101 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Park Lake Campground accommodates pets throughout its 22 paved campsites nestled beside a mountain lake in Helena National Forest. Dogs must be leashed in all developed areas, including the day use section along the east side of the lake. Each campsite features metal fire rings and picnic tables, with the campground layout providing good separation between sites. Strawberry Cabin and Moose Creek Cabin allow pets indoors, offering alternatives for those seeking shelter while traveling with animals. The large rocks throughout Park Lake Campground provide climbing opportunities for children while dogs explore the surrounding area. Vault toilets and hand-pumped water are available in the campground, though no hookups exist for RVs.
Galena Gulch provides free dispersed camping with pets along Boulder River, featuring 10 sites with metal fire rings and picnic tables. The nearby river allows dogs to cool off, though pet owners should note the proximity to Interstate 15 creates consistent background noise. Scott Reservoir Dispersed camping area offers more seclusion with 4-5 established fire rings and mountain views. Both locations maintain pack-in, pack-out policies, so campers must carry all pet waste and supplies. Trails surrounding these areas provide excellent hiking opportunities for dogs and owners, with most requiring leashes to protect wildlife. Wildlife encounters are possible in these areas, particularly bears, so proper food storage and pet management are essential safety considerations.
"Helena National Forest's Park Lake Campground sits next to the beautiful Park Lake. A day use areas sits along the east side of the lake."
"Our favorite nearby campground that's for enough away to get everyone to unplug. Peaceful mountain lake with no motors allowed on the water. Fish, kayak, paddle board, and swim."
"The water level is down 25 feet so there’s no water anywhere near the campsite edges like there would be in the midst of summer. I will definitely be returning for several summer paid visits."
"Half an hour outside of Helena is a beautiful reservoir lake. Court Sheriff Campground spreads out along its shore. Many sites are waterside and you can see families playing in it."
from $15 - $30 / night
Check Availability"However, this is a clean and mowed campsite that is largely grassy field next to the boulder River. The mountainous and forested Recreation area surrounded it though."
"Take exit 160 This spot is north of exit and you will go under the highway. Bridge is a bit scary, just go slow."
from $15 / night
Check Availability"Close to the Continental Divide trail, which we briefly hiked. Beautiful trail. Campsites had tables and plenty of shade."
"p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 115%; } Cromwell Dixon Campground is a nice Forest Service Campground located on the Continental Divide's McDonald Pass."
"Keep the fire small or you will cook in the little cabin, even when its cold outside. A propane stove was provided but you will need to bring fuel. "
from $30 - $50 / night
Check Availability"If you don’t have a boat and don’t want to BBQ, there’s not much to do, but the views are pretty all around. Went here with a local."
"off. Trailer was easy to back into our slot, but several places had pull throughs. We would definitely stay here again."
from $10 - $170 / night
Check Availability"Pull up next to the lake. Electric, wood, toilets, noisy boat docking, gnats available. Office super friendly and helpful. Fishing near dam close by."
"This campground is pretty small but is located right on the edge of the lake making for some nice views and a relaxing environment."
from $6 - $24 / night
Check Availability"An outhouse is outside. A nice metal fire ring is available with two picnic tables. Fire wood is supplied during the winter months. Wood stove is in the living room area to heat the cabin. "
"It’s a great cabin it’s super close to the road it has two bedrooms they both have 2 beds a double and a single bed."
from $50 - $65 / night
Check Availability"I heard coyotes at night so keep your pets close, otherwise it’s very quiet and peaceful. Just a stones throw away from the water."
"I arrived at 1pm on Monday in august and it was almost completely empty except for 4-5 campers who were all next to each other, leaving over 12+ open spots if not more (we didn’t drive all the way around"
"Road going around to the other side of the reservoir is gated and closed now."
"There were just a few cars driving back down the mountain in the evening. But no one bothered."
ScoutWe enjoyed an incredible weekend at this campground. Nice clean restrooms, spacious sites, and they even pick up your trash every morning. Great dog park. The owners are very helpful and friendly . We definitely will be back.
LegendThis is a small KOA. Super friendly staff. Sites are shady unless you have a big rig - that area does not have shade. Decent dog park. Decent playground. I did not use the bath house so can’t comment on that. No pool, but did have a nice patio area with tables and chairs behind the store. I just stayed one night as we are on the road home. I do have one complaint and that is the sprinklers that came on overnight - it soaked the chairs and picnic table by our camper. I think the friendliness of the staff and the shady sites are the main reason for 5 stars.
