Best Tent Camping near Box Elder, MT

Tent camping options near Box Elder, Montana include several established campgrounds along the Fresno Reservoir and within the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. Hill County Beaver Creek Park, the largest county park in the nation, offers multiple tent camping areas with varying levels of amenities and access to fishing lakes and hiking trails. Kiehns Bay at Fresno Reservoir provides dispersed tent sites with views of the water.

Most primitive tent campgrounds in the Box Elder region have minimal facilities. Fresno Tailwater and Kiehns Bay lack drinking water, showers, and toilets, requiring campers to pack in all necessary supplies including water. Sites typically feature dirt or gravel surfaces with little site preparation. Hill County Beaver Creek Park requires a $55 annual pass for camping access. Several boat-in tent camping options exist along the Missouri River, including Eagle Creek and Hole-in-the-Wall, which offer vault toilets and fire rings but limited shade except at Eagle Creek where cottonwood trees provide natural cover. Road conditions to many sites include washboard sections and can be challenging after rain.

Backcountry tent camping experiences vary significantly by location. Eagle Creek Developed Boat Camp provides access to hiking through a slot canyon and features cottonwood trees that create shaded tent sites. According to one visitor, "There's plenty of room to set up tents and good locations for hammocks under the large cottonwoods." Fresno Reservoir tent sites offer spectacular views but can become busy with locals, particularly on weekends. A camper noted that "the locals have no respect for campers, they just drive right up and spend the afternoon drinking and carrying on right in front of our spot." For more solitude, tent campers should consider the primitive boat camps along the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, where sites are well-spaced and offer peaceful riverside camping experiences.

Best Tent Sites Near Box Elder, Montana (11)

    1. Kiehns Bay

    5 Reviews
    Havre, MT
    20 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 759-5077

    "Beautiful spot on the water, there were several dispersed camping spots to choose from around the lake. Some of them are very difficult to access with a larger rig."

    "Lots of bottles and garbage on the beach from party's and around 2am some locals rolled through in louder trucks right past our spot."

    2. Hill County Beaver Creek Park

    2 Reviews
    Lloyd, MT
    18 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 395-4565

    "It technically requires a $55 annual park pass for camping or usage of the park. The pass can be purchased at Stromberg Sinclair in Havre or other locations in Havre."

    "It technically requires a $55 annual park pass for camping or usage of the park. There are two lakes with decent fishing in the park and a lovely stream."

    3. Fresno Tailwater

    2 Reviews
    Havre, MT
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 444-2535

    4. Bearpaw Lake

    1 Review
    Lloyd, MT
    17 miles
    Website
    +1 (405) 444-2535

    5. Lone Tree Campground

    1 Review
    Big Sandy, MT
    23 miles

    "This is a very nice camp location at around mile 48.8 of the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. Site is in a grove of large cottonwoods. One fire ring and one outhouse at the site."

    6. Eagle Creek Developed Boat Camp

    2 Reviews
    Big Sandy, MT
    28 miles

    "Located in the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument at river mile 56.0. Eagle Creek is a very popular camping location on the river."

    "Pretty nice shaded campsite. There are two hiking opportunities here."

    7. Hole-in-the-Wall Boat Camp

    2 Reviews
    Big Sandy, MT
    35 miles
    Website

    "Site has two vault toilets and four metal fire ring, no tables but several benches. Shelters provide the only shade for the camp. Just down river is Hole-in-the-Wall."

    "I never slept here, but your only shade will be the provided “shelters”. The fire-pits are not shaded as well. The hiking up to the Hole-in-The-Wall is AWESOME!"

    8. Fresno OHV Area

    Be the first to review!
    Havre, MT
    27 miles
    +1 (406) 262-2820
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Tent Camping Reviews near Box Elder, MT

50 Reviews of 11 Box Elder Campgrounds


  • Dexter I.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 25, 2018

    Judith Landing

    Great campsite along the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument

    Nice campground with lots of room. Very clean Vault Toilet. Fire rings and picnic tables available. One downside is that their is not a good location to land a canoe at the campground, need to use the boat launch 2-3 tenths of a mile further down river. No water available. dumpsters are available.

