Looking for the best tent campgrounds near Big Arm? The Dyrt helps you find campsites near Big Arm with tent camping. Each tent site offers quick access to one or more of Big Arm, Montana's most popular destinations.
Yellow Bay-Flathead Lake State Park has 5 tent campsites that are first-come, first-serve.
$9 - $28 / night
Camp on an old trout pond with trees and Mountain Views. It’s best to arrive before sunset and not after dark. We have a lot of water running through the property and campsites are dispersed around the pond. Camp at your reserved numbered post.
$33 - $75 / night
This is a very small campground with 2 sites, a vault toilet, picnic tables and fire rings. There is a walk down boat launching site for kayaks and canoes. Access road has sharp hairpin corner so RV's are not recommended. Stay limit is 5 days.
$35 - $130 / night
This area has a large parking area and a primitive boat ramp located near the Holland Lake Campground. Please be advised this ramp is very shallow and will not accomodate large boats. This site is also near the group camping site, picnic and swimming area, and Holland Lake Nature Trail. Restrooms are available.
There is a boat ramp located within the Lindbergh Lake Campground. Day parking and restrooms are available. There is no trash service—please pack out what you brought in.
“Dispersed camping” is the term used for camping anywhere outside of a developed campground, including in some campgrounds with minimal development. Dispersed camping is free, and permitted almost everywhere on the Flathead National Forest. Camping in undeveloped areas requires you to help keep the sites in good condition. Rules for dispersed camping Groups over 75 people are not allowed. Dispersed camping is NOT allowed near developed recreation areas including campgrounds, trailheads and day-use areas. Water, restrooms, and trash cans are not provided. Pack out all your trash. There is a 16-day stay limit at any site. After that you must move 5-miles away, and you can not return to your original campsite for 7 days. Use existing fire rings. Avoid creating new fire rings. Your fire must be attended at all times and be dead out before leaving. Contact a local office about possible campfire restrictions before you go. Be bear aware and know the food storage regulations before camping. These regulations are strictly enforced. Additional rules or regulations may apply to the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex and Flathead Wild and Scenic River corridor. Human Waste Disposal Dispersed camping generally means no bathrooms. Keep your site clean for the next campers and prevent disease spread and pollution of water by following these rules:
Urinate on rocks and avoiding vegetation if possible, and well away from water and camp. Do not leave toilet paper or wipes on the ground after you pee. Carry a zipper-lock plastic bag and pack out your toilet paper. Dig a cathole 6-8 inches deep and 8-inches wide at least 200-feet away from water, camp and trails to bury feces. Cover all waste with the soil you removed, and sprinkle the disturbed ground with leaves, pine needles, or other organic debris. If you carry a portable camping toilet, treat and pack out all treated waste and dispose of according to instructions on the digestant. The Flathead Wild and Scenic River Corridor rules require all solid human waste be carried out in leak-proof manner and disposed of properly off-forest.
Camping with a vehicle Motorized use is limited to roads and trails designated on the Motor Vehicle Use Map. Know and follow all seasonal closures and never go beyond gates or other barriers on roads. Do not park or camp in front of closed gates. This prevents authorized users, including emergency responders, from accessing the road. Find and select your campsite on foot and scout the most direct route to your campsite for your vehicle. Driving your vehicle more than 300 feet from a motorized route for purposes of dispersed camping is prohibited. You may not cut or damage trees or vegetation to access your campsite. Never drive across wet areas or areas with soft ground.
Small 5 site campground. Primitive. A couple large potholes in campground road. Only sites 4 and 5 can accommodate larger campers as the road is fairly narrow to allow turning into sites.
This campsite was very accommodating for our rig (40ft long x 13.5ft tall) and the road in wasn’t too bad either. Plenty of space for lots of rigs and turning around.
Pros:
Cons:
Needed just a fast stop for the night, in a TT, after getting repairs.
Lots of noise, loud music, loud motors, cars in and out that obviously didn’t stay there off of the back of camp, and just loud racket until late at night.
Just a basic setup, but good shade. Connections were appropriate, pull in sites accommodated a standard pickup and 29 ft TT.
Old lady was sweet to us, I saw the reviews about her being not so sweet but she was nice and got us in last minute. The gentleman brought us a whole tractor full of wood and was nice as well. Trees were down like other reviews stated, they mentioned they had a massive storm. Not something I feel they should be judged for, they were concerned about my kids and asked them to keep away from the left side because of that.
Dispersed camping at the "Peninsula" Recreation Area. 6 day stay limit according to the sign. No potable water. Stone fire rings throughout.
We stayed mid week during August. Stayed in a medium sized site on the river. Small steep slope to the water.
Pros:
Plenty of space, both large and small sites.
Room for a 30' in a couple of the sites.
3 bars Tmobile.
Some sites on the water with a short steep slope down.
12 miles to gas station.
Beautiful views.
Cons: No pit toilets (edit: another camper said they are at the end of the campground) No potable water. Road/train noise. POISON IVY (found it... found all of it)
Overall we loved this spot. Being ok the water in a mostly private setting with such amazing views is our goal. Little bit of road noise but hardly noticeable over the wind in the trees.
Sites were clean but well used, so thank you to all the campers that took care of this place!
I was alone while camping, parked my car at the first fire pit I saw open and it was perfect. Absolutely beautiful river, beautiful spot. Great for fishing, swimming, etc.