GuideA lot of water stations. The boat dock parking area allowed camping along the perimeter. A few paved walking paths near the beach area. The narrow paved roads made life interesting. The fish cleaning station is closed due to vandalism. Our first day was 105F which made the lake more inviting. Evening low of 76F. No pets on the fairly small swim beach. All other water access has large rocks for erosion mitigation.
Our Saturday departure was delayed by FWP boat inspection at the entrance and a long line was inbound to Holter Lake.
RangerDo not follow the directions in the other review, they are wrong. My review follows the directions.
Take the Clancy exit and turn towards clancy. The road looks like its an immediate left with a big arrow sign but its not, drive straight through. About 1/10 mile and you’ll see the brown forest service sign at the T intersection indicating Park Lake is 14 miles after turning right.
3.5 miles pavement becomes a well maintained wide gravel/dirt road the entire way. Soft shoulders though, beware.
If you pick the lake on a gps or follow the listing directions in Dyrt you will mistakenly turn left just shy of 8 miles and find a narrow road going down, no trespassing and dead end signs. If you have a trailer you’ll have to back out up hill.
Instead stay on the main road and don’t stop until you reach the T intersection which is approx. 11.5 miles from the sign that said 14 miles. You’ll see the forest toad sign 4009 and the forest service sign indicating you turn left and will reach the lake in 2 miles with the campground just at the opposite end
22 sites, all paved, all back-in for towable’s. Some are only large enough for a single vehicle with a tiny towable, a few will hold big trucks and 30+ footers. All have a table and fire pit. Hand pump water point, 3 pit toilets which are very clean and well stocked. Sites are a mix from full sun all day to full shade all day. Plenty of open sky in most sites for clear satellite lines.
Plenty of firewood just lying around. Chipmunks and rabbits run around. This is bear country, be prepared and read over the signage if you are inexperienced.
The lake is beautiful, plenty if shore fishing and large day use areas with tables and firepits. Dirt boat launch as this is a non motorized lake, manpower only.
No services or trash. Pack it in pack it out. Closest services are Montana city for minimal needs, Helena for most needs. Clancy has nothing
Be advised, there is only 1 USFS enforcement officer for the area. He was very clear that he doesn’t have the time to respond or investigate any claims of non paying guests, abandon sites, trash being left, quiet hours violations until 2am, dogs of leash, public drunkenness resulting in injury, belligerence or verbal assault. He will investigate violence and fireworks. This isn’t a manpower issue, he makes excuses on what he claims he cannot prove, despite multiple witnesses, and twists policy and law in order to avoid enforcement. Just be aware, on busy weekends its a free for all. Pay attention to your kids
ScoutClean. Had outhouses. Pet and family friendly drive to accessible. Tent and camper parking. Right on the water.
ScoutNice place, quite and inviting. Walking distance to all the amenities of town. This park has a pit toilet and flush toilets, also showers, potable water and garbage service. Huge spots with lots of space. Pull through spots perfect for RV or tent camping. Sites available with or without hookups. Playground for kids and it's pet friendly! We love this park.
TravelerWow this was a very unique camping experience up in the boulders. Had a lot of fun walking my dogs and cat up in there. (Yes my cat goes camping too). There was no water pumps on the campground, however there is a nice little creek running through that one could get water. Also there were vault toilets and the one we used was closer to the entrance of the campground. It was clean, however the door didn't lock. Really wish we didn't go on a holiday weekend as it sounded like a dirt bike ho-down and wasn't very relaxing. We will try again during the week or a non holiday weekend. The stars were gorgeous, and the bird watching was phenomenal. At least when there weren't dirt bikes.
TravelerThe campground itself is nice. It’s on a cove and sheltered from the wind. It is right in the middle of a village so you are surrounded by houses. The current caretaker is quite rude and not accommodating unfortunately. Pets must be leashes.
TravelerVery friendly. Campground store, campground hosts.
Lake access, boat access.
Pet friendly.
Picnic tables and gazebos throughout the park.
Clean bathrooms, outhouse and showers available.
Full electric, sewer hook up spots available.
Clancy, Montana offers convenient camping options set at elevations around 4,500 feet with mountain terrain providing shelter from extreme weather conditions. Most dispersed camping areas near Clancy are accessible from late spring through early fall, with summer temperatures typically ranging from 70-85°F during the day. Winter snow often closes access roads to higher elevation sites from November through April.
Fly fishing opportunities: Court Sheriff Campground provides excellent access to Canyon Ferry Lake where fishing is popular. "The lake is beautiful, plenty if shore fishing and large day use areas with tables and firepits. Dirt boat launch as this is a non motorized lake, manpower only," notes Sadie P.
