Looking for the best options for tent camping near Bitterroot National Forest? Find the best information on tent campgrounds near Bitterroot National Forest, including sites, reviews, and tips. Search nearby tent campsites or find top-rated spots from other campers.
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.
Crazy Creek Campground hosts 7 sites with picnic tables, fire rings, vault toilet and a well with hand pump for water. There is no garbage service so Pack it in/Pack it out. Campground can accommodate trailers under 26 feet.
Salmon Base Camp Trailhead has adequate parking for both cars and trailers. It offers access to trail #27, #19, the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness and the Frank Church Wilderness. Facilities include a wooden outhouse, stock ramp, and hitching rails.
Paradise Campground is located near the Paradise Boating Site which is one of the most popular launching sites on the Selway River. The campground consists of 11 sites complete with picnic tables, and fire rings. Other facilities include 3 vault toilets, hitching rails, and feed bunks. __Campground can accommodate RV's or trailers to 25 feet.
Will reopen in 2024, but water system will be closed for the 2024 season for maintenance.
Located off U.S. Highway 12 across from the Wild and Scenic Lochsa River, Jerry Johnson Campground offers 20 campsites for visitors to enjoy. The campground is located a short distance from the popular Jerry Johnson Hot Springs, where outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy a hike in to one of Idaho's incredible natural phenomenons.
$14 / night
The Selway Campground has 7 campsites along Meadow Creek. Boat put-in below the Selway Falls to float to Lowell. The wild and scenic section of the Selway contains Class IV rapids and runs from Paradise Campground to Selway Falls. The Campground will accomodate RV's less than 30-ft. length.
Legend
This is a nice little campground. 5 RV/tent sites. Plus a 6th tent only site. Vault toilet. Right next to river with hiking trail. Good fishing for small trout. About 6 miles from main road.
Scout
I have only tent camped here. Really nice flat grass for tents. $12 gets you campsite showers and toilets, WiFi and coin laundry. Also really great access to the bitterroot valley if you’re into hikin and river activities. Everyone’s really friendly and it’s a good place to crash when you’re out on the road.
TravelerBear Creek Pass Campground is semi-official dispersed camping at Bear Creek Pass, the location of two trail heads. I surveyed the site during a hike but did not stay over night.
There are two trail heads, about 1/2 mile apart. Between is a turn off for the“campground” which is little more than a pull out and a turn around. I didn’t see tent sites off the road. A little further on is a large parking area with vault toilet. A little beyond that a small parking area near the second trail head. Between these two is the one place that did look like a camp site. There was one fire ring and vegetation had been pressed down.
There are facilities for horses: several hitching posts and a loading ramp. These don’t look like they have been used for a while. We did see signs that horses were up here recently but the area is little impacted by horse use.
The area is in open pine forest with meadows. There is a stream flowing near by.
I would certainly sleep in my vehicle over night here or set up a tent. You can overnight here before starting on a hike from one of the trail heads. However, this site has little to recommend itself as a destination for an extended stay or overflow if nearby Schumaker is full.
Scout
Powell Campground is a beautiful campground just over the Montana border on Hwy 12 right alongside the Lochsa River. There are two loops of campsites tent and RV pull in or back in camping with electricity that can accommodate up to a 45 ft camper. An amphitheater, large group campsite, picnic area, beautiful walking trails and most of all the beautiful Lochsa Lodge. A market with the friendliest people, cabins to rent and of course the beautiful Lochsa River. Lewis and Clark camped along the Lochsa and walked right through the campground.Deer, Elk and Bear sightings are common.
Guide
this is definitely the place to roost for anyone who enjoys fishing. all fifty spots are either on the bitterroot river or a short walk away. A pleasant walk along the water provides ample bank fishing for the plentiful trout. other fishing spots including lake como are just a short drive away.
staff are friendly and the small store sells fishing licenses as well as a few groceries and fishing supplies. the bathrooms, showers and laundry are clean and centrally located. very slow wifi.
the site itself covers 15 acres with 1/4 mile of riverfront. this includes 70 rv and tent spots. the sites themselves offer a variety of camping experiences from side by side coziness to more isolated spots. there is also a group site.
we would happily return for any future fishing trips to montana.
Guide
Montana is such a beautiful place to visit. We come every summer but try and hit a new spot in Montana every time. We like experiencing new places, new hikes and new campgrounds! This place was great, definitely met all our needs!! The campground was super clean! We didn’t spot any garbage anywhere when we came! We saw some other reviews that said it was a little dirty, but we didn’t think so! The campsites were decently big, fit our RV perfectly! We stayed 3 nights and loved it. We hiked in the morning nearby, and all were amazing! The hiking in Montana never disappoints. The views are spectacular. We also saw so many deer coming in and out of the campground which we love! This seems to always happen when we stay in Montana :). Lots of chipmunks, birds and deer! We love it. There was a really yummy burger joint down the road that we stopped by on the way to the campground and on our way home! Super good burgers, fries and milkshakes!! The campground has many trees which was great for hanging our hammocks. We hiked in the morning and hung out in the campground in the evening reading in our hammocks. It was pretty relaxing!!
Guide
Very clean. Highway noise is not bad at night. I slept well in a tent. Three other people there including one who slept in her car. If you want privacy or shade, go to the end of the day use area and put your tent by the picnic tables around the rock. It is closer to the road tho, and the river.
Scout
This was one of the best places to stay in Montana, electricity and water was a plus, great sites, lake was pristine!
Guide
If your a good walker Montana is for you, the water amazes me at how clear it is but very cold, if your lucky you'll find a hot spring.
ScoutI love it everytime I get leave from the navy I go back home and hike and camp everywhere and I haven't hiked any mountain range like the ones in Montana
TravelerA friend and I car camped at one of the three main camping sites at Lake Como. We stayed at the one just before the boat launch on the other side of the lake from the main beach area. We were pleased by the lack of bugs! We had plenty of room to set up our tent and hammocks. Bathrooms were readily available. I would recommend arriving around 2pm to acquire a spot and communicate with camp site hosts. We loved running the 8 mile trail around the lake in the morning while the beach filled up with day time visitors.
Scout
Camped here over 4th of July weekend. Beautiful, quiet area, camps spots are spacious and well distanced. Dogs allowed, bathrooms were nice and clean, easy access to the river. For how popular it was, it was a nice quiet stay. Easy to reserve a camp spot. We easily fit 4 tents and 3 vehicles in the area. Plenty of space for 3 dogs as well. Firewood was easily found, campfire ring was already there.
Legend
Only 3 miles off the main drag, I’m not sure why more people weren’t camping here. While there are only about 8 sites only 2(including mine) were taken. Maybe it was the smoke from distant first fires. Anyway, great little campground! Right next to the creek, with another small branch cutting through the middle of the campground, the only thing I could hear was the water and later a fire spotter plane overhead. The vault toilet was super clean and serviced recently. Sites were of different sizes(the parking pad curbs had lengths listed on them), and of differing amounts of levelness. I had site 2 and had to go to a fairly low spot to find a level place to pitch my tent, not a problem during a drought, but it would have been wet if it had rained. Saw a doe and fawn on the way out in the morning.
Guide
This is a cozy little campground about 20 minutes outside Salmon, ID. It's located directly on the Salmon River. It's a well-run site, is clean and has full hookups, laundry, a store, etc... If you're traveling north along the Salmon River, it's a good place to spend the night before heading up over the pass towards Lolo and Missoula, MT. No cell service, but serviceable WiFi, and its location on the river is excellent for anglers and those looking to enjoy the river. Spaces are a little tight, and there are definitely other boondocking sites along the river in this area, Wagonhammer provides a nice spot for those looking for the comforts of home while nestled in the wilderness. It's a quiet, calm, and safe place for travelers staying in everything from tents to enormous RV's.
Traveler
It is uncommon to be able to drive this high into the mountains. These facilities and roads to them probably exist because of a history of human activity around this site. Lower twin lake(and some others in the area) are created by human made dams.
Schumacher is a loop of about 12 sites in open pine forest. Sites have picknick table, fire pit, and a tent pad. Most also have space for additional tents. There are two vault toilets, single seat. No water. Camps on the lake side are about 200 ft away with trails leading down to the shoreline.
Further down the road that runs west of Lower Twin Lake are three more sites, set closer to the water. Outhouse for these are further along the road to the trail head.
Lower Twin Lake, though constructed by a dam, is reasonable beautiful. There are pine trees around the lake, some meadows along the east shore, and round, rocky peaks around the basin.
The road in is 20 miles of dirt in good condition. I could have made it with my Mini but the Honda CR-V was more comfortable. The road is narrow enough that when meeting oncoming traffic both need to come to a near stop and pass carefully. In a few places, one or the other must back to the closest wide spot. We passed a few people pulling trailers. Not sure if they were all the way up tot Schumaker, but could have been. Near Schumaker are some trail heads that people drive stock trailers to. So, it is a long dirt road but most cars can make it as well as people experienced driving their RV on forest service roads.
Along the road there were multiple places for dispersed camping, including one official dispersed site. On a Sunday afternoon these were 80% full.
To my surprise, Schumaker was nearly empty. There were a couple day-visit groups. On our first night there was only one other group in the camp ground and on our second 4 other groups. I suspect it was full over the weekend, which would imply it is mainly used by locals.
If Schumaker is full the near by Bears Creek Pass dispersed camping will probably have space for you.
We have the enjoyments of a nearly empty campground in sub-alpine terrain. The lake is warm enough to swim in. There are a couple trail heads for hiking near by.
