Best Tent Camping near Cardwell, MT

Recent Tent Reviews near Cardwell, Montana

441 Reviews of 27 Cardwell Campgrounds

• K

  Kalli W.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 16, 2023

  Bozeman Hot Springs Campground & RV

  RV > Tent

  Between the free coffee, breakfast, & hot spring access our stay was worth it. Tent sites were small, no privacy. I wish we would have had our RV. Not an ideal place to tent camp in my opinion. Near a busy (noisy) highway. Clean facilities. Staff were all friendly & helpful.

• 

  Jeff

  Scout

  

  Sep. 4, 2019

  Fairmont RV Resort

  Clean park well laid out

  If you like waterslides or golfing this will be hard to beat. Nice and clean areas with a great little store. I want to judge a park by the cost of ice “2.00” seems fair. $29.00 to tent camp. Power, picnic table, 4g phone service with Verizon, they offer wi-fi, bbq in every site. Each site has a raised level gravel spot for setting up camp with grass all around. I appreciate that they planted trees that block out the hot sun during the entire day (Sept 1st). Showers and bathroom are 100ft away. The shower and toilets are immaculate and secure with secure code door locks. At check-in, I was offered a day pass to the golf course and water park at no cost for the day. It was A nice bonus and justified the extra cost for the tent site. The water park has a nice restaurant and bar inside as well as a poolside bar with mixed drinks. I had dinner at Donivan's about 10 miles away in Anaconda. Great place to eat very nice. Had a great steak potato and beer for $27 it was delicious. This is my second trip out here this summer from Washington state to Fairmont. I genuinely enjoy spending time here. I'm just a big kid traveling by myself, but it's really an excellent place for the little ones and a place for mom and dad to get some time together. I see a lot of retired people here living it up golfing and swimming. Being right off, I90 makes it a huge bonus. I can see the cars on the highway just barely and no noise. Must be 3ish miles from 90. Happy ⛺!

• 

  Jeff K.

  Guide

  

  May. 9, 2020

  Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park — Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park

  Nice, but crowded.

  $14/night tent camping. Spent two nights. Thursday night was great. Plenty of site for everybody to spread out. Friday night was much more crowded. Sites are all nice and flat and level for tent camping. Vault toilets are very clean. There is a playground if you have kids. Decent hiking, unfortunately the caves themselves were closed during our stay. Easy access from I-90. Would stay again mid-week or off season, but during prime time I'd prefer a bit more seclusion.

• D

  David S.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 22, 2021

  Three Forks KOA Journey

  Very nice

  Tent sites quiet, large, grassy, good views

• M

  Mary J.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 13, 2021

  Cardwell General Store and Campground

  Not tent friendly

  If you are in a tent they will gouge you for $40 per tent for a crappy tent site with no services, no grass, and uneven ground. Also they will refuse to give you a receipt if you pay cash. Our group had 4 tents so we spent $160 on a poorly maintained tent site. It was an outrageous amount. A large RV and pickup truck pulled in to a site right after us and they paid $40 for that whole site. One good note is that the showers were clean and nicely done.

• J

  John A.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 9, 2021

  Bozeman Hot Springs Campground & RV

  Steep price for a tent site

  $60 for a late check in tent site. Pass

• 

  Kathleen D.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 11, 2020

  Three Forks KOA Journey

  A stop along the way

  This was a safe easy stop along the way from Yellowstone to Glacier National Park. $35. for a tent site with water hookup. Nothing fancy — a wooded parking lot with fire rings and picnic tables. Better than most RV lots. All spaces are pull through (huge relief traveling with a tiny cargo trailer that’s impossible to back up. No privacy. Hookups, laundry, bathrooms. The tent sites without hookups were cuter. The gate closes at 10. Check-in ends at 9p.m. Surrounded by farmland.

• D

  Desiree D.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 10, 2018

  Canyon Ferry Lake KOA

  Nice for kids!

  Great Playground, close to tent sites. Nice staff and great coffee and beautiful setting!

• 

  Daisee Mae S.

  Legend

  

  Nov. 29, 2022

  Beaverdam Campground and Picnic Area

  Peaceful

  There is a 16 stay limit, and a $15 a night fee.

