Best Equestrian Camping near Babb, MT

Montana is absolutely gorgeous! I may be biased because I go to college in Montana, but there is so many great outdoor activities. The mountains and scenery are my favorite. Some college friends and I have done a lot of camping over the years together, and Glacier Campground was one of my favorites. The campground is awesome, and is a few exits down from the Glacier National Park. Trees surround you within the campground, which was great because my friends and I had hammocks so those were easy to hook up with all the trees! One thing we really enjoyed doing was we did some horse back riding! There is a place nearby where you can go and do this. We had a blast!! There are many lakes and rivers too that are great. We enjoyed swimming in the lake, and also rented some kayaks at a local shop a few miles away. The campground does offer spots for tents, RVs and they also have cabins. We chose to tent because we are poor college students :). Maybe at some point we would try renting a cabin because they looked pretty fun. We didn't reserve our spot ahead of time, but we were able to get a spot still. It was in the spring time, so I'm sure if it was in the summer months you might want to call and make a reservation. Each campsite does have a table and fire pit which came in handy for us. We only stayed for the weekend, but wish we could have stayed longer to do some hiking. Because Glacier National Park is right around the corner, I know they have great hikes. If you are into hiking, I would definitely research hikes in that area. I can't wait to come back!!

In this video we review 2 more of the free boondocking(dispersed camping) sites near Glacier National Park and Columbia Falls, Montana. This time we focus on the Middle Fork Flathead River(Blankenship Bridge) and Glacier Rim River Access Locations. All locations are located in the Flathead National Forest and there is a 3 day stay limit at Middle Fork and 16 day stay limit at Glacier Rim. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO8kY0x0BoY&t=27

This is both a campsite review and a Dyrt Ranger product review.

CAMPSITE REVIEW: We almost cancelled our trip to Glacier due to the current forest fires that have closed some of the park. We decided to take a chance on it though, and stayed just outside the west entrance of the park, at the privately owned Glacier Campground. We decided, given possible problems with smoke and haze, to rent one of their camper cabins instead of tent camping. Their camper cabins here are cozy and really nice, and much more reasonably priced than any others in or near the park! There were a lot of nice tent and RV spots for camping too, the whole place was like an upscale state park with many large, secluded shady campsites tucked into beautiful mature forest. There is a terrific indoor-outdoor cafe on site, and a central gathering area with playground and group picnic shelters. There are hot showers and regular bathrooms too. The campground is 1/2 mile to the entrance to Glacier National park, but 1/2 mile in the other direction is the new “Crown of the Continent” Geotourism and Education Center sponsored by the state of Montana and National Geographic. The folks at the campground can shuttle you over here to view the high quality environmental and geography education exhibits on display, to sample local foods and crafts, or to sign up for outdoor adventures like horseback riding, fly fishing, llama trekking and more. The campground itself is pet friendly, they even allowed our dog to stay in a camper cabin with us, which many dont. To our dismay, we discovered that dogs arent allowed on hiking trails within Glacier National Park itself, but we got advice at both the campground and at the Geotourism Center about National Forest trails in the area that dogs ARE welcome to hike on. So this a fabulous place to stay, with something for everyone, and an especially good homebase for dog families who want to get out on area hikes. Note: there is also an Amtrak train stop near this campground, and they have a shuttle to pick you up if you arrive by train!

PRODUCT REVIEW (note: I made a video review that is in the photo gallery for this written review, but it seems to have uploaded in low-res format. For the high-def version, check this link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1RSpe9dDicR0ICEPaS_JBpTlKqszY9kWa

As a Ranger for the Dyrt, sometimes I get to test new products. This is a review for the OOmg women's low-rise sport shoe made by OOFOS. I was interested to try them out because they are billed as supportive "recovery shoes" for hikers or runners after a long trek. As I have plantar fasciitis and am also a few months post-recovery from a broken metatarsal, I wanted to try something that might help on an upcoming hiking and camping trip. After the shoes arrived, I thought I should break them in a bit so I wore them around the house and on dog walks around the neighborhood--so comfortable from the start that no breaking in was needed, but I also didn't want to take them off! Really comfortable and really supportive. I was really impressed--so impressed that once we started on our trip, I wore them on short easy hikes rather than just wearing them after hikes, and they held up well. In fact, they were more comfortable than my actual hiking shoes, so I ended up wearing them on all my hikes over the next week, more than 40 miles of action. They may not have the deep tread or the ankle support needed for really rugged or really steep and slippery mountain trails, but I tried them on easy to moderate trails in all kinds of conditions and they held up great, and so did my feet in them. I was really really impressed, more than I thought I would be. Through all the days of hiking, no pain, no arthritis, no trouble walking, these are not just great recovery shoes, but great overall walking shoes.

