Bishop Mountain Cabin

Bishop Mountain Lookout Cabin is located 16 miles southwest of Island Park, Idaho, within the Caribou-Targhee National Forest’s Ashton/Island Park Ranger District. Situated at an elevation of 7,800 feet atop Bishop Mountain, it is accessible via U.S. Highway 20, then 16 miles of high-clearance gravel roads requiring a four-wheel-drive vehicle from early June to mid-November, or by snowmobile along an ungroomed route from late November to May. 

Natural Features:
The cabin sits on the western edge of the Henry’s Fork Caldera, surrounded by a pine forest of lodgepole and other conifers, offering expansive views of the Island Park Reservoir and surrounding peaks. The area is part of a volcanic landscape, with open slopes and forested ridges hosting wildlife such as black bears, elk, and moose, visible from the cabin’s elevated perch near a historic fire lookout tower. 

Recreation:
Bishop Mountain provides opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, and hunting in the summer and fall, with snowmobiling and cross-country skiing available in winter along ungroomed trails. The nearby Island Park Reservoir, five miles northeast, supports boating and fishing for trout and kokanee salmon. Harriman State Park, 14 miles east, offers fly-fishing on Henry’s Fork and wildlife viewing, while the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway, 20 miles south, features Upper and Lower Mesa Falls. Yellowstone National Park’s west entrance is 30 miles north. 

Facilities:
The cabin, built in 1938 by the Civilian Conservation Corps and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986, offers one room with two sets of bunkbeds with mattress pads, a dining table, chairs, cooking pots, dishes, and tableware. No water, electricity, or indoor plumbing is provided—guests must bring their own water and bedding, with a vault toilet outside. Access is through a gated road with a combination lock (code provided upon reservation), and the cabin accommodates up to four people. 

Season: Open all year; Snowmobile or ski access only Dec. 1st to March 31st.