  The road is easy accessible

  Tent camping,Camping trailer,Fee charged for some activities ($5) ,Picnic tables,Toilets,Drinking water,Parking

  Very clean and well maintained

• W

  Will E.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 26, 2021

  Bozeman Hot Springs Campground & RV

  Wow just wow

  OK this place is awesome. Great hotsprings. Greatly needed after hiking in the area. Clean rv and tent camping. Supurb staff. Lots of things to do for the kids. Free breakfast. Lots and lots to do in the town.

• 

  Kathy C.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 21, 2020

  2 Bar Lazy H RV Campground

  Roadside Campground near Butte

  Parked our van in a tent site, which was just a grassy area in the back half of the property. Road noise was not bad there, further from the highway. The host was friendly and helpful.  Enjoyed a warm shower.

• E

  Emily K.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 29, 2020

  Bozeman Trail Campground

  Wouldn’t reccomend in September

  I really hated my time here. I gave 2 stars because the people are nice and the site and facilities are generally well kept. Maybe my problems were largely seasonal, I stayed in mid September. First of all the tent sites are very close to a highway which is busy with big rigs and traffic all night, there is also a train that goes off as it nears. While I was here next door was also construction that had vehicles beeping early in the morning. Sleeping here was rough, I woke up from noise at all hours. The other main issue for me was the bugs. They were on EVERYTHING (pictured), again, maybe a seasonal issue. The tent sites are also under these trees that drop sticky leaves all over the site and leave a sticky residue all over your car and tent. RV camping here is probably much better because it's quieter and not so close to the road. I would recommend, at least in this season, spending a little more and going to the hot springs campground.

• J

  Janelle G.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 21, 2024

  Glen Campground

  Best Free BLM Campground Ever!!

  I’m not sure why others gave this campground reviews any stars under five! First, this campground is on BLM and free, and only costs money if coming with a group of many or some type of organizations’ camping outing; and the fee is so very minimal even for this. For regular, independent camping, it’s free being on BLM land, per their notice board. Despite being a free, BLM campground, it’s well-maintained, clean, possesses established, separate tent sites with a parking block for each separate vehicle, an area for RVs, even, and a maintained outhouse central to the tent sites and RV space. It’s also set right next to the river offering great fishing! There’s homes across the river, and a bit of vehicle traffic from those specific homes, for whatever reasons; but this campsite is still very much separated, regularly maintained, and flippin’ free! What’s there to possibly complain about?! I’ve camped free on BLM land many times, and it is pretty rugged and wild. There are no established tent or RV sites, no outhouses for the bathroom to use, nothing. You make of it as you will. I’m not understanding why every camper hasn’t given Glen Campground five stars! Also, future campers, PLEASE remember to pack in and pack out of ANY campground, including this one. Though it is maintained, they do not come daily as it is a free campground on BLM land and does not have garbage bins or water spigots. The campers that stayed before us, in the tent site next to ours, left litter everywhere and aluminum and tin cans in the fire pit. Come on now, people! Beer cans, canned vegetable cans, and the like are NOT biodegradable and do not burn down in a camp fire! Use common sense!! Pack in AND pack out all your items, including your GARBAGE!!

• 

  Tucker B.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 26, 2021

  Bozeman Hot Springs Campground & RV

  Needed it for the Cell Service, but not worth the price!

  At more than $60/night for a primitive tent site, I only popped for this spot because I needed reliable service for a meeting the next morning.

  The hot springs themselves were man-made pools and packed when I was there.

  If I was in an RV and spending a long weekend in Bozeman, this spot was conveniently located.

  Just a little pricey for my needs!

• J

  Joshua T.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 18, 2020

  Three Forks KOA Journey

  Quiet hours strictly enforced

  Got in late (after 9), but they where nice enough to give us a tent site to camp in. Amenities are nice, but my only negative for us was that quiet hours where at 10pm and a lot of their guest go to sleep at that time, so they enforce that rule. If you are looking for a quiet place after 10 though, this is a great spot.

• 

  Bjorn S.

