Join the fun near Bitterroot National Forest. With tons of outdoor activities and scenic camping, this is an excellent vacation spot for all kinds of travelers. Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Bitterroot National Forest. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your Montana camping adventure.
The campground, a.k.a. Lower Como, is a single loop through a stand of mixed pine and fir trees and one of three campgrounds in the Lake Como Recreation Area. __It is located below Lake Como. The understory is grass with good privacy between campsites. Lake Como Lower Campground is paved and features a host site and ten 125' pull through recreational vehicle (RV) sites (with electrical and water hookups) water, and garbage services. Three sites are handicap accessible, and there are 4 handicap accessible vault toilets located throughout the campground. This is bear country; practice safe food storage techniques. Lake Como is 913 acres. __The beach is large and sandy. The boat ramp is located at the south side of dam.
Sam Billings Memorial Campground is located off of the West Fork Rd and consists of 12 campsites complete with picnic tables, and fire rings. There is also a large area ideal for group activities. Other facilites include vault toilets. Campground can accommodate RV's or trailers to 30 feet.
Indian Trees Campground is a quiet place to stay 3/4 miles off of Highway 93 in the mountains of southwest Montana. It provides access to a number of enjoyable recreational activities, as well as the vast scenery of the rugged Bitterroot National Forest. The area boasts wild game, high quality water and wild and scenic rivers.
Visitors enjoy a variety of recreational opportunities, including hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. A number of trails can be accessed near the campground, including the Nez Perce National Historic Trail and the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. The Nez Perce NHT is a 3.1-mile trail begins near the turnoff to the campground and follows a portion of the original Nez Perce route. Explorers in the early 1800s also used the route, and wagon ruts are still visible along parts of the trail. The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail is also nearby. Fishing is available in nearby Camp Creek. Anglers will find mostly cutthroat trout but other species are available. A variety of wildlife, including big game like mule and white-tailed deer, elk and moose, makes its home in the area.
The campground is conveniently located near Highway 93, at an elevation of about 5,100 feet. It is named for the numerous scarred ponderosa pine trees in the area. Native American populations that once lived in or frequented the area stripped the trees of bark to expose and extract the tree's sweet cambium layer for food. The trees remain historically significant and provide shade to the campground.
Popular Lost Trail Hot Springs is located less than a half-mile from the campground. Unlike the majority of natural hot springs, Lost Trail lacks sulfur, making it odorless and very comfortable for swimming. A general store and lodging is located in Sula Store, about 5 miles north.
$15 / night
Three Frogs Campground is a newly reconstructed campground and features 16 small trailer campsites and 4 walk-in tent sites. The campground offers accessible vault toilets, picnic tables, fire rings, water and garbage service, and gravel surfaced roads. Some campsites are also equipped with tent pads. Can accommodate trailers to 30' lengths.
The park is an icon in originally constructed in 1965 and is right on the Bitterroot River, but with modern amenities. We are open year-round in the upper campground. Thinking of wintertime camping? We have a Conestoga Wagon with all the cozy essentials for a great glamping experience, even in winter - great for that ski trip at Lost Horse. We also have a great general store with groceries, local beers, wine, local Montana jams, honey, and other local merchandise and all the rv and fishing supplies you may need. The great plus is we have a great Angler's Roost family ready to help make your camping experience relaxing and enjoyable. Look forward to seeing you.
Rombo Campground is located in a scenic area along the West Fork Bitterroot River in the mountains of southwestern Montana. The area is home to a variety of big game and wildlife, and provides access to a number of outdoor activities, including fishing, seasonal rafting and various trail opportunities.
Fly fishing and wading in the West Fork Bitterroot River are popular activities. During high water season, kayaking and rafting are available as well. Painted Rocks Lake is just five miles south of the campground. Visitors enjoy swimming, boating and fishing. Anglers will find mountain whitefish and a variety of trout. Many trails and unimproved roads in the area are great for exploring by bike or off-road vehicle. Hiking trails to various mountain peaks are nearby.
The campground is located along the West Fork of the Bitterroot River. Large yellow-barked ponderosa pine trees tower above many of the campsites, which along with fir, aspen and lodgepole pine, provide pleasant shade. The campground is situated at an elevation of 4,600 feet. A variety of wildlife makes its home in the area, including bald eagles, mule and white-tailed deer, moose, elk, bighorn sheep and numerous songbirds.
