Backcountry Cabin Rehabilitation

Project Overview

Yellowstone National Park’s backcountry cabins are the lifeblood of the vital work of backcountry rangers. The 38 backcountry cabins serve as home base to rangers on patrols in remote areas of the park as well as trail crews and park biologists conducting studies.

But Yellowstone’s elements are not kind to these historic structures. Approximately half of the cabins need significant repair work. The remaining cabins need regular maintenance to keep them preserved. One cabin, Lower Blacktail cabin, was swept away in the historic flood event in June 2022.

Yellowstone Forever is helping fund this important work starting with the rehabilitation of the Nez Perce cabin. Built in 1944, the Nez Perce cabin sits one mile east of the Grand Loop Road north of the Mary Mountain Trail. The Nez Perce cabin has extensive damage from decades of use, woodpeckers, snow-load, and general age.

Investing in Historic Structures

Superintendent Cam Sholly’s strategic priorities include improving the condition of historic structures in the park. The project will stop further deterioration of the Nez Perce cabin and preserve the historic structure that ties visitors and employees of the future to Yellowstone’s past.

Building Partnerships

One of the goals of this project is to continue to partner with Arch Ventures to complete portions of this work. For almost two decades, backcountry rangers have worked with Arch Ventures to complete work projects associated with backcountry and other operations in Yellowstone. This project will continue that partnership and strengthen our relationship with veteran volunteer groups.

Project Goals

The goal of the Backcountry Cabin Rehabilitation Project is to complete rehabilitation of the cabin while also adhering to historic preservation standards. This includes:

– complete replacement of the roof that is damaged and missing in places

– repairs to the cabin stovepipes which do not meet code for safety and leak water into the cabin

– replacement of the wood range

– replacement of the bunkbeds and mattresses

– new solar system

– new interior lights

– repairing the rafters, wood floor, and foundation

How Your Support Helps

Our goal, with your help, is to raise the $150,000 needed to fully rehabilitate the Nez Perce patrol cabin to historic preservation standards while also meeting the modern, functional needs of Yellowstone’s backcountry rangers, biologists, and trail crews. Patrol cabins are part of the historic fabric of Yellowstone National Park. Their absolute necessity for Yellowstone’s rangers in the past remains the same today.

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