On the down side, there are lots of bugs and the weather is warm. Horse flies, black flies, and mosquitoes are all out during the day. The evening mosquiting hour is vicious. I can’t speculate about bugs in other times in the season but this year late July is bad. Despite our equipment, hanging out in camp is not comfortable.
We spend two nights and decide to move on in hopes of finding fewer bugs, maybe at a lower elevation.
Traveler
I was camping at a nearby national park site that had a flyer for Camp Sula, saying that if you show the receipt from your stay you can use Camp Sulas shower, laundry facilities and wifi at no cost. I arrived there and the ladies working in the combination store/restaurant/gas and coffee station were so friendly and down to earth. I was given a towel and shampoo/conditioner for the shower, they had complimentary and coin washing machines, and coin dryers, all very efficient. After my shower and waiting for clothes to dry, I walked around the camp, the log cabins are adorable and cozy, each has its own porch, picnic table and adjacent fire pit. There is free put-put golf, horseshoes, tetherball and a small well stocked fishing pond with benches to watch the action or simply admire the beauty of the surroundings. It is close to the main highway but tucked back enough you feel "away" from the bustle. I enjoyed myself so much I inquired about camping there for the night & I would only need a parking space because I sleep in my truck bed canopy. They were full (accommodates RVs and tents) but offered a makeshift spot right by the creek. It was perfect. Because of COVID, they had limited reservations for dinner, and practiced social distancing and requested patrons wear masks. Not everyone participated with their request but were equally treated with kindness and respect. I highly recommend their breakfast, big fluffy pancakes and local meats. They kept the restaurant, showers & bathroom & store very very clean. The location is a landmark, the Lewis and Clark expedition camped there on their way to discover the west. I highly recommend them
RangerThe Selway is one of the most beautiful places in Idaho, and this campground is a good place to stay on your visit! There are plenty of sites (32) to stay at, however it can tend to get crowded, so I recommend reserving a spot ahead of time. The crowds are really the only downside to this site (if you prefer more quiet and privacy) but fortunately there are other sites along the river that are also great spots to camp. This campsites has plenty of amenities and many of the sites are pretty accessible. This is a great place for families, people with limited mobility, and the elderly to visit. There are vault toilets, potable water, and bear-proof dumpsters that serve the whole camp. Individual sites should all have tent spots, picnic tables, and a fire ring. The loop around the campsite is paved. Kids and families often ride their bikes around the loop. Like much of central Idaho, the wildlife includes black bears and rattlesnakes, so remember to be cautious and aware of our wilder friends! The area offers a great variety of recreation opportunities. Slower areas of the river offer great swimming, and the Lower Selway makes a great day trip on kayaks or rafts. There is lots of biking, hiking, and horseback riding along the river and through the mountains. Selway Falls are beautiful and a really fun stop.
Guide
Pulled off the road to get some sleep. Nice $4 warm shower and slightly over priced $20 camp site. Not my favorite stop but it's quick easy and reliable. There are a couple of restaurants within walking distance.
Guide
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!
ScoutI reserved this a month or so in advance, a big recommendation from me, it is around 3 miles to get to the beautiful and majestic Painted Rocks lake. Camp hosts were great, I think it was Rombo Sharon/Shannon and a great guy by her side for managing the ground. Bear containers, pit toilets, potable water is available at a close distance at every camp site. Wood is chopped at host site and given if you ask for it, Lots of room- I managed to comfortably fit three full size sedans and still have room in one camp area.
This area is next to a huge river that runs off of painted rock dam.
This campground is a must for thrillseekers, recreation types, and explorers coming to spend a weekend on the lake and the deep bitterroot mountains.
Highly recommend. Will be back.
GuideStayed we with a friend here to do some surficial geology in the Bitterroots Mt. It was a really nice central area to work out of and it had all we needed from a long day in the field. The host was pleasant to talk to and the place was clean.
GuideSpend a night. No cost although that will change next weekend. They’ll start charging $10.
ScoutIn expensive, clean and quiet. Great for 1 night. Well maintained.
Scout
Well if your into a camp host that resembles a Nazi SS officer and paying to stay well this would be a great place for you. Way better places to stay close to the lake
GuideLake level was super low when we went, and smog from forest fires, but overall a superb campground. Easy access to old firetower trails for dirt biking/quads, great fishing and tons of wildlife. Every morning we saw elk and big horn sheep.
Each campsite is well spaced, with a firepit and grill cover.
ScoutMy wife and I along with our 2 young children visited the place last summer 2019 and had a great time. It’s beautiful there.
Legend
This is a nice campground with a beautiful lake. No hookups. Potable water. No dump. Vault toilets. Sites are spaced out. Lake access is not the greatest for carrying kayaks. Good lake access from day use just before entering campground. $15 night. Some hiking trails.
Nestled in the stunning Bitterroot National Forest, tent camping offers a serene escape into nature, with a variety of campgrounds to choose from.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Bitterroot National Forest is Deep Creek with a 4-star rating from 1 review.
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