Best Campgrounds near Bynum, MT

The 6 miles between where the pavement ends and when you reach the main paid camping area is so washboarded, I thought I was going to lose my mind. But we and our 26ft class c survived with no broken bits. 

The main camping area is nice, but pricey in my opinion at $18/night. Each spot is along the water and comes with a nice flat pad to park on, fire pit, picnic table, and shade structure. There are pit toilets as well. No other amenities. We chose to keep going, mainly because $18 felt like too much money. The road is not so washboarded when you leave the campground, and we did ok driving around the lake for about a mile until we found one of the free dispersed sites. No amenities here, of course, other than some home made rock fire pits. Each spot is really private and segregated from the next spot. 

The lake was nice and cool and refreshing to swim in when we arrived on a hot July day. No cell service here. The ATT phone had a bit of service, and with the cell booster was even able to stream. The Verizon phone had nothing. Lots of mosquitoes here, swarms of them at dusk when you’re trying to enjoy the beautiful sunset.

Really nice place. We stopped here and decided to stay another night to take a break from driving the shower was great pressure was great. The water is soft, which is a plus the prices are great on the site and even the cokes.

Like others said, it is pack in pack out, but otherwise it is great. Bathroom is close and clean, being close to the water is nice, and 100% free. There’s also a campground not far away more inland that is free in the same park.

Barron cost money to camp here in enjoyable experience

A very nice stopover. The park is well-kept. Hookups worked well. Spacious setup. Loved the walking trail at the top of the park. Grocery just down the street. Very quiet and dark at night. Very friendly host. Nice laundry. Good wifi, adequate cell coverage for Verizon and AT&T. Stayed several days to explore the area where the prairie meets the Rocky Mountains. Lots of dirt road, but wonderful views. Also visited the waterfowl area and Freezout Lake. Very Montana.

We happened upon this place later in the evening as we were traveling from Glacier National Park to Yellowstone. We were getting worried because it was getting dark. We got to the campsites after hours and the host was kind enough to come out and greet us even though their office had closed. It was $25 for a tent spot. They have clean restrooms and showers, a dishwashing sink, coin-op laundry, games of corn hole, a game/reading room, and a coin-op pool table. Our tent site provided privacy, fire pit, and table. We loved it. We didn’t get to enjoy it much since we got there late and left early, but it was wonderful! We would go back! Only downside was a loud siren going off around 6AM that sounded like an air raid siren from a nearby mill.

Nilan Reservoir Fishing Access site has six campsites on the south west shore of the reservoir.  These sites are small and close together, while you can set up a tent these sites are better suited to RV campers.  Sites are in the open near the road.  Three set of two sites with a vault toilet located with sites 1 & 2 and another at sites 5 & 6.  The fishing access site has a boat launch located by sites 5 & 6 and this is also the location of the fee station.  Site five is the best location for a tent as it has a patch of grass.  Each site has a picnic table and metal fire ring.  This is a trash in-trash out campground.  Site is also dry so be sure to bring all the water you will need.  Price varies by state residency and if you have a fishing license or not.  Price varies from $5 to $18 a night (picture included that shows the break down)

Benchmark campground allows the hiker or horse rider access to two wilderness areas from the adjacent trail head.  This 25 site campground is set up for camping with or with out horses.  The area has several horse corrals and parking for horse trailers.  Some of the campsites are right next to the horse corrals, but many are far from those corrals.  Each site features a picnic table and metal fire ring.  Sites are well spread apart.  Cost is $10 per night, plus $5 more for a second vehicle.  Campground has two water pumps and vault toilets.  The adjacent trail head is for Straight Creek Trail #212, which will have you in the Bob Marshall Wilderness in a matter of minutes, and if you continue down the trail you will enter the  Scapegoat Wilderness.

South Fork Campground located at the end of Benchmark road is one of the campgrounds to use for accessing the Bob Marshall Wilderness.  This seven site campground and trail head gives the hiker and horseback rider a pleasant campground with plenty of room for horse trailer parking, corrals for the horses and campsites with picnic tables and metal fire rings.  Campground has water available and vault toilets.  ADA sites as well.  Campground sits next to one of the more popular access points for the Bob Marshall Wilderness area and the Continental Divide Trail.  Most of the campsites sit under large pine and fir trees.  Sites are well spread apart.  Your proximity to horse corrals varies by site and if horses are present.

The RV sites all had electric hookups and they had good space between each. Not a lot of shade, though. Would be nice if there were walkways down to the water so you didn't have to beat through the trees and shrubbery. There is a playground for kids. The lake has lots of open shoreline. There is tons of local traffic. A lot of the same vehicles that just drive through 10-20 times a day. It's a bit annoying. Lastly, they do have port-a-potties around the grounds but they are all riddled with large spiders and generally out of TP.