The Alta Ranger Station, located on the West Fork of the Bitterroot River, was the first Forest Service Ranger Station in the United States, built in 1899. It remains a popular tourist location and is a short distance from the campground. Horse Creek Hot Springs is about 29 miles from the campground and can be accessed via a gravel road with a high-clearance vehicle.A post office and a general store can be found in Conner, 16 miles from the campground. Darby is 24 miles from the campground. It is a full-service community with fuel, lodging, a grocery store, and other local businesses.
$15 / night
Alta Campground is located in a scenic forest in the heart of Montana's Bitterroot National Forest. The West Fork of the Bitterroot River flows nearby, giving visitors access to some of the best fishing the area has to offer, as well as other water-related recreation.
Fly fishing and wading in the Bitterroot River, which runs alongside the campground, are popular activities. During high water season, canoeing and rafting are available as well. A variety of trails and unimproved roads are great for exploring by bike or off-road vehicle. Hiking trails to various mountain peaks, including to Lookout, Razorback and Thunder Mountains, as well as Beaver and Deer Creek Points, are nearby. The Alta Pine interpretive trail is nearby. Painted Rocks Lake is located about five miles north of the campground. Visitors enjoy swimming, boating and fishing. Anglers will find mountain whitefish and a variety of trout.
The campground is located along the West Fork of the Bitterroot River, a popular fishing river in the area. Large, yellow-barked ponderosa pine trees tower above many of the campsites, which along with fir, aspen and lodgepole pine, provide pleasant shade. The campground is situated at an elevation of about 4,580 feet. A variety of wildlife can be seen in the area, including bald eagles, mule and white-tailed deer, moose, elk, bighorn sheep and numerous songbirds.
The Alta Ranger Station, located on the West Fork of the Bitterroot River, was the first Forest Service Ranger Station in the United States, built in 1899. It remains a popular tourist location and is just minutes from the campground. Hughes Creek, once a vibrant placer gold mining site, is nearby. The historic area accounted for 88 percent of all the placer gold recovered in Ravalli County from 1904-1948. Horse Creek natural hot springs can be found about 18 miles south from the campground, via gravel road with high-clearance vehicle recommended. The nearest town is Conner, which provides some services and is approximately 27 miles to the north. Darby is about 32 miles away and offers full services.
A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation. Late cancellations are subject to additional fees. For full details see NRRS Reservation Policy.
$15 / night
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd737682.pdf
There are many opportunities for dispersed camping on the Bitterroot National Forest. The general guidance is as follows: • Our Forest stay limit is 16 days. After 16 days you must move 5 miles away from your camp site, as the crow flies • Camp in an already used site, do not create a new site o For fire rings (rocks usually), use existing rings before making a new one. Scatter once done and leaving. o Do not burn trash or other items in fire rings to avoid pollution and to not attract animals. o Collect dead and down wood for firewood. o Ensure your campfire is OUT before you leave • Camp 100 feet away from water • Do not rinse and wash dishes/etc. out of the creek or river. Do it on land. • There is a not a set distance for how far you need to be off a trail, but keep in mind other people are hiking and want to enjoy the area as well, so the further away from the trail the better. • Practice Leave No Trace Principles o Plan ahead and prepare o Travel and camp on durable surfaces o Dispose of waste properly o Leave what you find o Minimize campfire impacts o Respect wildlife o Be considerate of other visitors o For more information on LNT, visit: https://lnt.org/ • Do not damage live trees (nails, carving, etc.) • Motorized access to dispersed camping is allowed within 300 feet of most roads. • Know where you are and ensure you are on public lands. Make sure you have an updated map or app on your phone. • Be bear aware and store your food properly.
Blodgett Campground consists of 5 campsites, 1 walk-in site, plus 1 host site, complete with picnic tables, fire rings, and a vault toilet. There are two accessible campsites. __The campground rests under the towering cliff faces of Blodgett Canyon which are very popular to rock climbers. Blodgett Canyon Picnic Area is across Blodgett Creek. __Campground can accommodate RV's or trailers to 45 feet.
Sam Billings Memorial Campground is located off of the West Fork Rd and consists of 12 campsites complete with picnic tables, and fire rings. There is also a large area ideal for group activities. Other facilites include vault toilets. Campground can accommodate RV's or trailers to 30 feet.
