Camping near Bitterroot National Forest

Stayed here twice while traveling to and from a river trip; great access to back a raft trailer in as well as bigger rigs. Some space for tents, although site #15 (I think) appears the best for this. Also noticed a dedicated bike packing site (#2) with food storage. Water is available which was nice for making morning coffee and refilling water bottles. Nice that a few of the spots remain first come first served; also you cannot reserve the sites same day; I think you have to be at least three days out although that is not totally clear from rec. gov. I did not see a camp host to ask; unsure if one will be posted this season or not,

Great spot, nice and shady. Had a rabbit hang out while playing a game at the very large picnic table.

21 sites, 4 of which are tent camping only. Water point is by the paved hiking trail at the campground entrance. Two hosts on site that clean and stock the 4 toilets daily. The beach is a short walk away. Every site is partially shaded throughout the day. The campsites are in various sizes which is why there are designated “extra vehicle” parking locations.

The walk in tent sites are nestled in the trees amongst the forest sounds of birds and chipmunks. Deer bed down in the area and are often seen in the early morning hours. Each tent site has a fire pit, tent pad, table, and is completed with a bear proof storage bin for food.

The campground has an upper and lower level. I did see a 30+ foot trailer but i wouldn’t do it. The drive out is a bit to tight for my comfort. Although a dirt road drive in, the campground has an older paved road within.

The only negative mark is for the fire pits. They have years of build up ash from use that is well above the vent holes. The depth is 10-14 inches depending on the site. The ash is loaded with debris such as melted cans and its volume is a fire hazard. I dug mine out but just be aware. Also weeds are a problem. Two of the toilets have weeds groinvbin the entryway now, and a few campsites have tall overgrown areas. The main parking lot has weeds blocking the handicap parking area. All of this could be addressed in a couple of short days work, but nobody is doing it. Other than that its great.

Check out the paved trail for foot and bicycle traffic that goes along the lake.

7 day max stay despite what the website says. Additional $5 a day fee for water and electric despite what the website says. At $25 though thats not terrible. 1/2 price with applicable passes.

10 sites. How much shade, sitting area, rocks, level ground, level parking varies.

What’s Good? -4 toilets and 2 Dumpsters -The road and each site is paved -Parking can hold 2 trucks with 2 towable RVs at most sites -Running creek nearby with little trails, great for little ones -Sites are spread out for the most part and feel private

The not so good -While the toilets are in far better condition than most campgrounds they were not cleaned or restocked at all during my 7 days. Just a quick visual look was all that was done. -Hosts are generally oblivious. They don’t check sites and ignore complaints of “occupied” sites than nobody has been at for over three days. -There was one site, clearly friendly with the hosts, that has been there well beyond the time limit with no intentions of departing -It takes me about 10 minutes to casually walk through the campground. Same for the host that did the same twice in a week with a blower pretending to blow pine needles of the road. Meaning, no actual change was made as attempts at grounds keeping is below the minimum -Plenty of weeds, unkept sites covered in debris that should be moved, due to lack of host care. You will likely need to rake through or clear your site

Extra 5$ over other local campgrounds because there is water available and trash. Not especially nice or terrible. Very small sites, most with no room for a normal size tent, sites packed on top of each other. Even the few meant for small rvs have little room. Host on site in a nice beautiful and well maintained site, the public sites are not well maintained. Overgrown with weeds, very disappointing. Hosts don’t do much and are unhelpful. Suggest looking for any other CG in the area, there are several

Details: Toilet and trash on site Tight road, don’t tow anything to big On site managers are unhelpful Minimal room for even the average size tent One car per site at mist of them, nowhere else to park Long but easy drive to Darby, minimal amenities. Hamilton only 15 more minutes