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Water

Established Camping

Court Sheriff Campground

Court Sheriff Campground, near Helena, Montana, is a picturesque spot that offers a fantastic lakeside experience for campers. With sites right by the water, it’s a prime location for swimming, fishing, and simply soaking in the stunning views of Canyon Ferry Lake.

This campground is known for its clean and well-maintained facilities, including picnic tables and fire rings, perfect for evening gatherings. Visitors have praised the beautiful setting, with one camper noting, “The lake is right against the sites and makes for a beautiful place to stay.” While there are limited amenities, those who are self-contained will find it a great place to unwind.

For those who enjoy wildlife, you might spot deer wandering near the water in the evenings, adding to the charm of your stay. The area also offers plenty of opportunities for exploration, whether it’s a leisurely walk along the shore or a more adventurous hike nearby. Just keep in mind that it can get lively during peak times, so if you’re looking for a quieter experience, consider visiting during the week.

Description

Bureau of Land Management

Canyon Ferry Lake

Overview

Court Sheriff Campground is located at the very north end of Canyon Ferry Reservoir, 30 miles east of Helena, Montana, along Montana Highway 284. Court Sheriff Campground offers year-round access to a wide range of recreational opportunities. Court Sheriff Campground is named for the Sheriff family. In 1865 Court Sheriff moved into the region from the state of Illinois to Montana to work the mines. Court Sheriff first worked the mines in Diamond City, then hired on as a carpenter to help build a wooden flume for the Magpie-Gave Hill ditch. In 1875 he opened a general mercantile to serve the miners east of the Missouri River at Cavetown. He moved to nearby Canyon Ferry in 1880, and by 1883 had established a general store and later added a livery stable and two-and-a-half-story hotel.

Recreation

Canyon Ferry Reservoir offers a wide range of year-round recreational opportunities. Water related activities include everything from swimming and fishing to sailing and motor-boating. Canoeists and kayakers explore the many quiet backwater bays. Jet skiers, windsurfers and water skiers skim the summer waves, while winter draws ice fishermen, ice boaters and ice skaters.

Natural Features

Court Sheriff Campground sits at the north end of Canyon Ferry Reservoir between the Big Belt and Elkhorns mountain ranges.

Contact Info

For facility specific information, please call (406) 475-3920.

Nearby Attractions

Court Sheriff Campground on Canyon Ferry Reservoir is located halfway between Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park along with the capital city of Helena, Montana. For up to date events visit, www.helenamt.com.

Fee Info

We only charge fees during "Peak Seasons" the 1st weekend of May through the second weekend of September.

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Location

Court Sheriff Campground is located in Montana

Detail location of campground

Directions

Heading north along MT highway 12/287, drive north to Spokane Creek Rd and turn right Yellow flashing light. Follow Spokane Creek Rd for 4.6 mi and turn right onto Co Rd 430/Canyon Ferry Rd and continue on to Court Sheriff Campground. The campground will be on the right.

Address

7700 Canyon Ferry Road
Helena, MT 59601

Coordinates

46.6579361 N
111.7077167 W

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Access

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

Stay Connected

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

Site Types

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

Features

For Campers

  • Trash
  • Picnic Table
  • Phone Service
  • Reservable
  • Drinking Water
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Pull-Through Sites
  • Big Rig Friendly

Reviews

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4.5

out of 5

14 Reviews

Reviewed Jul. 27, 2024

Beautiful and clean campground

We were passing through and needed a place to camp. We were surprised how well kept and beautiful the campground is! The host was amazing and works really hard to keep the sites in tip top shape. The lake is right against the sites and makes for a beautiful place to stay.

Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Court Sheriff Campground by Connor D., July 27, 2024
Reviewed Sep. 15, 2022

Lovely setting

Beautiful waterside setting. Stayed just outside season so free. 50% of toilets locked, but only about 4 pitches being used so not a drama. Limited facilities but if you're self contained with water etc this is great.

Month of VisitSeptember
Reviewed Jun. 27, 2022

Great Water Access

Overall it’s a nice campground and has some nice sites directly on the water. It seems like this is kind of a party place. Most people here were quiet and respectful of quiet hours, but there were a few sites shooting off fireworks and being very loud each night we were here.

Site20
Month of VisitJune
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  • Review photo of Court Sheriff Campground by Justin , June 27, 2022
  • (7) View All
Reviewed Jul. 12, 2021

Great place, loved the deer

We were able to get a site for the night in June only because it was a Thursday night. I was told it books up early for weekends by reservation. We got a tent site (parked in lot, walked to site maybe 50 feet). It was perfect with shade and right next to the water. Many sites had little or no shade, though. My son loved finding a few toads in the water. The deer seemed to have a route right next to our site and came out by the water in the evening. It was beautiful. Many places to walk around and explore.

Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Court Sheriff Campground by Kristen S., July 12, 2021
  • Review photo of Court Sheriff Campground by Kristen S., July 12, 2021
Reviewed Jul. 9, 2021

Court Sherriff Campground

Great campground with mix of sites and day use. Lots of shore access for swimming and fishing.

Month of VisitAugust
Reviewed Jun. 20, 2021

Great location, but campground hosts are rude

Very nice camp sites, with picnic table and fire rings.. over zealous campground hosts though. They're not helpful at all, very authoritarian and down right rude. Doesn't make for a pleasant camping experience.

