Garnet Mountain Fire Lookout

Beautiful view! Cabin looks fun. Great trail for hikers as well as ATVs

Love it! The roof leaks a bit so take something to cover the mattress in case its wet. Awesome thunderstorm, meteor showers, etc.

Garnet mountain is an old forest service lookout tower which has commanding views of much of the Gallatin and Spanish Peaks ranges. I can also be rented out from the forest service for overnight stays. You can hike from a trail near the Gallatin River, or a bit further up the dirt road via Rat Lake. The route from Rat Lake is used by ATVs and can be a bit noisy; when I went up a big party was making multiple trips down with all their gear and I sort of avoided the tower itself when I got up to the top. The other trail is foot traffic only, though it parallels the main road so there is some traffic noise. Pick your poison! The views are worth the hike, for sure!

A 3.5 mile hike with 2,800 feet of elevation gain leads to a beautiful lookout with 360 degree views. Plan and book ahead - it often is booked months out!

Favorite place to hike 5 miles to get to.