The park is an icon in originally constructed in 1965 and is right on the Bitterroot River, but with modern amenities. We are open year-round in the upper campground. Thinking of wintertime camping? We have a Conestoga Wagon with all the cozy essentials for a great glamping experience, even in winter - great for that ski trip at Lost Horse. We also have a great general store with groceries, local beers, wine, local Montana jams, honey, and other local merchandise and all the rv and fishing supplies you may need. The great plus is we have a great Angler's Roost family ready to help make your camping experience relaxing and enjoyable. Look forward to seeing you.
Alta Campground is located in a scenic forest in the heart of Montana's Bitterroot National Forest. The West Fork of the Bitterroot River flows nearby, giving visitors access to some of the best fishing the area has to offer, as well as other water-related recreation.
Fly fishing and wading in the Bitterroot River, which runs alongside the campground, are popular activities. During high water season, canoeing and rafting are available as well. A variety of trails and unimproved roads are great for exploring by bike or off-road vehicle. Hiking trails to various mountain peaks, including to Lookout, Razorback and Thunder Mountains, as well as Beaver and Deer Creek Points, are nearby. The Alta Pine interpretive trail is nearby. Painted Rocks Lake is located about five miles north of the campground. Visitors enjoy swimming, boating and fishing. Anglers will find mountain whitefish and a variety of trout.
The campground is located along the West Fork of the Bitterroot River, a popular fishing river in the area. Large, yellow-barked ponderosa pine trees tower above many of the campsites, which along with fir, aspen and lodgepole pine, provide pleasant shade. The campground is situated at an elevation of about 4,580 feet. A variety of wildlife can be seen in the area, including bald eagles, mule and white-tailed deer, moose, elk, bighorn sheep and numerous songbirds.
The Alta Ranger Station, located on the West Fork of the Bitterroot River, was the first Forest Service Ranger Station in the United States, built in 1899. It remains a popular tourist location and is just minutes from the campground. Hughes Creek, once a vibrant placer gold mining site, is nearby. The historic area accounted for 88 percent of all the placer gold recovered in Ravalli County from 1904-1948. Horse Creek natural hot springs can be found about 18 miles south from the campground, via gravel road with high-clearance vehicle recommended. The nearest town is Conner, which provides some services and is approximately 27 miles to the north. Darby is about 32 miles away and offers full services.
A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation. Late cancellations are subject to additional fees. For full details see NRRS Reservation Policy.
$15 / night
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd737682.pdf
There are many opportunities for dispersed camping on the Bitterroot National Forest. The general guidance is as follows: • Our Forest stay limit is 16 days. After 16 days you must move 5 miles away from your camp site, as the crow flies • Camp in an already used site, do not create a new site o For fire rings (rocks usually), use existing rings before making a new one. Scatter once done and leaving. o Do not burn trash or other items in fire rings to avoid pollution and to not attract animals. o Collect dead and down wood for firewood. o Ensure your campfire is OUT before you leave • Camp 100 feet away from water • Do not rinse and wash dishes/etc. out of the creek or river. Do it on land. • There is a not a set distance for how far you need to be off a trail, but keep in mind other people are hiking and want to enjoy the area as well, so the further away from the trail the better. • Practice Leave No Trace Principles o Plan ahead and prepare o Travel and camp on durable surfaces o Dispose of waste properly o Leave what you find o Minimize campfire impacts o Respect wildlife o Be considerate of other visitors o For more information on LNT, visit: https://lnt.org/ • Do not damage live trees (nails, carving, etc.) • Motorized access to dispersed camping is allowed within 300 feet of most roads. • Know where you are and ensure you are on public lands. Make sure you have an updated map or app on your phone. • Be bear aware and store your food properly.
Traveler
The campground owner Libby was very helpfull and nice to us. Its very close to the city. So you can walk and leave your camper on the ground.
Guide
Great hidden gem off 12. It has enough spots to accommodate 5-6 campers. We had no issues on a Sunday night. Very peaceful next to the river.
Guide
7 spots off the beaten path, small creek lehmi. On the Lewis and Ckark trail. Bathroom is ADA.
Guide
Overnight quiet spot, about 20 spots
Traveler
Pretty small and basic campground. I counted what I think was 9 sites? There are no numbered sites, just designated fire rings to indicate the different sites I suppose. One large accesible pit toilet is available. Most sites back up to the river which is pretty nice. FREE and pretty quiet for the Saturday night I stayed - 4 open spots at 8:30pm. Only downside is it’s rather close to the highway and you can hear cars driving by pretty regularly.
