Camper submitted image from Black Sandy State Park Campground - 1

View Photos

Camper submitted image from Black Sandy State Park Campground - 2
Nature
Camper submitted image from Black Sandy State Park Campground - 3
Roads
Camper submitted image from Black Sandy State Park Campground - 4
Water
Camper submitted image from Black Sandy State Park Campground - 5
Camping
Unlock Planning Tools in App

Established Camping

Black Sandy State Park Campground

Black Sandy State Park Campground, near Helena, Montana, is a scenic spot that offers a great lakeside experience for campers. With sites right by the water, it’s perfect for those who want to enjoy swimming, fishing, or just soaking up the sun.

The campground provides electric hookups and has a small camp store for essentials. Visitors have mentioned the clean bathrooms and the availability of picnic tables, making it easy to settle in and enjoy meals outdoors. One camper noted, “All the sites are on the water. Nice swim area. Clean bathrooms.”

For those looking to explore, the area is ideal for boating, with a boat launch available right at the campground. While cell service can be spotty, many find it a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Just keep in mind that the sites can be a bit tight, so maneuvering larger rigs might require some patience.

Whether you’re planning a weekend getaway or a longer stay, Black Sandy State Park Campground offers a relaxed atmosphere with beautiful views and plenty of opportunities for water activities.

Description

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Region 3

Black Sandy State Park

One of the few public parks on the shores of Hauser Lake, this popular campground provides access for boating, waterskiing, walleye and trout fishing, and other water activities. Interpretive displays describe the history of this area.

<font>ADA designated campsites may only be reserved and occupied by a party who can provide proof of disability upon arrival. Proof of eligibility for at least one member of your party will be required in the form of a DMV (or other states equivalent) issued person with disabilities placard or disabilities motor vehicle license plate. The eligible member of your party must be an occupant of the site for the entire reserved period. Failure to comply with these requirements will result in the cancellation of your reservation and forfeiture of your reservation fee. Additional cancellation fees will be applied. </font>

Camping is allowed in designated areas only. All boats, trailers, rigs and motorized vehicles must fit entirely within the campsite parking-spur provided. Any equipment that does not fit entirely within the campsite parking-spur must be parked outside the campground in an area designated by the park manager.

Open fires are allowed only in established iron fire rings and grills. Propane and LPG camp stoves are allowed. Smoking is not allowed except in enclosed vehicles or developed sites at least 3 feet in diameter and cleared of all flammable materials.

Reservations are non-transferable and cannot be sold, bartered, or traded. The primary occupant and/or their party are the only persons authorized to camp in the site during the duration of their reservation.

Check-in time is 2:00pm for campsites (local time).

Check-out time is 1:00pm for campsites (local park time). Late checkouts may incur additional fees unless prior arrangements have been made with park staff.

The maximum capacity at each individually signed or numbered campsite is eight (8) people. This typically involves a single camping unit, which includes, but not limited to, a tent, motor home, camping bus, truck mounted camper shell, pull-type camper, or other device designed and commonly used for sleeping. In the event the site is designated as Double Site, the site capacity for that site is doubled to allow for sixteen (16) people and two camping units.

Campfires are allowed in designated areas only!

Pets must be kept on a leash. Please check with destination park staff for local restrictions.

Quiet hours are enforced from 10:00pm to 7:00am.

Fireworks are prohibited in all parks at all times. No Exceptions..

All watercraft entering Montana must be inspected before launch and purchase Vessel AIS Prevention pass. For more information visit cleandraindrymt.com.

In case of an emergency when visiting Montana State Parks, please dial 911. You may also wish to notify park staff for additional assistance if necessary.

For non-emergency assistance please contact park staff.

Suggest an Edit

Location

Black Sandy State Park Campground is located in Montana

Detail location of campground

Directions

Black SandyState Park is located 7 miles north of Helena on I-15, then 4 miles east on Secondary 453, then 3 miles north on county road.

