Looking for a rustic and comfortable horse camping experience near Canyon Ferry Lake? Finding a place to stay in Montana while traveling with your horse is easy. With our help, you'll find the best Montana equestrian campsites from scenic to easily accessible.
Cromwell Dixon Campground, located right on the Continental Divide, provides spectacular views of surrounding country encompassing meadows, timbered slopes, and far away mountains. Trailhead access to the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail is nearby. ACTIVITIES Camping Picnicking
Kading Cabin is located 16 miles south of Elliston, Montana in Helena National Forest. This site has served the Forest Service since the early 1900s when the agency was forming. It was selected for its central location, trail and wagon road accessibility, and telephone line service at the time, ensuring that it would be valuable for both administrative and protective work. The present cabin was built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Renovations and repairs were made to the facility in the 1960s and again in the early 1990s. Today, the cabin is a rustic retreat for guests seeking relaxation and recreation in central Montana. The cabin is typically accessible by car; however, heavy amounts of snow in winter can close the road to vehicles. Access to the cabin is via a 7-mile stretch of road passable by snowmobile, snowshoe, skis or dog sled. Guests must be prepared to pack in several of their own supplies.
Plenty of hiking, fishing and wildlife viewing opportunities exist along the numerous trails and roads that can be accessed within a short distance from the cabin. Fly fishing on the Little Blackfoot River is excellent. Brown trout are found in good numbers and large sizes below Elliston. Brook and cutthroat trout are found above Elliston. Whitefish can be found throughout the length of the river. In winter, guests will enjoy snowshoeing, skiing and snowmobiling on trails throughout the area.
Hemmed in by old-growth, conifer forest, Kading Cabin sits at the edge of a grassy clearing. The Little Blackfoot River flows near the cabin, a tributary to the Upper Clark Fork watershed. It drains an area of 265,300 acres from the Boulder Mountains north of Butte and west of Helena. The area around the cabin offers a variety of landscapes, from river banks to subalpine terrain. Valley bottoms, dense forests, meadows and barren ridges are mixed with streams, rivers, and lakes. Wildlife in the area abounds. Elk, deer, squirrels and a variety of birds are commonly seen. The more elusive badger, wolverine, mountain lion and lynx find habitat in nearby areas as well.
Plenty of historic mines are scattered throughout the area, including Charter Oak Mine and the Mill and the Monarch Mine.
$30 / night
Richardson Campground is located in the Lewis and Clark National Forest in the Castle Mountains. At an elevation of 5,500 feet, the campground encompasses 8 acres. It is located in a lodgepole pine forest on a hillside. There are 3 campsites provided with restrooms. Richardson Creek is located nearby, and scenic hiking trails are accessible from the campground. Pets are welcome. The maximum recommended trailer length for the area is 16 feet. Please limit your stay to 16 days. Bears may frequent the area; keep all food out of sight in approved containers and remove all food from area after eating. Mandatory food storage is required.
The Granite Butte Lookout is located at 7,587 feet above sea level atop the Continental Divide of North America. The 15' by 15' lookout cabin sits atop a 20' tall wooden tower that was first built in 1932. The structure was rebuilt in 1962 and has been recently renovated. This tower was listed on the national register of historic lookouts in 2008 and offers guests a glimpse into the life of a Forest Service Lookout. Located near Lincoln, MT the lookout offers direct access to the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail which stretches along the back bone of the continent from Canada to Mexico. It is accessible by vehicle, but be forewarned, the road is rough towards the end and high-clearance vehicles are recommended. The lookout has the basic amenities including a bed, auxiliary cots, tables, chairs, dishes, cutlery, and a woodstove are provided, but guests should prepare to bring their own bedding, water, and propane.
The Continental Divide Trail passes right by the lookout tower and offers guests access to as many miles as they care to hike, bike, or ride on horseback. There are several other trails for guests to explore within a 1/2 hour drive. The cabin also offers winter recreation opportunities with cross-country skiing opportunities out the back door and nearby access to over 200 miles of groomed snowmobile trails.
The Continental Divide Trail passes right by the lookout tower and offers guests access to as many miles as they care to hike, bike, or ride on horseback. There are several other trails for guests to explore within a 1/2 hour drive. The cabin also offers winter recreation opportunities with cross-country skiing opportunities out the back door and nearby access to over 200 miles of groomed snowmobile trails.
The lookout is located atop a grassy ridge directly on the Continental Divide. The area around the cabin offers spectacular views, abundant wildflowers, high elevation white bark pine stands, open meadows, and large rock outcroppings. There are lower elevation conifer stands and streams located nearby as well. Wildlife in the area abounds; including the more common elk, mule and white-tailed deer, squirrel, black bear, and a variety of birds. The more elusive grizzly bear, badger, wolverine, mountain lion, and lynx can be found here as well.
