40 acres hosted by Shawn And Lynne B.
1 lodging site
The Monarch Cabin sits at an elevation of approximately 8,600 feet on the west side of Elkhorn Peak. It is surrounded by more than 300,000 acres of public land with 80,000 acres of that being designated as a roadless area. The nearest human inhabitance is in the Historic Town of Elkhorn situated a bit more than 3 miles to the south and a drop of about 2,000 feet of elevation.
During the Summer, enjoy hiking, mountain biking, and trail running on maintained and unmaintained trails. Climb peaks with incredible views and fish in mountain lakes. Spring time provides opportunity to experience the splendor of the wild flower season. There are so many flowers that the whole area is alive with the aroma and multitude of colors. If you are lucky, you may see new born wildlife such as deer, elk, mountain goats, fox, moose and many others.
Winter time lends to incredible back country skiing, split boarding, and snowshoeing. The sunsets are typically spectacular while enjoying the views and solitude. Book for a time of full moon and with a clear sky a moonlight ski or walk is amazing.
From the West there is the Muskrat/Tizer Lakes trail which is a maintained, designated hiking/biking trail. To the south is an unmaintained, extremely rough forest service road leading to the cabin. To the east there is a trail to the top of Elkhorn Peak and to Crow Peak, the two highest peaks in the Elkhorn mountains. To the north there are trails leading to most anywhere in the Elkhorn Mountains. Tizer lakes are only about 3 miles away on an easy maintained trail. From there there are too many destinations to name. Hiking and biking is limited only by one's own ambition and skills. The Elkhorn endurance run is a well known event that has it's longer race route run right through the property.
At the end of a hard day of adventure, relax in the wood fired sauna and enjoy the amazing sunsets. If you are lucky, you might even hear elk bugling in the valley below (September/October).
Most people access the cabin by hiking, biking, snowshoes or ski's. If one choose to drive, a 4 WD truck would be a must and would still be difficult. Areas above the cabin are for non-motorized use only.The Monarch is an off the grid cabin that sits near tree line on the west side of Elkhorn Peak. There are 400 square feet of floor space in the kitchen/dining room area, two 100 square foot bedrooms on the main floor, and wall to wall matresses in a 200 square foot loft. There is a futon that can be used as a double bed in the main living area. Both bedrooms have double beds available. There is limited electricity from a small solar system. This system provides lighting, a ceiling fan, and 120V outlets in both bedrooms and one near the Kitchen sink. As a backup, three propane lights are available.
There are no other cabins or houses within over 3 miles and about 2,000 vertical feet. The property is surrounded by thousands of acres of public land. Access to this site is not for the light of heart. The non-maintained Forrest Service road is a very rough, rocky, single lane access. The road starts at the ghost town of Elkhorn and for bikers the cabin can be accessed by a well maintained non-motorized use trail up Muskrat Gulch (also not for the light of heart). Once there, the solitude and views are well worth the effort!
The view includes Boulder in one direction and Helena the another direction (both can be seen in the distance from the back porch), directly west is Blue Bird Flats, Three Brothers, and a host of other prominent areas. Sitting at an elevation over 8,600 feet, the views are spectacular!!! The sunsets are typically outstanding. The top of Elkhorn Peak is a short hike up a fairly steep trail. More than 10 different mountain ranges can be seen from the peak, on a clear day. In the spring the wild flowers are gorgeous and aromatic. If you are lucky, you may even see the mountain goats that live in the area. The lower part of the property consists of the remnants of the structures used for the mine which is commonly referred to as the Iron Mine.