Address

930 Custer Avenue
Helena, MT 59601

Coordinates

46.74500087 N
111.88700036 W

Open in Google Maps

Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Walk-In
    Park in a lot, walk to your site.
  • Hike-In
    Backcountry sites.
  • Boat-In
    Sites accessible by watercraft.

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Fair
  • Verizon
    Good
  • AT&T
    Unknown
  • T-Mobile
    Unknown

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)
  • Group

Features

For Campers

  • Picnic Table
  • Reservable
  • Drinking Water
  • Electric Hookups
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Sanitary Dump
  • Sewer Hookups
  • Water Hookups
  • 30 Amp Hookups
  • 50 Amp Hookups
  • Big Rig Friendly

Drive Time


Reviews

Add Review

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

27%
54%
14%
10%
0%

4.0

out of 5

15 Reviews

Reviewed Sep. 20, 2023

Nice lake

The lake is right at the rear of your camper. Sites are extremely close together and only electric hookup. No sewer or water hook up. Must already have water or get it at the dump station at the entrance. You must use a bucket or jug for water at the campsites as the rangers no longer provide adapters for the hydrants. Not good as a little maintenance could fix any issues.

Site16
Month of VisitSeptember
Reviewed Nov. 2, 2022

Black Sandy State Park

I rolled into this place because White Sandy BLM was closed on Nov 1. This CG looks to stay open year round because it has a boat launch. The water was turned off and the main bathhouse was closed for the season. Two pit toilets remain open. The electric service was still on for the sites. The tent only sites were not suitable for van camping and require a walk to the tent site. I used the RV site and about half of them a siamese type sites with gravel pads. I was the only one here so this didn’t matter. Cell service on Verizon is one bar 3G so I set up my starlink.

Site22
Month of VisitNovember
Reviewed Jun. 30, 2022

Beautiful Lakeside Spot!

All the sites are on the water. Nice swim area. Clean bathrooms. Basically no cell service. Sometimes it flits in and out, not to be counted on. Sites are very close together, but you're here to play on the water anyhow! Can rent a boat slip if you want. Most of the sites are really tight to get into with a larger rig.

Site25
Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Black Sandy State Park Campground by Mimi , June 30, 2022
  • Review photo of Black Sandy State Park Campground by Mimi , June 30, 2022
Reviewed Jun. 14, 2022

Nice

Sites are close together. Most trailed spots are in pairs. Sites are small. #1 and 27 are the best

Site9 and 27
Month of VisitJune
Reviewed Sep. 30, 2021

A hidden gem for sure

Don't go! We want to still be able to find a spot.😜 we thought the road in was in really good shape. We didn't think it very rough. From the second we arrived we knew it was a good choice. Adam welcomed us and helped us to find the perfect spot. All sites are on the water. Beautiful views of the mountains in the distance. Electricity. Water was from s common spicket. Flush toilets but no showers. We arrived on the last day of the season, so the rates went down slightly. Yay! If you don't fish or boat/kayak/sup, relaxation would be the next most popular thing to do. No real hiking opportunities. Speaking of boating, there are docks behind most campsites, so you do not have to pull your boat out everyday. Also. The small camp store does have a few things. The dump station is before you enter the CG, with potable water.. It's maybe 15 min to town.

Month of VisitSeptember
Reviewed Jun. 8, 2021

Nice lake, rough road

Great campground for summer. The lake is beautiful and cool. Large boat access area. There is a nice trail through the area, day use and overnight spaces. A little camp store with the basics. Not a lot of shade so make sure to bring sunscreen. Keep an eye out for snakes on the trail. The road is very bumpy to get to the lake. No cell phone service with Verizon. A couple vault toilets. A pump spigot.

Site3
Month of VisitJune
Reviewed Sep. 29, 2020

Great location with a caveat

Pull up next to the lake. Electric, wood, toilets, noisy boat docking, gnats available. Office super friendly and helpful. Fishing near dam close by.

