Looking for the best campgrounds near Charlo, MT? Charlo is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Charlo. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.
"Nonresident reservation conservation permit required, available at fwp.mt.gov
Accessed by mission falls trailhead, trail is steep and unmaintained after you reach the waterfall."
"Also was a place for a tent by the river and two other dispersed sites, again suited for overnight, as there are no facilities."
"Lovely little campsite next to the water. A little buggy but not too bad. Campsites we’re clean, had a fire pit and nice flat tent area, pit toilet on site too which was a nice surprise."
"A nice free spot right off the highway. Has a pit toilet, almost no bugs, nice pine tree shade, good dirt roads. Some trees are very sappy so be wary if setting up a hammock"
"Stunning views, several sites to choose from, some have access to the river. The road conditions are wonderful—towed a 20 ft trailer. Some spots are more open to use Starlink."
"The GPS coordinates listed on the map are spot on, and the turn-off comes up quickly. There look to be 4 spots. I used the one right by the road turn off."
"3 sites in a beautiful spot, about 5 minutes off the highway. We pulled in about 7pm and we were the only ones there."
"Dispersed camping at the "Peninsula" Recreation Area. 6 day stay limit according to the sign. No potable water. Stone fire rings throughout.
We stayed mid week during August."
"Tent camped along the river! Very spaced out campsites, nice for lots of privacy and quiet! Signs to be aware of bear country but took precautions. Rock fire pits at each site."
"Lovely dispersed camping area. Very pretty. We stayed for a night and were in good company."
"A couple of times they rolled thru at 2am but all the positives outweigh getting woken up a few times.
Very easy access, two pit toilets in the camping area."
"Absolutely gorgeous undeveloped area! If you can stand the hordes of mosquitos and constant trail of hikers coming through the area hiking to Lake Dinah."
"Only 1 site on the lake shore, 2-3 other sites scattered along the road in not as ideal but not that far. Great hiking just a little drive away along an old forest service road."
"The path to get to these spots is kinda tight. Our car was hitting branches. There are some along the road, but if you drive further down there are more spots and a bathroom."
"The access road was very small and difficult to find near a corner of the highway. Once we found it it was small and had limited with due to Big trees. It's fairly steep down to the river."
GuideA nice free spot right off the highway. Has a pit toilet, almost no bugs, nice pine tree shade, good dirt roads. Some trees are very sappy so be wary if setting up a hammock
GuideSign says camping permitted to 14 days in a 30 day period. Adjacent to dirt road with a few trees in between. Not the most private but a good option if you need a place for the night if the nearby campsite is full. No amenities. T-mobile cell service is good here.
River access just at the entry of the turn in. Could easily pull a big rig in but may have a hard time turning it around as there is not a pull through. There is a concrete slab that is level and about 12'x25' in size which could be good for a trailer or van without having to do much for leveling. Many vehicles/tents could fit here in the dirt area but would likely be comfortable for a single group rather than multiple camp groups.
TravelerDispersed camping at the "Peninsula" Recreation Area. 6 day stay limit according to the sign. No potable water. Stone fire rings throughout.
We stayed mid week during August. Stayed in a medium sized site on the river. Small steep slope to the water.
Pros:
Plenty of space, both large and small sites.
Room for a 30' in a couple of the sites.
3 bars Tmobile.
Some sites on the water with a short steep slope down.
12 miles to gas station.
Beautiful views.
Cons: No pit toilets (edit: another camper said they are at the end of the campground) No potable water. Road/train noise. POISON IVY (found it... found all of it)
Overall we loved this spot. Being ok the water in a mostly private setting with such amazing views is our goal. Little bit of road noise but hardly noticeable over the wind in the trees.
Sites were clean but well used, so thank you to all the campers that took care of this place!
RangerEasy to get to. Can park a decent size rv in some spots and group camp in s couple. There are only a few spots thought.
You have to “walk down” a steep drop to access the river. When it’s high don’t try or say goodbye. Train runs often across the river and will disrupt your night unless you live in Montana then you’re already used to it. The toilets are stocked but not cleaned regularly. There was a you g lonely moose crossing the river and sleeping in the camp at night during my stay. If you’re not from Montana expect those that are to be unfriendly, that’s a thing here. Fire pits are a joke and burn band are common
Details: Free up to 14 days No water or trash Easy 15 min drive to St Regis, supplies and tourists traps aplenty Expect people to just ignore you as they walk right through your site to access the river Sheep can be seen across the river sometimes Pics are better than reality Uncomfortable atmosphere
RangerEasy to get to. Can park a decent size rv in some spots and group camp in s couple. There are only a few spots thought.
You have to “walk down” a steep drop to access the river. When it’s high don’t try or say goodbye. Train runs often across the river and will disrupt your night unless you live in Montana then you’re already used to it. The toilets are stocked but not cleaned regularly. There was a you g lonely moose crossing the river and sleeping in the camp at night during my stay. If you’re not from Montana expect those that are to be unfriendly, that’s a thing here. Fire pits are a joke and burn band are common
Details: Free up to 14 days No water or trash Easy 15 min drive to St Regis, supplies and tourists traps aplenty Expect people to just ignore you as they walk right through your site to access the river Sheep can be seen across the river sometimes Pics are better than reality Uncomfortable atmosphere
ScoutSo gorgeous! Tent camped along the river! Very spaced out campsites, nice for lots of privacy and quiet! Signs to be aware of bear country but took precautions. Rock fire pits at each site. Super easy for quick stop road tripping (0.5 miles off main road)! Stayed in early September on a road trip to Glacier, was able to find our site decently well in the dark! Verizon cell service 3-4 bars! Loved it!
The west is the only safe way to enter onto the road to the campsites. On the map, it looks like you can enter/exit either way from 135… but the east side of the road to get back onto 135 is impossible… so we just had to turn around and exit the same way we came in (from the west).
RangerGreat little spot to hold over for the night. The GPS coordinates listed on the map are spot on, and the turn-off comes up quickly. There look to be 4 spots. I used the one right by the road turn off. There was another person who had a travel trailer in another. It's close to the highway and just over the river in Lolo forest lands. Only stayed one night, but the guy in the camper says he's been there for weeks, and nobody has bothered him.
TravelerWhat a great spot! 3 sites in a beautiful spot, about 5 minutes off the highway. We pulled in about 7pm and we were the only ones there. Someone else pulled in around 9 but the sites were separated by enough trees we could barely tell they were there. Felt very private, and the stars were fantastic! Creek bed runs right next to the back site, but it was completely dried up in late July.
LegendLovely dispersed camping area. Very pretty. We stayed for a night and were in good company. By the end of the day each site was filled and there were several folks driving through still looking for sites.
They’re spaced out well from one another giving all campers lots of privacy. Very wooded with paths down to the water. We hung out on a hammock most of the day but it rained throughout the night and into the next day so I wasn’t able to snag any good photos.
We small camper trailers, tents, single cots, and full RVs in this campground. Our site and seemingly most sites could have supported a 50 footer.
Although a popular spot, it wasn’t loud and we didn’t really interact with other campers.
There is a single vault toilet but no hookups. It’s dispersed camping. No water source beyond the river.
Great spot, highly recommend. I would try to get there early to grab a spot (first come first serve.) We went late September and every spot ended up filled.
ATT & Verizon service work well. Sites very unlevel
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Charlo, MT?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Charlo, MT is Lucifer Lake Wilderness Backcountry with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
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