Site11
Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Court Sheriff Campground by Diane , June 20, 2021
Reviewed Jun. 20, 2021

Great campsite terrible “hosts”

The hosts this year are from out of state. Sounds like AZ. And they are constantly looking for a argument, even after attorneys tell them to choose their battles.

Getting past that this is a epic campsite. Spread out. Great fire rings and picnic tables. All paved. Easy to park.

Site11
Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Court Sheriff Campground by Daniel B., June 20, 2021
  • Review photo of Court Sheriff Campground by Daniel B., June 20, 2021
Reviewed Jun. 18, 2020

A Gem

We spent two nights & it was perfect. It was easy to find and the road was good. No dirt roads. The campground had large sites & plenty of room to park our car. We have a 20 foot trailer but some here had much longer rigs, & they were fine. It is so beautiful . We will be back. We picked water view sites.

  • Review photo of Court Sheriff Campground by Julie A., June 18, 2020
  • Review photo of Court Sheriff Campground by Julie A., June 18, 2020
Reviewed Aug. 3, 2019

Very nice.

In response to Adrian S, who posted similarly under another name on Google....some facts are being left out.  She stated “after reading the rules about tents” the hosts tried to “extort money from them”. If they read the rules they state camp sites are for one camping unit with one tent allowed for children 17 and under.  When asked about the tent they initially said it would be occupied by adults, when told them about the rules they stated there would be a ch8ld joining them....so it was dropped.  In addition, we wouldn’t ask them to pay more for another adult tent, they would be asked to obtain a second site.  As for stepping in front of her husband....he was speeding throughout the campsite (the two were obviously having a disagreement, but the speeds he was traveling in his anger, could have hurt someone. He did almost hit me as I tried to get him to slow down, but definitely didn’t “throw” myself in front of him....I had to move out of his way....and she wasn’t in site of the occurrence.  When she came walking past I asked if that was her husband and when she confirmed it was, I told her he needed to slow down in the campground and she proceeded to start cussing at me...to which I responded “no problem, I’ll just call the Sheriff.  

I normally don’t respond to criticism...if I’m in the wrong and/or true facts are stated.

SiteHost
Month of VisitJune
Reviewed May. 26, 2019

10/10 would not recommend

This campground had dead animals, dog feces, ant hills everywhere, and the camp host tried to lie about tent policies to try to extort our family out of more money. Not to mention he threw himself in front of my husband who was leaving the campground, even though his passengers corroborated his experience, the camp host later screamed at me that he was going to call the cops and I am disabled due to PTSD. I have been going to this campground for 30+ years and would never go back after this last experience.

Month of VisitMay
Reviewed May. 20, 2019

Great

Close to the water. Lake is fun

Reviewed Aug. 27, 2018

Nice large campground - good for RVs and Tents

Court Sheriff is a large campground with roomy campsites. All the roads and parking pads are paved. Plenty of Vault Toilets throughout the campground. Site is available year round. No fees in the winter, but also not water and trash service in the winter. Have camped here several times in the winter. Plenty of sites along the lake. A small walk-in tent only area is at the far end of the campground.

Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Court Sheriff Campground by Dexter I., August 27, 2018
  • Review photo of Court Sheriff Campground by Dexter I., August 27, 2018
  • Review photo of Court Sheriff Campground by Dexter I., August 27, 2018
  • (10) View All
Reviewed Jul. 18, 2018

Find a sunny spot by the reservoir and enjoy the water

Half an hour outside of Helena is a beautiful reservoir lake. Court Sheriff Campground spreads out along its shore. Many sites are waterside and you can see families playing in it. Bring your boat or inflatables and relax.

Our site is not on the water. As soon as we pulled in the camp host hurried over. He was super helpful and directed us to a shady spot. As time goes on, I’m finding the afternoon sun to directly hit our teardrop. There is still plenty of shade for us to relax in. Clean vault toilets are spread throughout camp. Water spigots give good water from the aquifer below. They provide waste bags for dogs! Garbage and recycling are by the entrance.

There aren’t hiking trails nearby but you can drive back to Helena to find some good trails out of city park.

Site4
Month of VisitJuly
  • Drive to Court Sheriff Campground
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  • Review photo of Court Sheriff Campground by Art S., July 18, 2018
  • Review photo of Court Sheriff Campground by Art S., July 18, 2018
  • (7) View All

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the max vehicle length at Court Sheriff Campground?

    Court Sheriff Campground allows vehicles up to 100 feet.

  • Are fires allowed at Court Sheriff Campground?

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

  • Does Court Sheriff Campground have wifi?

    No, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, Court Sheriff Campground does not have wifi.

  • Is there cell phone reception at Court Sheriff Campground?

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

  • How hard is it to get a campsite at Court Sheriff Campground?

    Some campers book as far as 6 months in advance, so on high-demand weekends it can be very difficult to get a campsite at Court Sheriff Campground. If you want to get a last-minute campsite at Court Sheriff Campground, try setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts

  • Why is it so hard to get a campsite at Court Sheriff Campground?

    There are 46 campsites at Court Sheriff Campground and over 80 million Americans who camp! Try snagging a cancellation by setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts