If you're searching for a place to camp with pets near Bitterroot National Forest, look no further. Camping is an adventurous and unique way to escape the city—and you can bring along your furry friend. You're sure to find the perfect pet-friendly campsite for your Montana camping excursion.
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.
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.
Deep Creek Campground features 3 campsites complete with picnic tables, fire rings, and a vault toilet. Site will accept RV's or trailers to 30 feet. Stock can be kept in this campground.
Slate Creek Campground is located right near Painted Rocks lake and has 7 sites complete with picinic tables and fire rings, and a vault toilet. Campground can accommodate RV's or trailers to 25 feet.
Three Sisters Group Site is located within the Lake Como Recreation Area on the Darby Ranger District of the Bitterroot National Forest. The group site, which is located across the road from the Rock Creek Horse Camp, is situated among the pine trees and is adjacent to the outlet of Lake Como.______
Boating, fishing, swimming and other water sports are popular on Lake Como. Anglers might see rainbow and cutthroat trout, as well as kokanee salmon, among other alpine species. A boat ramp and parking area are available at the south side of the lake. A large, sandy beach is available to visitors at the North side of the lake. To the West of the site on the North side, a short walk will take visitors to a trailhead that begins a 7-mile loop trail around Lake Como. The Lake Como National Recreation Loop Trail is suitable for hiking, mountain biking and accessing the lake for swimming or picnics. The first quarter-mile of the trail is wheelchair accessible and the trail also crosses Rock Creek at one point. Approximately 3.5 miles from the site, at the West end of the lake, is a magnificent waterfall that cascades over fern-covered rock cliffs. A trail continues from the waterfall, or heads west up Rock Creek, into the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness area.__
Boating, fishing, swimming and other water sports are popular on Lake Como. Anglers might see rainbow and cutthroat trout, as well as kokanee salmon, among other alpine species. A boat ramp and parking area are available at the south side of the lake. A large, sandy beach is available to visitors at the North side of the lake. To the West of the site on the North side, a short walk will take visitors to a trailhead that begins a 7-mile loop trail around Lake Como. The Lake Como National Recreation Loop Trail is suitable for hiking, mountain biking and accessing the lake for swimming or picnics. The first quarter-mile of the trail is wheelchair accessible and the trail also crosses Rock Creek at one point. Approximately 3.5 miles from the site, at the West end of the lake, is a magnificent waterfall that cascades over fern-covered rock cliffs. A trail continues from the waterfall, or heads west up Rock Creek, into the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness area.__
The group site is located near the East end of 913-acre Lake Como in the central Bitterroot Mountains of western Montana. It is situated at an elevation of 4,245 feet and is primarily used for meetings, reunions, weddings and family gatherings, as it can accommodate a larger group of people. A variety of wildlife and birds can be seen around the area and its surroundings. Osprey, bald eagles, deer, moose, elk and bears make their home in the area (learn about outdoor safety ).
$75 / night
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.
7 spots off the beaten path, small creek lehmi. On the Lewis and Ckark trail. Bathroom is ADA.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.......................(:+(......................
Nice little campground some spots right on the river. Tucked in a little so has a little privacy. Not busy at all.
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.
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.
From 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!
This is my favorite area for dispersed camping in the area. Lost Horse creek is beautiful. Can get a little tight with campers in peak season.
Spent two nights here along the river. Nice Camp store with everything you would need and it’s close to town.
Wonderful location near the river. Not too many people
This spot was Amazing! Our room was stunning. So charming, spacious, cozy, Fun, and had everything we could ever need. On top of the wonderful accommodations, the STAFF! The staff and owner went Above and Beyond for us when my boyfriend left behind a beloved baseball cap in our room. Totally our fault, and we figured we’d never see the sentimental item again. On a whim, I called Travellers Rest and they couldn’t have been nicer. They found the hat and mailed it from Darby to Bozeman and we had it back in no time. It was so kind and truly showed the heart of this cool spot. We would Love to stay here again when in the area!
Great little campsite with the roar of the river.
Found it by accident a few years back. It sits above the Lochsa River, just north and west of the Wilderness Gateway Campground.
Both campgrounds are great, but this one is a little more rustic and provides easier access from the highway for camp trailers and stock trailers.
Have to look carefully because it is easy to miss: not well marked...
Great little campsite. There are actually two campgrounds across the road from each other. The newer one is a wide open area while the older one is not conducive to larger 5th wheels.
I camped at the older one with my little 1960 Rolls Royal camper. Fun trails all around to explore and I've heard you can pan in the creek.
It is reported the 2022 fire pretty well wiped out the area so camper beware...
It is a long gravel road to get there but worth the trip! It’s beautiful! We fished off the dock and was visited by a large otter!
This site has the cleanest and most amazing campground bathroom i’ve ever seen. The showers are hot, and the entire bathroom stayed clean for the length of my stay.
Beautiful campground right off the 93. Site 15 is right on the river. The campground had access to water and trash. Gas station and store on site. The hosts were very kind and welcoming.
I stayed 3 nights in July- They were very helpful with where to go in the area, the showers/baths were brand new- clean. They had activities over the weekend- music over the weekend. Trees created privacy. Right on the river.
The access is via a steep and narrow road with at least 15 switchbacks. The campground appears to be used by horseback hunters in the fall. I have stayed here twice and shared the campground one time with another couple. Nice easy trail up or down the river from here. Lots of rafters and occasional jet boats on the river. Pit toilet is maintained by the USFS. No garbage service, pack it in pack it out.
Lots of places and plenty of room for horses.
We were supposed to stay here two nights while fly fishing but ended up leaving one night early. We have never ever witnessed bullying and aggression from hosts like we witnessed here. Stay away! The owner admitted his employee over stepped his bounds and was out of line, but tried to justify it by what had happened a day earlier when we weren’t even there. Totally unprofessional and scary.
We were in the area to fly fish and just needed a basic place to park our RV with power. We left the first location we were at due to extremely unprofessional and dangerous employees. We drove down the road to Traveler’s Rest, a little frazzled from our recent experience and were very relieved that they were friendly, had availability and the facility was clean and nice. We do many activities in this area and will return to Traveler’s Rest again!
Closed for the 2022 season
Fantastic campground off the map. You’re right between two hot springs so very easy access to visit. There’s a clean vault toilet & front row access to a beautiful river. It is right along the road so you do hear some road noise but very quiet at night time. There’s 7 campsites ranging in size. No cell service for any carrier. Met some awesome people here and would definitely visit again! Arrived on a Sunday afternoon to find 5 open spots. First come first serve & free. Not a lot of solar site options if needing, may not be the best spot.
Great location just off the highway. Stayed here for one night on our way to Missoula. River located just down a cliff along the campsite. When we were here is was roaring and you would probably want to be careful with kids and pets. Very quite with little to no traffic in the campground as well as the highway during our stay. Some spots were a little muddy due to rain for the past couple days. Didn't use the restrooms while we were here so unsure how clean those were but a couple people stopped by on the drive to use them. Would definitly stay here again.
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
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Bitterroot National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Bitterroot National Forest is Sam Billings Memorial Campground with a 4-star rating from 3 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Bitterroot National Forest?
TheDyrt.com has all 41 dog-friendly camping locations near Bitterroot National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.
