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Custer Gallatin National Forest › Ashland Ranger District › Montana
› Rosebud County
› Ashland
› Diamond Butte Lookout
› Campsite #1
Campsite #1 at Diamond Butte Lookout, MT
$45
Cabin Site #1
| 4 people | |
| 4 | good |
3/14
3/20
Campsite #1 Features: Back-In parking, Cabin Site, Pets Allowed
Campsite Reviews (25)
4.0 out of 5
| 5 star | | 76% |
| 4 star | | 16% |
| 3 star | | 4% |
| 2 star | | 4% |
| 1 star | | 0% |
@JEFFH5417641 · Camped on Jan 24, 2026 at Campsite #1
Our stay was during a sub-zero weather pattern. Propane heater keep the lookout very comfortable. Star gazing was tremendous. Tile floor was cold but did warm up after two days. Highly recommend a stay here.
@BrianM6776107 · Camped on Dec 29, 2025 at Campsite #1
We had such an amazing experience at the lookout and it was such an awesome way to celebrate the new year! This place is where to go when you want to be in the middle of nowhere and not see anyone else for a couple days. The heater (super warm), fridge, stove/oven, and lanterns all worked great, just had to find the valve outside to get the propane flowing. The sunrises/sunsets are phenom and you can see stars you may have never seen before! Be ready for a hike to bring your gear up, we used a wagon and it helped a bunch!! Also, a Luggable Loo is a must if you don't want to walk down to the toilet in the middle of the night! We did some hiking and just enjoyed our time in this beautiful area of SE Montana!! We hope to make it a yearly tradition!!
Excellent
@MichaelS838841 · Camped on Oct 10, 2025 at Campsite #1
There are no cleaning supplies in the lookout so bring your own. They used to supply them but since the nice lady at the USFS office in Ashland retired a few years ago things have gone down hill.
Excellent
@BenR1679197 · Camped on Jan 1, 2025 at Campsite #1
Love it! Thank you Ashland Ranger District for keep this location up! I had a great stay there and it feels like you are on an island in the middle of the plains.
Excellent
@StephenJ144546 · Camped on Feb 9, 2024 at Campsite #1
It was dirty and no firewood! Other wise it was fantastic as always!
Excellent
@DANIELL7634709 · Camped on Feb 3, 2024 at Campsite #1
Great location and well stocked lookout. The reason for the low review is mainly the price. A couple of years ago it was 25 a night. Now it's 45 a night plus fees. 8 additional dollars just to make the reservation. To me thats a ridiculous price for something that is already owned and to be enjoyed by the public. Our tax money goes to supporting our public lands and is the whole reason that lookout is there even to begin with. Seems to me the Ashland Ranger district is now just getting greedy but I guess that is on par with what the Forest Service typically does.
Excellent
@RobertP6375002 · Camped on Dec 7, 2023 at Campsite #1
We last stayed May 2021 for 2 nights (See Review) but got to enjoy 3 nights this time. Not much has changed and it was great as usual! We think this it in the top 3 of all cabins and lookouts we have rented out of 36 so far.The gate to the stairs is broken so you can't fasten like before. We did leave a couple pieces of wire to secure it from the angle support at the top. We didn't have a single visitor over 3 days though which is always surprising as fire lookouts get a lot of attention. This being in December and so remote we didn't expect company.One thing we did notice is that there used to be puzzles, books, crayons and the like but they were all gone.We did not use the wagon but the tires were about flat. Bring an air pump if you need to use.The wind was so STRONG the first couple of days that the lookout actually shook for a second here and there. It also broke our kite which we always bring as the winds are great for that.No mice.If you are a light sleeper make sure to bring ear plugs like we carry as the propane heater cutting on and then popping is it cools down can be distracting.We got to enjoy an 18 wheeler cattle truck coming down Sonnette Road. The headlights shining from the ridge and then the trailer with all the lights passing by was great. With so few vehicles is seemed like a parade vehicle or hay ride.If anybody wants to donate a broom or two that would be great. The one at the lookout has a broken off top. The other could be left in the vault toilet to keep it nice.Thanks to the person who left the flashing LED foam tubes. They were interesting although the batteries were near dead.Word of caution! This time we came down 212 to Otter Creek Road to Taylor Creek Road to get here. Each way we ended getting flat tires from rocks. We weren't driving fast and drove even slower on the way out. Not sure what the deal was but we'll stick with Sonnette Road off 212 in the future.We miss the lookout already!