  Legend

  

  Jun. 30, 2020

  Missouri Headwaters State Park Campground

  Ranger Heaven

  Near the town of Three Forks, to which there are both short/scenic bike trails and an 18-miler. 6 of the 17 tent sites are 1st-come, 1st-serve. With a ton of historical displays, friendly park rangers, an open-air, welcoming vibe and a sprawling variety of other things to explore, staying here will put a smile on your face.  There's decent distance between some of the sites, but some of them aren't very large.

• 

  Lori R.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 29, 2020

  Fairmont RV Resort

  Nice location

  Nice location for an overnight rest spot. We had a tent site, close to the road, but traffic wasn’t bad after dark. Site was grassy. No fires allowed for obvious reasons. We were the only tent guests. Most people looked like they were long term RV’rs. IMMACULATE bathrooms and showers with hot water and pressure ! There’s a hot springs nearby, a water slide, golf course and resort hotel/casino. Easy access to I-15. Only drawback I could see was that there was dog poop everywhere. Bags were provided, but apparently people don’t use them :(

• 

  Bjorn S.

  Legend

  

  Jun. 30, 2020

  Bozeman Trail Campground

  Comfort, Shade

  As of April of 2020, the name has changed from Sunrise Campground to Bozeman Trail Campground (bozemantrailcampground.com). Although bordered on two sides by busy roads, this is a compact, friendly and tall-tree lined break spot. Low key and welcoming, plus it's by both trail/open spaces (like the Drinking Horse and Sourdough trails) and nearby shopping and travel fill-up locations.  $30-35 for tent sites, which are in more open space and close to the freeway.

• 

  Kendall

  Guide

  

  Oct. 8, 2021

  Bozeman Hot Springs Campground & RV

  Close to Bozeman, but pricey

  The campground was clean and well built. The showers are okay, but very low water pressure and smelling of sulphur. I believe the hot water is fed by the natural hot spring. I was a bit frustrated that they required us to stay in a "deluxe" tent site with a truck tent, as they a re quite a bit more expensive. We were also forced to find a new campground after two days because they shut down half of their campground for the season, even though the other half was completely booked up for weeks in advance.

• 

  Katherine B.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 5, 2021

  Norris Hot Springs

  Relaxation only steps away

  Come for the hot spring and stay steps away in a great tent or RV site! The RV sites have water and electric hook ups, and there is a portable toilet by the tent sites. The sites are close together but are divided by trees and lattice fencing. There is a bit of traffic on the nearby road, be ready with earplugs if you are a light sleeper.

  At this time; campsites can only be reserved online, so be sure to check the website for availability and call ahead to make sure the pool is open. Campsite rules are also listed on the site.

• G

  Ginette W.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 14, 2021

  Ennis RV Village

  Standard RV campground

  Ennis RV is a basic RV campground. It has wifi, laundry, showers, and full hook-ups for RVs. The wifi works very well, at least at our site near the office. We stayed in a tent site as it was the last site available. There’s a short trail in the back that has some nice views of the mountains (better I’m sure without wildfire smoke), cattle, and pasture. There’s also a clubhouse that apparently has a book exchange. No coin machine in the laundry room but there might be a chance to exchange in the office. There’s also a grill at each site- charcoal.

• S

  Sarah M.

  Scout

  

  May. 13, 2023

  Norris Hot Springs

  One of my New Favorites

  The tent sites were full. When I come again I’ll definitely pick site 11 for tenting, I think it’s the best one. But this time I picked site 13, not my favorite because it backed up straight to someones driveway with a fence in between. The site came with a picnic table and privacy fence. The best sites are probably the RV sites because they get a better view. But for $43 to swim, shower, and sleep, I’m not complaining :) The bathrooms were really clean and nice, some of the best bathrooms I’ve seen in a campground. Staff was friendly. With the purchase of a campsite you get unlimited swimming for $3, so I went at night and again the next morning after I packed up. There was great music, birds chirping.. their raspberry cider was really good too! Lots of dogs, but they must be on leash at all times!

