Willow Creek Campground

About 4.5 miles of gravel road leads to the entrance of Willow Creek Campground, a Bureau of Reclamation site outside Chester, Montana, where the road transitions to dirt trails that branch out to individual spots along the lake. Most sites are flat enough to accommodate large rigs. One reviewer brought a 35-foot fifth wheel in without difficulty, and several sites sit on elevated ground with open sightlines over the water.

The campground has a newer vault restroom near the entrance, along with picnic tables and stone fire rings at most spots. No water or dump station is available on-site, so self-contained setups are the practical choice. The area tends to see low use, and campers have reported having the entire lakeside to themselves for multiple nights.

Road conditions are a genuine planning factor here. The access road is clay-based and becomes extremely slick when wet, to the point where at least one visitor got stuck and needed significant effort to extract their vehicle. Check weather before heading out. When conditions are dry, the road handles trailers and larger vehicles without issue. Cell service is listed as available, which provides some reassurance if conditions change unexpectedly.

Both drive-in and boat-in access are supported, making the site workable for anglers or paddlers arriving by water. Pets and campfires are permitted. Campers wanting a more developed setup nearby can consider North Bootlegger Campground or Island Area Campground along the same stretch of Lake Elwell.