Best Glamping near Big Sky, MT

We were in need of a place to stay while attending a field seminar in Yellowstone.  It is about a 30 min drive to Gardiner/Entrance to Yellowstone.  The owners have experience in the hospitality industry and it shows inside the tent.  We stayed in the Elk because we wanted a private bathroom. The room had 2 beds (super comfortable and well dressed), refrigerator, couch,  writing table and electric fireplace (more for ambiance vs really providing a lot of heat) and still very roomy. They provide a little lantern for night walks to bathroom or back to tent if you don't have your own flash light.   The deck off the front was ideal for sitting or practicing yoga.  You do have to walk to the bathroom/showers.  While we didn't have the opportunity to use the 2 community fire pits or horseshoes, butthey were well placed with a beautiful backdrop of mountains.  There is also a small building with a coffee/tea machine and another small refrigerator.  You can park right next to the tent.  

If you want to take a walk, there are some dirt roads to walk by other surrounding farms.  

The tents a pretty dispersed and seemed fairly private.  There was only one other couple on the premises so not sure when it is a full house.  They offer really nice kennels.  

My only ding is they have a few kinks to work out, but I feel they will figure it out.  They will be offering speciality breakfasts in the future, but now they are just store bought muffins with yogurt and orange juice.  The location gets you off the highway, but you do need to navigate a gravel road for about a mile.  Totally drivable for any car. 

I think if I stayed here again I would take one of their guiding trips.

I would love to give this campground 5 stars - the hosts were lovely. It's a beautiful, peaceful piece of property. Lots of trees, surrounded by mountains and a glass lake. If you are tent camping, there are gorgeous sites along the water and you get amazing sunset views each night. HOT showers, laundry facilities, and an outdoor kitchen for cleaning your catch if you head out on the lake. Ladies bathroom needs some better ventilation, but the showers were a nice size.

If you are RVing and staying here to spend your days touring Yellowstone… you just have to take note. It's a long, bumpy 5 mile drive into the camp (making it wonderfully quiet!). It was fine the first day, but it got old, especially after driving around Yellowstone all day. They also, if needed, pack the RVs in some weird spots. Where we thought it was a through road next to us, ended up being a RV spot later in the week…and we lost our pretty sunset views. It also was awkward for both of us as we were perpendicular to them.

If you plan on spending more than 4 nights there, you will love the serene getaway of it! If you are only there to sleep while visiting Yellowstone, you will find its location a bit of a hassle.

I booked 2 nights on Recreation.gov less than 3 weeks in advance. I was camping while working an event in Big Sky.

The campground is quite large, and this time of year, completely full every night. It is right on the river and very close to the highway. This means it is not quiet. Still, it’s 10 minutes to Big Sky, clean and well equipped. Overall a good choice in this area if you can make a reservation.

There are bear-safe food storage lockers, fire rings, and picnic tables at each camp site. Long before the bears eat you, the mosquitoes and deer flies will. Bug spray advised. Pit toilets are well-used but reasonably clean. The on-site hosts make sure to mark reservation cards on each site, and put signs at the entrance when the campgrounds is full. This kept traffic inside the campground to a minimum. Much appreciated.

Let's be honest, Campfire Lodge & RV is not the cheapest place to stay. And, it's obvious why when you stay there. The upkeep is top notch. The RV pads are graded roadbase. Fire pits and tables for each spot. the spot we stayed in had full 30 amp hook-ups. Tall pine trees. And, a stones throw from the Madison River. What an amazing place to sit and relax. 

The cafe is open for breakfast and lunch. Bring your appetite and prepare yourself for an amazing breakfast or lunch. If you're a fly tyer the collection of hackle is off the charts. 

Close to Yellowstone NP, fishing on the Madison River, exploring West Yellowstone to Ennis Montana and so much more! What a great place. We'll be back for sure.

Cherry Creek Campground comprises a total of nine campsites, per Recreation.gov and seeing for myself camping here for almost a week. The campsite is first come/first serve, and as of June to July 2024, there is a $23 per campsite fee for a max of 8 people and one vehicle. This fee is relatively low compared to other NPS campgrounds, honestly. It is very well-maintained and clean and consists of one vault toilet (aka: “outhouse”, as well as one large garbage container that is bear protected located at the end of the dirt road/entrance to main campground. There are also several bear protected containers located for every two sites allowing storage for campers’ food and food-related items and supplies helping campers stay safe from frequent bears in the area by storing their food, spices, herbs, pots, pans, dutch ovens, anything aromatic that would attract bears (perfumes, cologne, toothpaste, etc. included, FYI) set away from the campsites, at the end of the vehicle parking for each campsite, so close to the site’s fire pit to use, but also at a good distance away from your tent. There is also an information board next to the campsites’ vault toilet and bear protected garbage container with notices on any warning or alerts in the area, bear education, and policies and rules of the campground. There is also small containers to retrieve envelopes with attached receipts to pay the site’s fees with cash and deposit it in the dropbox next to the board, or else you are able to scan a QR code to pay online. It is a pack in/pack out (including all garbage) campsite. It has a lovely meadow area, allows pets on leash, and right off the banks of Hebgen Lake. It’s so beautiful! We will come again!

This campground was a pleasant surprise. We had initially planned to camp at Glacier but were thwarted by fire and smoke. We booked this campground when we arrived at the State Park, no problem. The road circles the campground. There are five loops inside the outer road, with about 7 campsites per loop, and the playground and bathrooms in the center. The sites have electric hookups. We were able to fill our water tanks with spigots centrally located throughout the campground, but could not keep it connected. No sewer, but the bathroom is very convenient. The site was level with a fire pit and very spacious. The State Park was awesome. We went hiking and the cave tour was great. They have two souvenir stores and one cafe near the cave. We stayed there for 4 nights which was perfect for what we had planned. Would highly recommend.

Family and I stayed here in late May for three days. We have stayed in the past in June and July as well. 

Campground is south of Big Sky, so if you need to buzz into town for any last minute supplies, it is only about 10 minutes up the road and has everything you could want. 

Campground has both standard and electric sites. We have a small camper and scored one of the spots near the south end, which is also close to the Elkhorn Creek Trailhead. Best sites are obviously closer to the river, with those at the far north end or south end the best options. Some of the southern end options on the east side of the campground road are tucked up pretty tight to the hillside, and are not as desirable of a location. 

Pros:
Beautiful setting, easy access to hiking, cave exploration and rock climbing.

Later in the summer, the Gallatin river provides good fishing opportunities. 

Yellowstone Park is about 40 minutes away. Tons of hiking options within Gallatin Canyon, all accessible via a short drive if you want something away from the campground. 

Great camp hosts, who check in with everyone, have firewood, and ensure everything is good to go. 

Potable water spigot, bear proof dumpster and recycling are all available near the entrance. 

Cons:
Being that the campground is near the river, which also parallels the highway, road noise is pretty common -- big semi-trucks hitting the rumble strips take something away from the peaceful setting, but it is not a deal breaker. That really is the only minor gripe. 

Highly recommended overall for tent or RV camping.