One other aspect that really impressed me was this: prior to my trip, I discovered a crack in the sole of the shoe, about an inch long, which appeared just a few days after I got them while I was just doing casual walking around the neighborhood. Perhaps I somehow stepped on something sharp that cut into the sole but I didn't know it because the soles are so thick and comfortable? I was disappointed about that and mentioned it to customer service when they emailed to see how I liked the shoes. They informed me that they guarantee their shoes, that if there is a problem in the first six months they can be returned for replacement. That seemed like a good plan, so I thought I would see how they held out during the hiking trip and maybe return them when I got home. However, part way through the trip, I checked the sole and the crack appeared to be smaller, only a half inch instead of an inch. At the end of the trip, I checked again--no crack at all! It seems the sole is made out of some kind of self-healing material. Walking on it had therefore made the crack better, not worse. Wow! Amazing! Needless to say, I won't be returning this pair, and will surely buy more in the future. I can't say enough good things about these shoes! In sum:

Pros:

1. These shoes have great arch support. They would be supportive for anyone, but I need especially good arch support with my plantar fasciitis, and these are more supportive than any other shoes or orthotics I have.

2. Good overall support. These shoes really cradle your whole foot with both support and shock absorption. I broke a metatarsal in my foot a few months ago, and wanted to go hiking anyway despite residual arthritis from it, but I found I had no pain at all when wearing these shoes, even on the one day when we hiked a fairly steep trail over 8 miles.

3. Self healing material in sole. There was a pretty good sized crack in the sole before we left for our trip, it slowly closed during the trip and was "healed" by the end of the trip ten days later. Impressive!

4. These shoes fit well right out of box, there was no need to break them in, the uppers are flexible and well fitting so they stay on nicely without laces, they also retain their shape without stretching out even while conforming to your foot. The order info recommends ordering a half size up as they run a little small, so I did that; I usually wear an 8 1/2 so ordered a women's size 9 and they fit perfectely.

5. Despite the snug fit, I never developed any blisters even after more than 40 miles of walking in them. I also didn't get sweaty feet when wearing them without socks, so the uppers are breathable, but they are also comfortable with peddies or regular socks

6. These are supposed to be recovery shoes for the end of the trail, after you have been hiking, but I found they were good ON the trail for both regular walking and fairly challenging hiking, and I tested them in a variety of conditions, in sun, rain, mud, on rocks, in forest shade and in the open, wading in water and sand, and they held up well through all of it. They seem to have good grip and traction on damp trails, though I am not sure about really steep or slippery trails

7. Not waterproof, but they dry quickly when they get wet

8. You can wash them if they do get dirty, I hand washed them with dish soap and so they look almost like new and dont lose their shape when they get really wet.

Cons:

1. These shoes aren't cheap, and some folks might be put off by the price. However, I would like to point out that I have paid more for supportive official orthopedic-type walking shoes, but these feel better and work better for me, so they would be worth every penny!

2. These are great casual outdoor shoes and I wouldn't hesitate to buy more in other colors! They are such good shoes, though, that I wish I had some like them to wear for work or formal occasions; but they don't really have a supportive shoe like this one in a nice dressy style. Maybe that will change, if they do come up with any I would buy them.

So, overall, wonderful shoes! Highly recommended!

Don’t even try to use the showers, you may catch something. The spots are all exposed. It is beside a highway. Try and go somewhere else. You don’t stay in those tipis. It is on Blackfoot land, so fishing costs additional to the tribe.

One bathroom and most of the shower house isn’t working. There’s an electric fence in front of trash cans to deter bears so campers put trash next to bins.

Great places to swim RV 10 count easy axis to glacier

We were there end or season so only a few sites occupied. The restrooms were being shut down, so we decided to stay elsewhere. The whole complex was clean, well manicured and cool to see authentic native American culture. We are heading back to Glacier next year and know where we will stay now

Stayed here one night while visiting Glacier. Loved that there was lots of space between sites - even though other people were around, we felt like we had our own spot and could spread out and enjoy the scenery. Campground is on water, so there's beautiful scenery, and also has very clean porta potties in addition to the main restroom, which was very convenient so that I didn't have to walk too far. Kind staff. Would definitely stay here again.

Booked online at Chewing Black Bones two days ago and showed up yesterday around 2 pm and get checked in and directed to our site. We set up our tent and chairs and headed to Glacier NP. Upon our return we found our things gone and a new group at our site. At the office they told us they had a computer glitch and assigned other people (walk-ins) the site after we had set up. I guess they forgot we had just checked in that afternoon? They must have assumed our gear was from someone who was supposed to check out. So they broke down our camping gear and had it in the office. An inconvenience for sure but fixable! Except because they didn’t know how to pack up a hub (pop up) tent, they completely destroyed our$450 Gazelle T4 tent. They did offer to give cash compensation of$350 based on the Amazon price for a new tent, and they said they’d put us in a teepee for the two nights we had booked. However, Amazon won’t deliver the tent for two weeks, and that leaves us homeless for the next two weeks of our road trip. The tent is available 5 hours away at REI for $400 but they aren’t willing to give us the extra $50 to purchase it there. The teepee is open to the air with foot-long grass on the bottom and full of mosquitos. There were a few really nice employees but management was unwilling to make this right after destroying our personal property due to a“computer glitch.” We saw some not great reviews but figured it would be fine but now we’re out potentially thousands on this trip because they won’t make it right and help us replace the tent ASAP. Don’t risk it!