Scout
Only five sites so come early to this free Campground. You're allowed to stay 14 days. Clean sites, vault toilet, BEAUTIFUL granite mountains on both sides that made for a perfect evening
Scout
Go ANYWHERE but here The park is in a perfect location and Rebecca works endlessly to keep the place beautiful. However, I truly believe maintenence is her only asset. Her public relations and personality are in NO way appropriate for management. That being said I want to thank her for being rude and abrasive. Thank you for yelling at all my friends. Thank you for coming out with your hands are your hips interrogating anyone for coming into the park. Thank you for yelling at my 85 year old mother when she was confused on how to get out of the park. Thank you for never ever putting your dogs on a leash, breaking park rules. Thank you for allowing your friends in the park to allow their dogs to bark all day long when they are gone. Thank you for playing favorites and allowing your friends to play loud music while YOU party with them down by the bonfire. Thank you for screaming my name through the park and BANGING in my door when I forgot to pick up my dogs poo one time when you KNOW I pick up others people's more than 10 times. Thank you for driving your cart and your husband driving the bobcat WAY over 5 mph yet SCREAMING at me and my friends going 4 mph(I have video) I Thank you because without you doing all of those horrible things Embarassing me and my family and friends, I would have stayed there missing an opportunity to find a loving caring landlord on horse property that I will gladly pay rent for a very long time. I am not surprised that you have to advertise that place. Every other RV park is PACKED with no openings. When I left, there were 8 open long term parking. Sad, in this economy I know people that are homeless because they will never stay there. I am a travel nurse and speak to hundreds of travelers and I will never recommend this place. Infact, I will go out of my way to detour them. If the owners actually read this..... seriously reevaluate your management choices she is not appropriate for this position. Signed Happy to be ANYWHERE but Black Rabbit RV park. PS have your husband please stop hitting your poor puppy!
ScoutAs the previous camper indicated, this is a quiet and lovely Campground. Please note I found only one site with electrical hookup. Currently, there is no water at any sites. Vault toilets are located throughout. Fees are $12 with $6 discount if you have Federal/Natl Park Golden Pass.
Traveler
I’ve stayed in many forest service cabins and this is by far my least favorite. The location is perfect as it’s right on como and can fit large groups of people. However, we stayed in the winter and the fireplaces needed to be refilled hourly to keep it somewhat comfortable. Also all night you could hear mice and some other kind of animal in the ceiling. It was very dirty and not well maintained. Most of the furniture was broken. Would never stay again.
Guide
We appreciated with fire ring and picnic table at this small rustic campground. It was a moist spring, so lots of bugs to contend with, but overall a lovely experience.
Guide
This campground was lovely. We had spot 14, which is an excellent spot with lots of room, easy access to a vault toilet and lovely background noise from the creek. Camp hosts are very welcoming and accommodating.
TravelerWe camped along a lovely creek, we were hyper aware of the fact that we were in bear country but we didn't seeing any traces of them. We didn't have any phone service and were very far away from any civilization, which made us uneasy, but if that's your thing, then this is the perfect place for you! No one traveled the gravel road while we were there.
Ranger
Great sites big enough to back a trailer in. Sites are close but feel secluded with trees and ferns. Running water was a bonus, after rafting for a week it felt luxurious!
Guide
This is a nice little camping spot. Not full on memorial Day weekend. I can only assume it will be busy for the Four of July. There are some nice trails nearby.
Guide
The camp grounds were not busy, and no mosquitoes right now. Fishing was slow but we caught fish. Saw lots of animals even a video of a Grizzly not but 3 miles from the camp grounds. Another camper had the video of the Grizzly from the night before!
Scout
They cut all the trees down some years ago and then closed it.
I passed by last year and still closed.
Raise the prices and close our swell campgrounds.
Way to go!
Whoever...Arrg matey..Keel haul them in 10' of water, salt of course..
Oh well.......................(:+(......................
Legend
We stayed 2 nights at this USFS campground as it was quiet and we had a campsite right along the Lochsa River. The sites were spacious and our paved site #2 was level. The cost was $14 per night. There was water available plus picnic table and barbecue. The vault toilet was across the paved road. This was one of our favorite campgrounds just to relax and enjoy the river.
ScoutThe Host is a Mean, Rude Nasty, foul mouthed B**ch. It's a no go by any means. like a prison camp.
ScoutGret place to get away, fish, hike, or just enjoy mother nature.