@AlexF8358570 · Camped on Apr 25, 2023 at Campsite #1
The pictures on Recreation.gov do not do it justice. Absolutely beautiful views for miles in every direction. The tower is equipped with just about everything you would need, propane stove, refrigerator and lights, if it had running water and electricity i don't think you could get me to leave. Despite being 16ish miles down a dirt road in the middle of a National Forest you also get amazing cell reception around the tower.
Excellent
@DanielC8838163 · Camped on Feb 10, 2023 at Campsite #1
Good place. Heater worked wonders. Stove worked. Fridge worked. Car got stuck in mid-shin deep snow at the first hill and had to hike 0.5 miles in from turn onto road
Good
@WyattJ6536193 · Camped on Oct 23, 2022 at Campsite #1
Incredible place to stay. So much to see during the day, and the stars are amazing during the night!
Excellent
@JohnH6042358 · Camped on Sep 18, 2022 at Campsite #1
We had a wonderful time at the lookout. Everything was as advertised, we have another trip planed for Granit Butte lookout very soon.
Some Coverage
@DougM815 · Camped on Dec 24, 2021 at Campsite #1
Nice place to spend Christmas. We had some snow and lows in the teens with gusty winds at times, but also some clear skies during the day and night. The propane heater is great - we kept it set to 1 (out of 5 total) and stayed toasty warm.
Some Coverage
@JimH467 · Camped on Nov 23, 2021 at Campsite #1
Our family loved our stay.
We will book it again!
We will book it again!
Excellent
@BrandonDeanM72 · Camped on Oct 16, 2021 at Campsite #1
This is, hands down, the NICEST lookout we have ever stayed in. Propane fridge/freezer, cooking and heating stoves, lighting...very comfortable. And don't let the pictures fool you - the views are amazing.
A couple of notes:
It can get very muddy, and I'm not talking fun splashy mud. This is some kind of alien technology built to encumber human movement.
Don't plan on driving up when there's snow on the ground. We made it up to the cattle guard and hiked in the rest of the way because of knee-deep snow over the road.
Turn the main propane line on that to the right of the downstairs door as you are walking up. It'll save you a trip.
Follow the directions on the fridge to a T and everything works great.
Keep an eye out for gypsum crystals and fossilized wood. Theyre everywhere.
Theres a cool thermal vent just down the hill at the right hand side of the stairs. Hot mud.
The visitor logs are in the drawers in the table.
Have fun! We loved it!
A couple of notes:
It can get very muddy, and I'm not talking fun splashy mud. This is some kind of alien technology built to encumber human movement.
Don't plan on driving up when there's snow on the ground. We made it up to the cattle guard and hiked in the rest of the way because of knee-deep snow over the road.
Turn the main propane line on that to the right of the downstairs door as you are walking up. It'll save you a trip.
Follow the directions on the fridge to a T and everything works great.
Keep an eye out for gypsum crystals and fossilized wood. Theyre everywhere.
Theres a cool thermal vent just down the hill at the right hand side of the stairs. Hot mud.
The visitor logs are in the drawers in the table.
Have fun! We loved it!
Excellent
@RobertP952 · Camped on May 14, 2021 at Campsite #1
See my last review. Thank you to whoever cancelled so I got to spend two days here instead of one! I also was the last renter to pay $25.