Great location , beautiful lake views and quite. Water is cold but doable for swimming if you can get acclimated. Huge open campground. Available canoes and kayaks for rent. We loved this campground and believe this could be a 5 star but the bathrooms are just horrible specifically the showers. Only one bathroom/shower house is open. I don’t believe they are making any attempts at making it better. The tiles are busted up in one of the showers both of them are pretty gross. Ventilation is nonexistent they leave the door open and the mosquitoes where pretty bad. If they were to fix this issue it would easily be a 5 star location in our book. As a family we could oversee these issues and still enjoy ourselves but if your wife takes selfies everyday and post them to instagram and Facebook these bathrooms may send you packing.

The only thing worth the $25 is the location if you want to go to east Glacier, bc there’s nothing else around, not even for boondocking. The space to set up was an adequate field, but not worth the extra money for a lake-ish view. I was right across from someone who was there a while and very bothered that there was no rules against tying up her husky all day in the heat, with no water. The facilities are old and disgusting. The shower wasn’t even draining and filling up with slime. There was dirt, bugs, broken tiles and food residuals in the sink, making it nauseating to brush teeth. The staff was nice enough, but clearly management is not interested in making their bathrooms and shower facilities welcoming. They know you don’t have many options, so why should they care?

We checked in and found our site half underwater due to deluge night before. Drove around CG before going back to office and noticed ours was only site like this. "Josie" at front desk supposedly had no other FHU sites, only electric only, so we went back to ours site to figure out how to deal with. Trailer next ours decided to plug into our 1 and only outlet ( a 30 amp) with his 50 amp step down adapter. Called Josie who said this is the 2nd time today people have done this who DID not pay for electric and to unplug the people who weren't around. We did and plugged in, hooked up water, ran swere line, all while standing in 6-8 inches of disgusting water. Found out water pressure was ridiculously low ( 6-8 lbs) and bathrooms had no tp!!!! Lawn also doesn't seem to EVER be mowed. This place needs to step up there game!!!! Drop them God Sam!!!!!

So, I booked online, a lakeside electric & I thought, from looking at the website, I’d have a view of the lake- not so, I had a view of aspens. Only one working bathhouse & upon arrival I was told only cold showers. There are sites with views- I’d call & ask before booking. Staff seemed friendly- delivered firewood to my site. Learned after the fact that there is wifi at the office. This campground is between the St. Mary and Many Glacier entrances of Glacier NP.

We tent camped ( primitive). Tent camping is somewhat grouped together, some open sites, some wooded. Bathrooms/showers are in need of updating. Showers are token operated( you get 1 token per night/per person that allows a six minute shower). There is a small store, and a restaurant on property. St. Mary’s entrance to Glacier NP is 1 mile away. Most tent sites are grass, you drive and park right up to site. We stayed 3 nights, 2 of the 3 nights were a little noisey up to midnight including LOUD music until 2:00 A.M. the last night. Personally, we would probably not stay there again unless updates were made. Not much of any view from campsite either.

Decent camp grounds. Lots of spots however somewhat close together. Showers and restroom are okay. staff is very polite. Restaurant next door is handy and very good.

We were supposed to stay at the KOA, but they had water damage issues and told us of this campground, right around the corner. Small close together spaces for each site, but they are required with a fire ring. The showers and toilets worked well, but there was no hot water that lasted longer than a few minutes. You get limited tokens for showers and they are the only way to turn them on. They have a restaurant, which is very delicious. It has a very nice home town feel. Good service as well. They sell firewood, but it is very expensive, I would recommend driving half a mile to the grocery store in the town to get wood for less than half the price. Wildlife passes through frequently, and we were able to see a moose walking through the woods right next to our site. The staff is very friendly.

Nice campground. Sites are a little close together for the full hookups but the electric water and sewer were in good shape.

They have 150 tent sites and say they typically have something available last minute. We did the grinnel glacier hike and we were camping all the way in whitefish so we stayed here for a night in Between. Hot showers and laundry! You do need shower tokens!

Excited they had a spot available when we couldn't find anything else. No water or electric sites were pretty good. Site was level. Bathrooms were clean but smelled weird.

As close to glacier as you can get without being in it. We stayed in the tent meadows for one night. It was pretty busy and close together tent spots. Everyone was friendly. They have showers and bathrooms for guest use and even a place to eat. Rv spots are really tight together. We enjoyed staying here though, cool views of glacier and going to the sun road is strait across the road.