjoy cross country skiing and snowshoeing. Snowmobiling can be enjoyed on designated trails, but is not permitted on the cabin grounds.

Big game hunting in the national forest lands is a popular activity enjoyed by visitors, as well as fishing in Sheppard Creek behind the cabin, other nearby mountain streams and Tally Lake, which is about 11 miles east of the cabin. Guests at the cabin also enjoy ample open space for yard games and other outdoor group activities.

Facilities

Natural Features

The cabin sits in a valley near the foot of Mt. Swaney, providing views of the surrounding forested mountains. It is in the northwestern corner of Flathead National Forest in the Tally Lake Ranger District.