Excellent
@RobertP6375002 · Camped on May 13, 2021 at Campsite #1
Wow! Where do I even begin? Awesome views, awesome features and awesome design.When you get there get the key from the lookout so you can get the cart in the bottom portion of the building to haul your gear up that hill. You will want to put the heavy items in the front of the cart or else you will be doing wheelies. Please do not overload as the cart has been replaced or repaired twice over the years but who know how fast that happens. It is also faster and safer going up and down with 2-3 small loads than one big one.Flip the switch at the bottom of the fridge when you first get there so the fridge starts getting cold. The Forest Service wants all valves turned off between visitors. The freezer with get cold first so put items in there as the fridge portion took about an hour or so to get cold.Forest Service or future visitors please bring a new hardback blank book for use as a journal or even a thick notebook so people can continue to leave notes about their visit. Some stories and tips and pretty interesting and funny. I am also amazed at some of the artwork people do.There were no signs of mice upstairs but evidence of some below but there are traps down there.Full cell phone service & 4G LTE for Verizon. There is a tower 6 miles east. To be able to have that in the middle of nowhere was surprising.Keep the heater are level one or two as it will burn you up. Super efficient.Keep the door closed to limit flies or you will be "Lord Of The Flies".Please note the vault toilet is available for public use so don't leave your super comfy 2 ply there. It will get used or taken especially during hunting season.This is the NICEST Forest Service cabin/lookout I have ever stayed at. Why can the Ashland Forest District have these cabins/lookouts with power from electricity or propane but others have none at all? Is it the funding or the people running the district?Thank you Ashland Forest Service!
@RobinR796 · Camped on May 2, 2021 at Campsite #1
Great stay. Our visit was May 2-5, not hunting season, so very quiet. Only saw a few cars pass the entire time we were there. Follow the Forest Service directions not any Google or Waze. We came from Colorado and made the mistake of thinking we had found a quicker way, but were rudely surprised by a bridge closure near Broadus causing a backtrack of an hour. The scenery was more dramatic than we expected. Like being on a Colorado fourteener. Mountain ranges in the distance. Pronghorns grazing. There was quite a bit of wind but that's too be expected at the top of a ridge. Great hiking around. We had brought our ebikes along and had wonderful roads to ourselves. One day a lone antelope raced alongside my husband husband. What a sight. Another afternoon a quick moving rain storm treated us to a double rainbow that we could almost touch it was so close. The accomodations were clean and well cared for considering the amount of use the lookout appears to receive as noted in the logs. If you hike across the meadows watch out for ticks. Spray before you hike, and check for ticks on return. It was warm enough that we did not need the heater, but nice to see it there. Also a propane refrigerator and stove. This is a special place. We hope others that rent it will also appreciate it and treat it with respect. Thanks Forest Service for keeping these available for all to enjoy.
Some Coverage
@KellyB233 · Camped on Apr 30, 2021 at Campsite #1
Absolutely divine. The wagon is a great help getting things up the hill. The views are insane. What a peaceful place. Lookout is clean and conscientious. Can’t wait to get back!
Excellent
@TaitS988 · Camped on Mar 19, 2021 at Campsite #1
So, so quiet. So beautiful. What a special place.
Excellent
@FelixK848 · Camped on Nov 24, 2020 at Campsite #1
Isolated location like we expected. The lodging quarters were just fine. The stove area was greasy but not everyone cleans things to the same degree so no big deal. The heat was plenty while temps outside were 16-30 degrees. Great place for us.
Excellent
@TammyW959 · Camped on Mar 26, 2020 at Campsite #1
We had a wonderful time! It is a beautiful view of the Big Horn Mountains.
@AndreyaT607 · Camped on Dec 22, 2019 at Campsite #1
The lookout was amazing. Clean, had everything we needed, safe, comfortable. We were lucky to have nice, unseasonably warm weather. The propane heater kept us warm when the temps dropped at night. We cooked delicious meals on the propane stove. There was a propane fridge and oven that we didn't use. The futon was surprisingly comfy.
No Service
@KaraK524 · Camped on Nov 30, 2019 at Campsite #1
We planned our visit for right after Thanksgiving, as it is tough to get a reservation during the summer if you don't plan ahead. It is a very popular place with great sights and hiking. Even if you come in winter there is still great hiking and sights to see. However, in order to get to the lookout, there is a very steep path you must go up to reach the tower. During our stay, this path was covered in ice and was extremely slippery. We could not even use the wagon as it would just slide around and pulling the wagon through the grass on the side hill was not ideal either due to snow and not wanting to ruin vegetation.
It is a great experience and we loved the 360-degree view. We will be back, hopefully when it is not so icy!
It is a great experience and we loved the 360-degree view. We will be back, hopefully when it is not so icy!
Good
@DavidG534 · Camped on Nov 4, 2019 at Campsite #1
This is a very well kept lodging, warm and comfortable in all ways inspite of the very cold muddy period we were there. Others should treat themselves to the high altitude experience.
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