Drove in on a Wednesday and found a site right on the water. A number of spots were occupied with campers/tents with no one there. Really peaceful spot in my experience and an unbeatable view. Rented SUPs from in town to enjoy on the reservoir.
Pit toilet, well maintained, and walkable from all spots in the area.
Reserved this deamy site right on the water. Tent 1 is closest to parking but has the most traffic going by to the other sites.
Pit toilet nearby and a quick drive to flushable toilets. Showers available with tokens from the camphost ($3 for 6 minutes) but camphost weren't around when I was looking so no personal experience here.
Got a walk in site when I showed up in the afternoon. All that was left was an RV site and they let me tent there. Even though I wasn't on the water, still got a water view! Pit toilet bathroom was close by, and sometimes the smell wafted over when the wind changed.
SUP, kayak rentals on water, reasonably priced. The beach was rocky and perfect!
In the morning, I spotted a black bear on a hill. Follow bear protocol well.
Do not follow maps directions to this spot. Click the one a little south east next to the river titled “Dispersed Site - Lolo National Forest Recreation Area”. This is the right location. Good spot.
Turn onto the road, once you reach end of that road, there’s more spots to the left. If you drive far enough you’ll find pit toilets. We had good service on Verizon and T-Mobile to work. River is beautiful. Would definitely come back
Very nice campground. Rod, caretaker, is the best. We had a wonderful 3 days camping.
The further you drive on the road the closer you can get to the river! There are some pit toilets too! Absolutely beautiful!
It's a good spot right on the river. Rocky Beach that has a somewhat difficult road to get into. Any stock 4 x 4 truck SUV can do it though. Are some sketchy types sometimes in peak season. There are porta potties, but they are not recently pumped out.
Good spot lots of space. Need a little bit of clearance to get down here.
This was a great stay right on the river with night sites and a vault toilet. Only issues I had was the train across the river runs throughout the night and it sounds like it’s coming right through your tent
Pulled off, quickly found decent dispersed site. A bit buggy, no mosquitoes though. Great night sleep until OHVers came screaming through early
Great location. Road is in great shape. All the sights are great.
Tried for Lost Johnny point but it was full. Lid Creek had two open spots on a Friday of July 4 weekend- we were thankful. Got site 23. No water, no electric, generators allowed and at least 6 were going in the morning. Vault toilets but VERY clean. Hosts very helpful and available. Some sites like 13-17 were slanted somewhat. 23 was deep and pretty even. Lake is very nice, decent temp for us. Preferred Lost Johnny Point from last time we stayed, but this was a very nice second. 30 minute drive to road, another 10 to West Glacier. Some limited cell reception on Mint Mobile.
This campground was very cute. The owners were so friendly and accommodating. The resident cat Poncho was a hot with our kids. The showers were small, but we're hot and free! The lawn was great with a communal fire pit and small playground. They let travelers camp there for 12 per person per night in a tent if that's what you're looking for. The cafe was cute and the drinks were delicious. We didn't eat, but it looked good! I would stay here again foe sure.
Nice large tent sites. They also have a geodesic dome you can rent. Website was not set up yet.
Absolutely love this campground. They were so accommodating when we booked a site our unit wouldn’t fit on they gladly moved us.
If you aren’t right on the water, you’re definitely a short distance away.
The amenities are great and the camp hosts are always friendly. Definitely worth staying here.
This place was nice. The staff was so friendly. Cafe with giant cinnamon rolls hit the spot. Showers were nice and hot. We were in the middle of tall trees which provided shade later in the day. Nice big dog park. Location is close the west Glacier entrance
This sign is deceiving. The campsites are reserved online but posts are not updated with reservation information. Possibly the camp host’s mistake. We picked an empty site and followed the instructions, paid. An hour later a family rolled up and had reservations for that site. Hosts not doing job and first come first serve sign completely wrong. Just a warning for those looking for first come first serve!
This is a cute little camp site. We were right next to the river which was amazing. But some of the sites are for permanent residents, which feels weird. They have a laundry room, showers and bathrooms. Not the cleanest. But do the trick. A little road noisy. But loved the attention to the flowers and the grounds.
Absolutely beautiful backpacking loop! About 6 miles in you will reach your destination of turquoise lake. I camped here on 6/19 and it was absolutely beautiful despite the “winter weather” This is a dispersed site so you can set your tent up anywhere within reason at the lake, however the terrain here is VERY rugged and most sites won’t fit anything larger than a 1 person backpacking tent. There are a few spots that can fit stuff bigger, but they’re a pain in the butt and you’ll probably have to walk far to set up a cook site/bear hang. Hang your food! There’s lots of wildlife at this lake and you will more than likely be neighbors with some goats. If you come in June prepare yourself for bugs. You MUST pack out what you pack in. You can filter water from the lake, but I would recommend hiking in with water as well.
Muchwater has earned a top spot for my camping areas. There’s a river nearby that’s great for fishing or swimming. The campgrounds has fire pits ready to go and well maintained. There’s plenty of space between you and your neighbor. And it’s dog friendly. Oh and the hiking is pretty good too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Big Arm, MT?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Big Arm, MT is Yellow Bay State Park Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 6 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 31 tent camping locations near Big Arm, MT, with real photos and reviews from campers.
