Best Tent Camping near Cameron, MT
Tent camping options in Cameron, Montana include established campgrounds like Ruby Creek Campground and dispersed camping areas throughout the surrounding Beaverhead National Forest. Ruby Creek Campground offers designated tent campsites with picnic tables and fire rings along the Madison River, providing easy access to fishing opportunities. Spanish Lakes, located in the higher elevations approximately 9.5 miles up from the Spanish Creek trailhead, offers more remote backcountry tent camping with stunning alpine views.
Most tent campsites in the Cameron area feature basic amenities such as fire rings and, in established campgrounds, vault toilets. Ruby Creek Campground provides drinking water and toilet facilities, with campsites costing $12 per night. Spanish Lakes and other backcountry tent locations require hikers to pack in all supplies and pack out all trash. Revenue Flats, accessible via a rough 5-mile road with steep sections, offers numerous primitive tent campsites with fire rings but no services. A visitor commented, "We were pleasantly surprised at the beautiful views and quiet sites at Revenue Flats. It was well worth the 5 mile rough road with steep climb at the end."
Walk-in tent locations at Spanish Lakes provide some of the most scenic camping experiences in the region. The hike to these backcountry tent sites involves approximately 9.5 miles of trail, with the first 4.5 miles being relatively flat before a more challenging uphill section. A review from The Dyrt notes, "This place is indescribable... You cross over some beautiful bridges over roaring streams. Couple streams didn't have bridges so we had to lose our boots for those crossings." The tent campsite areas around the lakes feature crystal clear water, fishing opportunities for west slope cutthroat trout, and panoramic mountain views. Bear activity is common in the region, so proper food storage is essential for tent campers throughout the area.