Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, MT has a lot to offer. Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. Search nearby campsites and find top-rated spots from other campers.
"Picnic benches, tent camping spots, rv spots! We might have been lucky but no mosquitos! It’s across the bridge in case you can’t find it from google maps :)"
"For a dispersed BLM camping area, this is lovely. Plenty of sites that each have a picnic table and long gravel spot to park an RV. There’s a cute little river and some interesting rock features."
"Only 3 miles from the highway, this campsite is at the end of a well maintained, slightly rutted gravel road. It’s wide enough for trailers."
"There’s a big area that had a dozen RVs & tents, but it was late & we wanted space so we followed a rough dirt road 1/2 a mile to find a spot in the trees."
"The dispersed camping is super easy to find, and it's right off the highway! It was perfect for a quick spot to camp on our way home to Colorado instead of getting a hotel room."
"This campsite is right off the exit, but not very noisy. There were several other campers and RVs and trucks there. Even just parts of cars."
"Full disclosure: I didn't camp here as I passed through this area en route to another dispersed campsite a bit deeper in."
"Lots of highway noise and also some rail road tracks between the campground and the highway. There are a couple back in camping spots for smaller campers but they were taken when we arrived."
"There are 9 tables dispersed in a grassy area and a couple RV parking spaces. There are pit toilets and a water pump. I was serenaded by Canadian Geese nesting on the nearby cliff."
"It's about 7 miles to Upper Seymour Lake (also very beautiful, and with dispersed camping), which isn't too strenuous, but then you have to cut over a pass to get to Flower Lake."
"Be prepared for steep inclines in some situations. While it was quiet people wise, I’m pretty sure you can hear the dam because we had rumbling noise that woke both of us up."
"You can bring campers, motorhomes, or tent camp like we did! There is a bathroom available as well! Lots of neat agates in the parking lot! I highly recommend this area! This was our view each morning"
LegendThe BLM's Ruby Reservoir is a disperse camping area. The only facilities at this campground is a double vault toilet. There is no signage on the highway to indicated the campground. After passing the dam look for the first paved turn with a stop sign on the right side of the road, this is your turn, the pavement will stop after a couple hundred feet. Lots of campsite can be found by following the web of roads once the pavement ends. Off road travel is not allowed. Their are no metal fire rings, all the fire rings in the area are made of rocks. Being a primitive camping area this is a trash-in-trash-out site, and you will need to bring your own water. This is a nice area, and I have camped here several times during hunting season. The fishing is decent as well. If you want to find garnets just head to the lake shore and start digging. Small ones can be found on the surface, bring a shovel and dig deeper if you want something decent. If you use a gold pan shake the gravel around for several minutes then flip the pan is the easiest way to find them as the garnets are heavy and will settle to the bottom of the pan. Site is free with a 16 day stay limit.
ScoutThere’s a big area that had a dozen RVs & tents, but it was late & we wanted space so we followed a rough dirt road 1/2 a mile to find a spot in the trees. The Homestake Trailhead down the road has a bathroom. We did have a weird experience: a truck camped near us with two people who openly watched us the entire morning & followed us to the trailhead before driving on.
LegendOnly 3 miles from the highway, this campsite is at the end of a well maintained, slightly rutted gravel road. It’s wide enough for trailers.
Along the road, there are a handful of pull offs that are big enough for an RV to pull into.
The coordinates bring you to an open gravel lot with nice clean pit toilets. There’s a creek nearby. Big beautiful rocks, some shade, pretty epic views on the way in. Beautiful!
No cell service, unfortunately. Another con is that there’s another road that goes in further, but it’s narrow and eroded. I attempted it in my campervan, but ultimately decided it wasn’t worth the hassle and parked in the open lot instead.
ScoutThe dispersed camping is super easy to find, and it's right off the highway! It was perfect for a quick spot to camp on our way home to Colorado instead of getting a hotel room.
ScoutWe pulled in for the night on a whim. Nice spot, the road was a little wash boarded. Just made a quick stop off the highway. Nice and quiet.
RangerFull disclosure: I didn't camp here as I passed through this area en route to another dispersed campsite a bit deeper in. That said, we stopped here for a snack / water break and to filter some water so I had some time to explore.
The area is BEAUTIFUL. The lake is stunning, and sits nestled right up against some pretty dramatic mountains. Lots of trees and dispersed camping sites throughout. The hike in is about 7 miles, very gentle incline. Not too hard unless you're not used to carrying weight.
When we went through, there were people camping, but not too many. Once we went beyond this camp area, we didn't see a soul. That's likely because of the really intense pass you have to go over to get to the dispersed site we were aiming for (see my review for that here: https://thedyrt.com/camping/undefined/flower-lake-dispersed-camping).
Tons of great hiking in this area as it is close to the Continental Divide Trail. A lot of it definitely involves going up the sides of mountains, but if you're day-hiking and not carrying a heavy backpacking pack, they're not that hard.
Bring bear spray. Hang your food. This is grizzly country.
For true back-country seclusion you'll probably want to go further in than this dispersed area, but for a less strenuous and equally as beautiful locale, this is a pretty amazing place.
LegendThis campsite is right off the exit, but not very noisy. There were several other campers and RVs and trucks there. Even just parts of cars. Kinda a weird vibe, but down the various 2 tracks, there are hidden sites that afford some shade and privacy. I got 3-4 bars LTE of Verizon here! Plenty of fire pits and access to a couple lakes. And it’s only about 8 miles from Butte!
TravelerThis place is just a few minutes from the freeway on a relatively good dirt road. There is a big open space that you come to first, which can accommodate a number of RV's. We drove farther up the road and found a more secluded place. It is an OHV area and can be a bit noisy. However, It has excellent cellular coverage and is not far from town. Lots of mountain bike trails nearby. We were there for a couple of nights. Lots of rigs came in just for one night stays.
GuideAs a single female tent camping I felt very safe here. One morning a bunch of cows came through my site, which was amazing.
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in Montana, where nature meets tranquility. This area offers a variety of spots for campers looking to escape the hustle and bustle while enjoying stunning landscapes.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest is Maiden Rock Dispersed with a 4.8-star rating from 6 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 14 dispersed camping locations near Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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