• 

  J W.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 15, 2017

  Spire Rock Campground

  Spire Creek Campground

  We stayed one night at Spire Rock in our camper. Would be great for camper or tent camping. This is a great campground if you have young kids, as there is a great hill across the bridge where they can look for rocks (geode, crystal type). There is also a hillside right next to the road that is perfect for exploring, making fairy houses, and spotting little troll houses. The sites are plenty big, have fire pits and picnic tables, and each one is next to the creek with easy access for wading. Outhouses are clean and well taken care of. The only reason I rated this 4 out of 5 stars is that there tend to be quite a few atv's driving past to explore the trails further up the road. They can be fast and noisy, but this would not deter me from staying here again.

• 

  Bjorn S.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 31, 2020

  Bozeman Hot Springs Campground & RV

  Deluxe

  Great layout, Bozeman is a super nice location, and these people don’t skimp on the hot springs pools. 15-20 different sulfur pools, all of different temps. The pools were both indoor and outdoor, with one big enough to do laps in. Workout area with 20-30 aerobic machines and plenty of weights, a sauna and steam room and fantastic front desk service. The tent sites are - again for an RV location - in an open lawn area with no privacy. And I must admit to being spoiled from Japanese onsens, where cleaning/bathing is an important ritual for everyone, where there are pools with lavender, pools to get energized, pools good for various ailments, etc. Here in Bozeman, the only variations between the pools were size and temp. Again, if you hadn’t been to Japan, this place gets A and B grades from a lot of people. It’s just hard for me to see people who obviously haven’t taken a shower get in the pools.

• 

  Ben H.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 24, 2020

  Sportsman Lodge, Cabins & RV Park

  Great spot, very friendly

  This is a great spot in a tiny town south of Butte Montana. They have a couple cabins, several motel rooms and about 10 full hookup, all grass, RV spots. Also a large area for car/tent camping. The grounds are meticulously maintained by the owner and it has nice views of the bluffs and mountains all around it. Walking distance to the restaurant and bar in town if that’s your thing. Quality hookups at each site, and each site has its own trash can. Clean bathrooms and laundry on site. Owners are very present and attentive on site and super friendly. Picnic tables at every site. One shared fire pit out front of the office. It’s in a very small town, with several fishing spots nearby. Very peaceful location. We would stay again.

  A few things to be aware of:

  • All sites are back in, but they are reasonably wide and very long.
  • It is about a mile or two from the interstate which is convenient but you can occasionally hear a large truck pass by.
  • There is a train track nearby, we heard about one train per day in the morning.
  • We were here in July and there were some mosquitos. If you plan to be outside probably bring a citronella candle or bug spray.
• 

  Kierra B.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 1, 2018

  Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park — Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park

  Campground Okay, Caverns are Great!

  The campground at Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park has all the amenities you would need. Power and water hook ups, bathrooms and showers, a nice big playground for the kids. But, it feels more like a big parking lot with little shade or privacy. Great if you are in a camper, but maybe less appealing if you are tent camping. The campground lies at the base of the mountain that the caverns are in--about 3 miles. Once you are up near the caverns there is plenty of parking for RVs or cars. There is also a shady area to kennel your dogs for a fee, as they are not allowed in the caverns. There is also a small deli and a gift shop.

  The total hike to and through the caverns is about 2 miles and about 2 hours. The hike to the caverns is about half a mile, and was fine for our 4 year old. However, the two year old, we carried in a pack. Once inside the caverns, there are over 600 stairs and a lot of bending and stooping, so take that into consideration if anyone in your party has mobility issues. There are handrails throughout and no particularly dangerous areas, other than some slippery spots. As long as children are old enough to know to stay near, they should be fine walking and holding hands.

• M

  MARY K.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 12, 2022

  Cardwell General Store and Campground

  Big commercial campground

  We camped here only because the Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park (where we have often camped on trips out west) was full on fourth of July weekend. The host told us about the Cardwell Campground further west.

  So we were cranky after the extra drive and the late hour, hoping to find an open site on the holiday weekend. There is also a market and gift shop there. You have to call the host and he comes to escort you to a site.

  I kept asking him what the rate was but he ignored me and spoke to my husband! Only after the credit card went through did I find out we were paying $65 for one night, even with a "veteran's discount." Under other circumstances we wouldn't have stayed there as we do not usually stay in such expensive RV parks. We were to learn that private campgrounds rates have gone up.

  The park was well kept and we had electric plus sewer and water.