Meadow Creek Guard Station

Meadow Creek Guard Station is a remote backcountry cabin used as a guard station in Idaho’s Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests. It’s accessed by a roughly 15-mile hike or horseback ride up the Meadow Creek National Recreation Trail, and the cabin is typically available from May 1 to September 15.

The cabin sleeps up to six people in a rustic setup with wood heat and a wood cook stove. An outhouse is located near the cabin, and there is an indoor water system that’s only available seasonally and is non-potable, so water needs to be filtered or boiled before drinking.

Cooking/heat and basic supplies are partly provided (including a propane refrigerator and cookware/kitchen utensils), but visitors need to bring things like matches, bedding, flashlights, first-aid supplies, and Coleman fuel. If you’re traveling with stock, a corral is provided and grazing should be beyond the grassy area in front of the cabins; weed-free feed is required for stock access.

Bookings for Meadow Creek Guard Station are handled through Recreation.gov. There is also a required key pickup process from the Moose Creek Ranger Station before hiking or riding in. Maximum capacity is 6 people, and the cabin drinking water is treated as non-potable.