Deadmans Basin

Deadman’s Basin Montana FWP Campground 10/24 Stopover for one night in 10/24. The reservoir along which this cg lies is low this time of year. Reservoir must be prettier in the spring and early summer when the water level is higher. (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good

(72 yr olds in 27’ trailer.)

Overall Rating: 4 Price 2024: See pricing in photo. Contrary to posted signs the website says that camping is free. Screenshot of website is also provided in photos . Security: no Usage during visit: our loop empty. Visual Privacy Between Adjacent Sites: no Site Spacing: good Pad surface: dirt Reservations: First come first serve Campground Noise: According to signage some action has been taken. Outside Road Noise: no Through Traffic in campground: no Electric Hookup: no Sewer Hookup: no Dump Station: no Potable Water Available: no Generators: sb allowed Bathroom: a clean pit toilet Showers: no Pull Throughs: yes Cell Service (AT&T): 1 bar Setting: near reservoir Recent Weather: clear and w highs in70s and 80s.
Solar: very good Insects: none Host: no Rig Size: large rigs should fit in some sites. Sites: see pics.

On our way from Helena to visit the Terry Badlands WSA to hike the Natural Bridges Trail, we decided to skip driving the interstate, and instead take US HWY 89 (MT-12) on our way east.

Using the dyrt to plan our trip, we saw this campground along the way and thought we'd just pop in to spend the night. I'm really glad we did. It's not reservable online, and in an area that's not heavily traveled, so there were plenty of spaces available. In-fact, there was only one other vehicle spending the night a ways away from us, so it felt like we had it all to ourselves.

We pulled in after dark. It's only a short way off of the highway, so you still hear some minimal road noise. (Max nightly fee is currently $18. With a MT fishing license, only $12, and if you're also over 62, only $5.) I would agree with other reviewers that the mix of day use areas interspersed with paid sites is a little confusing, but we had no trouble finding a spot. (Drive around and explore, you can't really go where you're not supposed to be.) We just headed straight in and landed at spot 14 in "Carl's Cove". Normally, this spot would be right on the water's edge, but the reservoir level was far below normal due to drought this year. The FWP ranger that rolled through at 7:30 am to check fee payment (there is no camp host that I'm aware of) mentioned that there may not even be a reservoir next year if conditions remain the same.

I would still camp here again regardless, for the nighttime sky alone. With no light pollution here, on a clear night like ours, the stars were simply astounding. I have only ever seen that many before on a hike through the Crazy Mountains, which you can see to the south from some campsites. The morning views are pretty and the reservoir was like glass with no wind. We took a nice, long walk in the morning to look at all of the other campsites, but if we'd have had a canoe or kayak with us, a morning paddle would have been just the thing.

P.S. We have T-Mobile and still had two bars of 5G access in this spot.

We went for an early morning hike to get some miles in before the summer heat set in. This left fewer hours to drive and the planned campground was not that good at all. Looking on The Dyrt we could one that we could reach around 4. Deadman’s Basin was located conveniently on our journey. 

Another guy was signing up for his site when we arrived. After borrowing our pen, he gave us the scoop. “The campground is not clearly understood but it’s Thursday - nobody will stop by to check. Go either direction and find a spot.” We went left and kept driving until we found an unoccupied loop (actually it only has 2 sites on it). We chose the site we could back into. It’s lakeside! 

A cottonwood tree is tall enough to provide some shade as the sun sets. The breeze is cooling. A motorboat tows a skier. A couple fishermen walk the lakeshore back to their pickup truck. After setting up we drove through the entire camp. There are day use and fee areas interspersed. A boat ramp and a site next to it. Many sites don’t have shade so choose wisely.

The beauty of this place caught our hearts by the time we left. Sunset drifting down with a strong breeze rhythmically working the waves - what a perfect site! Waking up just in time to be mesmerized by the sunrise over a calm lake - what a perfect lake! We highly recommend site 22 in breezy point loop. It’s the last site but it gave us tremendous moments. 

The cost is an odd thing. It’s $18 per night if you don’t have a Montana fishing license. The cost is less if you do. This seems steep given that there is no potable water and only vault toilets. However we’ll pay it to enjoy a break from the road.