  • Review photo of Black Sandy State Park Campground by C. W., September 29, 2020
Reviewed Aug. 22, 2020

Black Sandy State Park

July 20-23, 2019 Will not return. Sites 002 and 021 Electric and water available. Dump station out of order. Flush toilets. In order to use cellular, we had to boost. Dirt roads - windy and dusty. We were packed in like sardines.

Site002 and 021
Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Black Sandy State Park Campground by Annell N., August 22, 2020
  • Review photo of Black Sandy State Park Campground by Annell N., August 22, 2020
  • Review photo of Black Sandy State Park Campground by Annell N., August 22, 2020
  • (8) View All
Reviewed May. 28, 2018

Black Sandy campground.

This is primarily a RV campground and boating access campground. Only A few tent only sights. With the exception of the first few sites, the rest are RV sites packed in tight. Short trail leads to a good overlook of the lake. Nice picnic area just past campground. Campground has flushing toilets during the main season, outhouses the rest of the year. Good hiking trail along the Missouri river is just down the road at the dam.

Month of VisitMay
Reviewed Oct. 1, 2017

Outside Helena

Nice big state park campground, but it fills up quickly. Views are good but they aren’t the Montana stereotypical snow-capped peaks. The camp sites where we stayed were pretty close together but right on the water. Good place to stay for a day passing through or for longer if you just want low-key time on the water.

  • Review photo of Black Sandy State Park Campground by Harry H., October 1, 2017
Reviewed Jul. 10, 2017

Jumping off point

This campground is pretty small but is located right on the edge of the lake making for some nice views and a relaxing environment. There are bathrooms, small docks, a swimming area in the lake, fire pits, and water. The best thing about this campground is the proximity to Hauser Dam. There are some wonderful hikes around the dam as well as great fishing. If you are there in August you can see the largest concentration of Bald Eagles west of the Mississippi.

Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Black Sandy State Park Campground by Evan H., July 10, 2017
  • Review photo of Black Sandy State Park Campground by Evan H., July 10, 2017
  • Review photo of Black Sandy State Park Campground by Evan H., July 10, 2017
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Aug. 1, 2016

Nice Little Place

Spent the weekend here mainly because it was cheap and I was really happy with what I got. The campsites were a little small and crowded if you have a bigger group and there wasnt any portable water. Despite this, it was really clean and nice.

Reviewed Jul. 28, 2016

Black Sandy

Very few camp spots, a few pull off picnic areas, farther down by the Hauser damn is really good trout fishing!! Browns are release, Rainbow and brook trout below the damn. Good spot to take the kids fishing, no pests to bug them :) rope swing in to water, water is wading level.

  • Review photo of Black Sandy State Park Campground by Carla S., July 28, 2016
  • Review photo of Black Sandy State Park Campground by Carla S., July 28, 2016
  • Review photo of Black Sandy State Park Campground by Carla S., July 28, 2016
  • (12) View All

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How much does it cost to camp at Black Sandy State Park Campground?

    Camping at Black Sandy State Park Campground can cost between $6.00 and $20.00 depending on the site.

  • Does Black Sandy State Park Campground have RV hookups?

    According to TheDyrt.com, Black Sandy State Park Campground has 30 amp and 50 amp electric hookups, water hookups and sewer hookups.

  • What is the max vehicle length at Black Sandy State Park Campground?

    Black Sandy State Park Campground allows vehicles up to 35 feet.

  • Are fires allowed at Black Sandy State Park Campground?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Black Sandy State Park Campground, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

  • Does Black Sandy State Park Campground have wifi?

    No, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, Black Sandy State Park Campground does not have wifi.

  • Is there cell phone reception at Black Sandy State Park Campground?

    According to campers on TheDyrt.com, Verizon signal is good, AT&T is unknown, and T-Mobile is unknown.