    Lewis and Clark's May 28, 1805 marker is a few hundred feet from the Visitor Assistant station.

  • Dexter I.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 26, 2018

    Eagle Creek Developed Boat Camp

    Nice campground with great hiking oppertunity

    Located in the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument at river mile 56.0. Eagle Creek is a very popular camping location on the river. The site has two vault toilets and five metal fire rings, several more rock fire rings are also available. Large cottonwoods provide shade and good locations to set up a hammock. Plenty of room to set up tents. Good hiking through a slot canyon is possible. Lewis and Clark camped near here on the other side of Eagle Creek on May 31, 1805.

  • Dexter I.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 25, 2018

    Coal Banks Landing

    Great camp along the Upper Missouri River Breaks

    This is an enjoyable campground along the Upper Missouri River Breaks on river mile 41.5. Site has two vault toilets, 13 picnic table, and 9 firer rings. Visit Center provides WiFi. This is a major launch area for floating the Upper Missouri Rive Breaks National Monument. Very friendly camp staff with vast knowledge of the river.

  • Dexter I.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 25, 2018

    Hole-in-the-Wall Boat Camp

    Nice camp with shelters

    Nice developed camp site at river mile 63.0 on the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. Site has two vault toilets and four metal fire ring, no tables but several benches. Shelters provide the only shade for the camp. Just down river is Hole-in-the-Wall. Nice trail leads to the hole-in-the-wall. To get to trail canoe down river another 0.8 mile, stopping at the first large cottonwood, you will find a trail here.

  • J
    Jul. 11, 2021

    Evergreen Campground

    Clean, quiet, small, tight sites

    Nice area, shade and trees.  Friendly, helpful host.  Camp sites very, very close together.  Walk out camper door into next sites plug ins and sewer hose.  Very limited space between campers.  No picnic tables or firepits.

  • Gary A.
    Jul. 28, 2023

    Benton RV Park & Campground

    Terrible

    Benton RV Park in Fort Benton Montana is run by a very nice lady. The restrooms and showers are very clean. Those are the only nice things I can say about this place. They have a full page of rules and regulations with threats of eviction if not obeyed. Fear not though none were enforced. This is what lead us to depart early. One of there rules is to respect the campsites of others and not short cut through them. The other rule that we took issue with is children under the age of 18 must be supervised by an adult at all times. Our campsite was overrun by a group of 6 kids. Playing and cutting through the entire time we stayed there. We had kids outside our camper door in our campsite the entire time we were there. We couldn't sit outside and enjoy our picnic table for the kids toys and their constant running back and forth. We found the photos on Benton RV Park website very deciving. They must have been very old. They depict green grass and well spaced RV's. The reality is dead brown grass and being so close to your neighbor it's more a parking lot located in an area where the houses across The street ends at an industrial like area. So if you have children you want to let run wild and you don't mind everyone cutting through your campsite this place is for you. Otherwise stay away.

  • Dexter I.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 25, 2018

    Senieur's Reach Primitive Boat Camp

    Nice primitive camp

    We give this our highest primitive camp review of 3 stars. Site had one fire ring that would be safe to make a fire at as the area around the ring is free of vegetation. Nice camp locations under the cotton woods. No outhouse or tables. A bonus is the swim someone has made in a large cottonwood. Located at Upper Missouri Rive Breaks National Monument river mile 16.2.

  • Carter W.
    Jul. 26, 2019

    Chouteau County Fairgrounds & Canoe Launch Campground

    Easy going

    A nice campground with both tent and RV sites. Nicely separated from the RV sites so that  I wasn't breathing in the RV exhaust. There is the canoe drop in that is quite busy during the day but not a hassle, It does have quiet hours that are enforced by the camp hosts. The cliff on the other side of the river was a gorgeous view when the sun was setting.

    The facilities are very nice that are attached to the rodeo grounds. The toilets flush and the showers are private.