ScoutIve been fishing and camping here for 15 yrs. Great wild trout fly-fishing. MY father loved it. I sprinkled some of his ashes there. Peaceful, clean, Chris was a great, funny host. Wish I could stay more than 5 days. Shoot, I'd love to be the host. For free!
RangerNice little campground some spots right on the river. Tucked in a little so has a little privacy. Not busy at all.
Scout
A ton of dispersed sites right near the creek, but poorly taken care of by campers. We encountered more trash here than we’ve ever seen camping before. I mean, full trash bags left behind that were of course then scavenged by wildlife and spread all over. We also found human poop and used toilet paper in multiple spots, even though there IS a toilet provided here! We found tampons too…it was seriously disgusting…and obviously a popular spot for burning pallets because we found handfuls of nails scattered around, so be mindful of your tires!! This area just seems to attract a different kind of camping crowd, one that doesn’t respect the land or keeping it clean and better than you found it. It was pretty unfortunate because it really is a pretty and overall peaceful area.
Traveler
I would not recommend end of July/ August. Temps 100 and no breeze. Plenty to see if traveling in vehicle like bighorn sheep, whitetail deer and bald eagles. Recommend a visit to the firefighter memorial at Indian river FS training camp.
ScoutSmall quiet campground just off the highway ( though you can’t see it and rarely hear it.) very quiet. Nice host.
GuideFrom the highway 93 turn it is 4.6 miles to where we camped. The last 2.3 miles of the drive was on a fairly rough, but very manageable, forest road. (Mostly washboard and a few holes) It was 11.8 miles from our camp to Darby, and about 13 miles to the Yellowstone Ranch.
We grabbed a nice big spot right next to Lost Horse Creek late Friday afternoon. Another RV came into the area later in the evening and crowded us a little bit but we still had plenty of room to spread out. The road in is BUSY. We have camped at a number of dispersed locations over the years and this was BY FAR the busiest forest road we have seen. On Friday night we counted 50 cars passing by before we stopped counting. We drove west down the road a ways Saturday and saw a handful of other sites, but not enough to justify the traffic. We found out that “Twin Lakes” is about 20 miles down the rough forest road from our campsite. We didn’t venture that far as we could only go about 8-10 MPH max in our truck on the washboard road. Maybe we should have tried because it seemed to be quite the attraction given the traffic. This place will do in a pinch but if you are looking for a quiet dispersed camping area kept driving. This is not for you!
TravelerNice little park in Hamilton. If you were wondering why its called "Black Rabbit" RV park, take a look at some of the photos below. Contactless check-in if you don't arrive during business hours. The park is on the river. It was a short walk from our RV to a cool spot with chairs and a fire pit on the river. The park is quiet and the RV spots are generally pretty wide, all pull throughs.
The park is in town, so very convenient if you want to get groceries. The staff was friendly and helpful!
ScoutDue to vehicle problems and not being able to get it repaired in time for our trip I called to cancel our reservations. It was a couple of days beyond their 2 week cancellation policy. I explained the situation to the lady who answered the phone and she said it wouldn’t be a problem, they had had a few other last minute cancellations. She said she had some customers and would talk with someone and get back to me. More than a week went by and I realized that I hadn’t heard anything back from them so I called again. Nobody answered and I left a message. A not so polite person left me a message message that basically said I SOL. I certainly wouldn’t have expected a full refund but would have hoped that they would have worked with me a little bit being their employee said it wouldn’t be a problem. I tried calling again and received an answering machine so decided to email them because that how we communicated and they were very responsive. Absolutely no response back. Based on my experience I can’t recommend them or will I ever book with them again and I will certainly be sharing my story with friends who ask for a place to camp in the Bitterroot.
Camping near Bitterroot National Forest, Montana, offers a fantastic escape into nature with stunning views and a variety of campgrounds to choose from. Whether you're looking for a quiet spot by a creek or a more established campground with amenities, there's something for everyone.
Camping near Bitterroot National Forest, Montana, offers a mix of adventure and relaxation, making it a great choice for your next outdoor getaway!
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Bitterroot National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, Bitterroot National Forest offers a wide range of camping options, with 145 campgrounds and RV parks near Bitterroot National Forest and 11 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Bitterroot National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Bitterroot National Forest is Lake Como Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 8 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Bitterroot National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 11 free dispersed camping spots near Bitterroot National Forest.
What parks are near Bitterroot National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 14 parks near Bitterroot National Forest that allow camping, notably Clearwater National Forest and Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests.
