The hut was built by the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) in 1965 as a project proposed and largely overseen by noted author and alpinist William Lowell Putnam III who later became president of the American Alpine Club for several years and a long-term board member.

The ACC has held its annual General Mountaineering Camp in the Fairy Meadow area four times since 1981, although the hut was not used for the GMC because it is too small to accommodate all the participants.

[5] Summer access to the hut is via an estimated 4-7 hour hike up Swan Creek, gaining roughly 1,500 meters in about 8 km, from a trailhead that begins following a drive of 65 km on a logging road along the banks of Lake Kinbasket a portion of the upper Columbia River.

This road is sometimes washed out, and is at other times used by fast-moving logging trucks and so discussion with the forestry company, Evans Forest Products in Golden, British Columbia is advisable before starting out.

Hiking time on Swan Creek will vary greatly, and may be influenced by significant avalanche debris, heavy brush and other difficulties.

Because of this in summer, short helicopter approaches from the logging road are recommended for heavily laden parties to avoid a difficult bush thrash on the undeveloped trail up the creek.

Normal winter access is via helicopter from a landing pad located near the Trans-Canada Highway 50 km west of Golden.

Non-burnable garbage must be flown out at the end of the camp, but biodegradables, such as food scraps, bones, and paper waste can be burned in the wood stove.