  • Dexter I.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 25, 2018

    Evans Bend Primitive Boat Camp

    Don't camp here

    This is a primitive boat camp along the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. Would not spend the night here. The site is listed as having 2 fire rings, but we could not find them due to the 3 foot plus high vegetation. If you did find them you would start a wild fire with all the high vegetation. With all the vegetation couldn't locate a place that we would want place a tent. Being just 5.7 miles down the river to early to stop for the night


Guide to Box Elder

Tent camping near Box Elder, Montana centers around several reservoirs and the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. The region sits on Montana's Hi-Line at approximately 2,700 feet elevation with a semi-arid climate featuring strong winds and dramatic temperature swings. Summer temperatures regularly exceed 90°F while spring brings frequent thunderstorms that can affect road conditions to primitive sites.

What to do

Fishing opportunities: Fresno Reservoir offers excellent walleye, pike, and crappie fishing. According to one camper at Fresno Tailwater, "This is a great place to catch Pike, Walleye and Crappie" though they noted they "would not want to camp at the tailwaters, but recommend fishing."

Slot canyon exploration: Multiple hiking trails lead through unique geological formations near river campsites. At Eagle Creek Developed Boat Camp, visitors report "awesome Neat Coulee Canyon where it's a short hike with small climbing (and bigger climbing opportunities; pretty risky)."

Historical sites: Several camps along the Missouri River corridor contain cultural and historical points of interest. One camper at Eagle Creek noted, "There are also pictographs in the opposite direction of the campsite to the canyon. It is kinda hard to find, but look for reddish rock near a juniper."

What campers like

Cottonwood shade: The mature trees at river camps provide natural cooling during hot summer months. A visitor at Senieur's Reach Primitive Boat Camp appreciated the "nice camp locations under the cotton woods" and mentioned "a bonus is the swim someone has made in a large cottonwood."

Peaceful weekday stays: Mid-week camping offers significantly more solitude at popular locations. At Kiehns Bay, one reviewer noted they "pulled in on a Sunday and there was only 1 other camper in the area. We found a beautiful site overlooking the reservoir. Would definitely come back. I can see where it would get busy on a weekend."

Wide site selection: The dispersed nature of camping areas provides options for different preferences. A camper at Kiehns Bay observed "several dispersed camping spots to choose from around the lake" and "spectacular views from a few campsites on top of the walls, well spread out areas."

What you should know

Road conditions: Access routes to many campsites deteriorate after rain or during spring thaw. A Kiehns Bay visitor mentioned "the road in and out is hilly and has a bit of washboarding, we made it in and out without any problems."

Limited facilities: Most sites require complete self-sufficiency with no services. A camper at Hole-in-the-Wall Boat Camp noted "your only shade will be the provided 'shelters'. The fire-pits are not shaded as well."

Local traffic patterns: Popular reservoir campsites see frequent day visitors. One camper at Kiehns Bay observed "lots of bottles and garbage on the beach from party's and around 2am some locals rolled through in louder trucks right past our spot."

Tips for camping with families

Safety near water: Reservoir shorelines can have sudden dropoffs and strong currents. At Fresno Reservoir, a visitor cautioned "I wouldn't suggest swimming" despite the beautiful setting.

Hammock-friendly sites: Some locations offer excellent setup options for hammock camping. At Black Bluff Rapids Primitive Boat Camp, campers noted the site is "located along the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument in a stretch of cottonwoods" which provide natural anchors.

Wildlife awareness: Cattle grazing occurs near many sites and requires proper gate management. A Hole-in-the-Wall visitor advised "since you will take boats there, cows can walk to the landing sites, but remember to keep all your gates shut."

Tips from RVers

Size limitations: Large rigs face significant challenges at most sites. According to a Kiehns Bay visitor, there were "several dispersed camping spots to choose from around the lake. Some of them are very difficult to access with a larger rig."

Concrete pad option: One specific location provides a suitable foundation for larger vehicles. A camper at Fresno Tailwater noted "there's also a flat concrete pad that would work well for a big RV" among the various options available.

Weekend planning: RVers should arrive early on summer weekends. A reviewer of Kiehns Bay observed "tons of people love to camp by Fresno in the summer. It's typically a boating/rv spot - some park their RV all summer at Fresno."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Box Elder, MT?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Box Elder, MT is Kiehns Bay with a 3.8-star rating from 5 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Box Elder, MT?

TheDyrt.com has all 11 tent camping locations near Box Elder, MT, with real photos and reviews from campers.