The nearby town of Lincoln offers restaurants, bars, art galleries, a sculpture park, and many events that are put on in the community throughout the summer. Visitors can also access the scenic Blackfoot River and Copper Creek from town and the nearby area.
$45 / night
Guide
This is a small, no frills site just outside of Helena, MT. No hookups for RVs; Vault toilets, which were very clean. Pack in/Pack out as there are no trash receptacles. Moderate road noise until dark. Beautiful views and dark skies at night for stargazing
ScoutIt was a clean campground spaces far apart. Pit toilets and water. Water was rusty. It worked for over night.
ScoutYou can turn right off the highway and easily access dispersed camping around the site. Only drawback is the highway noise but it dies down when it gets dark.
GuideSites have good separation. Potable water taps and vault bathrooms are very clean. Higher elevation for cooler Summer evenings. No hookups. Decent cell signal. Can hear road noise at a distance, but not too loud.
Guide15 sites available at $15 per night. Showed up at 12:30pm on a Sunday and many still available.
RangerI stayed there for a few weeks when the temperature is down in the valley started to get into the upper 90s and near 100. It was a good 10° cooler at this campsite than down in the valleys. You sit right below the continental divide with good access to the continental divide trail. The other big plus is that there is a cell phone tower right above the campground so you have excellent cell phone service. It's a nice clean little campground with a pit toilet and water available.
GuideA Stunning Surprise! In spite of a loss of large pine trees... and having no personal comparison, for us, this was a surprise. So peaceful and with a gorgeous sunset on a vast horizon. The rocky sloped landscape had a lot of wildflowers and made for a pleasant overnight stop with no expectations.
Scout
Nice camp ground. It’s primitive , has a couple fire pits. Pack it in pack it out! Quit except the highway is just up and over the river. Free
Legend
If you are looking for a quiet campground away from electronic distractions then this campground is for you. Kading Campground is located along the upper Little Blackfoot river at the end of Little Blackfoot road. Being at the end of the road and located along the river you will have a nice quiet night as the only vehicle traffic with be those vehicles travel to the campground of near by trail head. Kading Campground has 11 sites, each site has a picnic table and metal fire rings. The campground has two vault toilets. Water is available at Kading Cabin located across the road from the campground entrance. A small public corral is located across the road from the campground, and there are two horse watering troughs in the campground. A trail head at the end of the road can be reached from a short trail at the end of the campground. The trail follows the Little Blackfoot river. A five mile hike leads to Blackfoot meadows a popular fly fishing location. The campground has been recently cleared of its beetle killed trees making the campground much more open than it used to been, but this is still a nice quiet campground to visit.
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Cromwell Dixon Campground is a nice Forest Service Campground located on the Continental Divide's McDonald Pass. The campground has 15 campsites serviced by two vault toilets and water spigots. This is a Trash-in Trash-out campground. The campground has a mixture of drive and and pull through sites. All sites are first come first served. This campground use to be nicer until pine beetles killed most of the trees. All the dead trees have been removed making this campground more open, with little cover from the winds. Cromwell Dixon is very busy during the summer months. The campground is available in the shoulder seasons if snow drifts are not blocking your access to the campground. Nearby the campground are trail heads for the Continental Divide trail heading south along the trail. The hike along the CDT trail is a nice hike through rolling terrain.
Legend
I was not impressed with Richardson Campground. This campground has three sites. Be sure to pay attend to the sign at the beginning of the campground "NO TURN AROUND" this sign is correct. Once you get past the second campsite their will not be room to turn around if you have a trailer. A signal vehicle can turn around a tree at the third campsite, but if someone is camped in the third site you may not be able to even do that. The three campsites sit along a small creek. The first site has a picnic table, metal fire ring and a BBQ grill. Sites 2 and 3 both have a picnic table and metal fire ring. The campground has a single Outhouse, not a vault toilet, this is a small wooden outhouse. At the entrance to the campground is a trailhead and a horse corral, an added bonus if you bring horses. Horses are not allowed in the campground. This campground is a "Pack-in, Pack-out" campground with no water.
Guide
Great secluded spot to set up a tent or boondock. Vault toilets. Only a mile or so from holter lake so you can drive back to the lake and play around or go to the store.
GuideBeautiful, usually quiet, and lots to do in the area.
RangerStayed one night while visiting a friend in Helena. Close to the Continental Divide trail, which we briefly hiked. Beautiful trail. Campsites had tables and plenty of shade. There was a highway near the campground, which unfortunately meant we had occasional noise at night.
TravelerWe had a great time! Great fishing, Hiking, and wonderful overall experience! Saw tons of wildlife.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Canyon Ferry Lake?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Canyon Ferry Lake is Cromwell Dixon Campground with a 4-star rating from 10 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Canyon Ferry Lake?
TheDyrt.com has all 5 equestrian camping locations near Canyon Ferry Lake, with real photos and reviews from campers.
