Filed Under Hungry Horse

Schafer Ranger Station

Flathead National Forest Backcountry Administrative Facilities Historic District

The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) moved the district headquarters for the Middle Fork drainage to Schafer Ranger Station in 1925. Schafer Creek was one of the few sites in a region noted for its rocky narrow canyons that had the water, building material, and pasture necessary to sustain the facility. The oldest extant building is the log combination office/mess hall, constructed in 1928. A ranger’s house, built in 1933, follows the regional office’s standardized plans and resembles the ranger’s dwelling at Big Prairie. The corral complex, which includes a barn, hay shed, and tack shed, reflects the importance of pack animals to the back country. In 1932, the USFS built an airfield. When Congress authorized the Great Bear Wilderness in 1978, it specifically allowed Schafer Airfield to continue operating for the public. Nevertheless, the USFS uses pack trains to deliver and supply the historic station and guard stations in the Middle Fork, following the same trails used by early rangers and firefighters.

Images

Schafer Ranger Station
Schafer Ranger Station Schafer Ranger Station. Looking southwest to the front (north) and west sides of the office. Source: Montana State Historic Preservation Office Creator: Janen Caywood, Keegan Kinney Date: July-Sept. 2008
Schafer Ranger Station
Schafer Ranger Station Schafer Ranger Station. Looking northeast to the west side and rear (south) walls of the office. Source: Montana State Historic Preservation Office Creator: Janene Caywood, Keegan Kinney Date: July-Sept. 2008
Schafer Ranger Station
Schafer Ranger Station Schafer Ranger Station. Looking southeast to the front (north) and west side of the bunkhouse. Source: Montana State Historic Preservation Office Creator: Janene Caywood, Keegan Kinney Date: July-Sept. 2008
Schafer Ranger Station
Schafer Ranger Station Schafer Ranger Station. Looking southwest to the front (east) and north sides of the shop. Source: Montana State Historic Preservation Office Creator: Janene Caywood, Keegan Kinney Date: July-Sept. 2008
Schafer Ranger Station
Schafer Ranger Station Schafer Ranger Station. Looking west and the front (northeast) and southeast sides of the ranger's dwelling. Source: Montana State Historic Preservation Office Creator: Janene Caywood, Keegan Kinney Date: July-Sept. 2008
Schafer Ranger Station
Schafer Ranger Station Schafer Ranger Station. Looking east at the northwest side and rear (southwest) walls of the ranger's dwelling. Source: Montana State Historic Preservation Office Creator: Janene Caywood, Keegan Kinney Date: July-Sept. 2008
Schafer Ranger Station
Schafer Ranger Station Schafer Ranger Station. Looking northwest at the front of the fuel storage building. Source: Montana State Historic Preservation Office Creator: Janene Caywood, Keegan Kinney Date: July-Sept. 2008
Schafer Ranger Station
Schafer Ranger Station Schafer Ranger Station. Looking west at the front of the outhouse. Source: Montana State Historic Preservation Office Creator: Janene Caywood, Keegan Kinney Date: July-Sept. 2008
Schafer Ranger Station
Schafer Ranger Station Schafer Ranger Station. Overview of the corral area looking northeast. Source: Montana State Historic Preservation Office Creator: Janene Caywood, Keegan Kinney Date: July-Sept. 2008
Schafer Ranger Station
Schafer Ranger Station Schafer Ranger Station. Looking southwest at the front (east) and west side of the barn. Source: Montana State Historic Preservation Office Creator: Janene Caywood, Keegan Kinney Date: July-Sept. 2008
Schafer Ranger Station
Schafer Ranger Station Schafer Ranger Station. Looking south at the north wall of the hay shed. Source: Montana State Historic Preservation Office Creator: Janene Caywood, Keegan Kinney Date: July-Sept. 2008
Schafer Ranger Station
Schafer Ranger Station Schafer Ranger Station. Looking southeast at the front (north) and west walls of the tack shed. Source: Montana State Historic Preservation Office Creator: Janene Caywood, Keegan Kinney Date: July-Sept. 2008

Location

Flathead National Forest, Hungry Horse, Montana | Public

Metadata

The Montana National Register Sign Program, “Schafer Ranger Station,” Historic Montana, accessed March 29, 2024, https://historicmt.org/items/show/2343.