Kayaking and paddling: Black Sandy State Park Campground offers direct water access for non-motorized watercraft. "All the sites are on the water. Nice swim area. Clean bathrooms. Basically no cell service. Sometimes it flits in and out, not to be counted on," explains Mimi.
Continental Divide Trail access: Cromwell Dixon Campground provides direct trail access. "Close to the Continental Divide trail, which we briefly hiked. Beautiful trail. Campsites had tables and plenty of shade," shares Stephanie T. The hiking trails connect to extensive wilderness terrain without requiring a long drive.
Mountain reservoir exploration: Scott Reservoir Dispersed offers peaceful water views and solitude. "Great place to camp for overlooking the reservoir. Ran into one local taking pictures but left soon after. About 4-5 rock fire rings fairly close together," reports Don S. The area provides excellent opportunities for wildlife spotting and photography.
Quiet weekday camping: Goose Bay Dispersed Camping offers peaceful lakeside sites during weekdays. "Not too busy during the weekday. Picnic table and metal fire ring. Just a stones throw away from the water," notes Marianna C. The site becomes considerably more crowded on weekends.
Affordable cabin options: Moose Creek Cabin provides budget-friendly shelter with basic amenities. "It's a great cabin it's super close to the road it has two bedrooms they both have 2 beds a double and a single bed. It does have propane with a small 2 burner stove," describes Susan M.
Free riverside camping: Galena Gulch provides no-cost camping with water access. "Nice spot along a stream. Seems to be a weekend spot for locals from Helena. I was told by locals that it has been free until 2025 and is now $10," reports Dave S. The campground offers basic amenities including picnic tables and fire rings.
Higher elevation summer relief: Cromwell Dixon Campground provides cooler temperatures during hot summer months. "I 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," explains Will M.
Road quality considerations: Access to Scott Reservoir requires careful navigation. "Not the best roads but I got up there fine with my 2015 Outback just fine," mentions Ashley C. Four-wheel drive or vehicles with higher clearance are recommended after rain or early in the season.
Highway noise levels: Cromwell Dixon Campground experiences some traffic noise. "There was a highway near the campground, which unfortunately meant we had occasional noise at night," reports Stephanie T. Noise levels decrease significantly after dark.
Seasonal closures: Most higher elevation sites close during winter. Park Lake Campground operates from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Black Sandy State Park remains open year-round but with limited services in winter months.
Cell service variability: Court Sheriff Campground provides good connectivity for remote workers. "Service was good for us to work remote. We have Verizon and T-Mobile," notes Olivia E. at nearby Goose Bay Dispersed Camping. Coverage varies significantly between campgrounds.
Rock exploration opportunities: Park Lake Campground offers natural climbing features for children. "Plenty of open sky in most sites for clear satellite lines. Chipmunks and rabbits run around," mentions Sadie P. Parents should supervise children around water features.
Cabin camping with pets: Strawberry Cabin welcomes pets and provides shelter during variable weather conditions. "Worth the hike for a winter advanture. The cabin has a wood stove and firewood was provided. Keep the fire small or you will cook in the little cabin," advises Dexter I.
Protected swim areas: Court Sheriff Campground includes swimming access with gradual entries. "We pulled in here to see what the nightly rate was to save myself 30 minutes of driving. It has about 40 spots (maybe a lil more). They have about 4-5 tent camping spots and the rest are either pull through or back in sites," describes Jessie S.
Bicycle-friendly campgrounds: Park Lake Campground provides paved surfaces for children's bikes. "The entire campground is paved! Perfect for the kiddos on their bicycles," shares Heather.
Limited hookup options: Black Sandy State Park Campground provides electric and water connections. "Sites 002 and 021 Electric and water available. Dump station out of order. Flush toilets," reports Annell N. Most campgrounds in the area offer limited or no hookups.
Parking considerations: Hellgate Campground offers pull-through sites for larger rigs. "Large campground on the east side of Canyon Ferry. Two very large group use areas. Lots of pull through sites for RVs," notes Dexter I. Site reservation is recommended during peak summer season.
Generator restrictions: Most established campgrounds near Clancy have specific generator hours. "Generator allow 7am to 10pm. Most sites had very little shade. Site 5 & 22 were the most shaded," shares Lowell S. about Court Sheriff Campground.
Level site availability: Galena Gulch campground provides relatively flat parking areas. "I initially found this on free campsites.Com. Though the official website is listed as BLM, BLM actually doesn't have Galena Gulch on their site. However, this is a clean and mowed campsite that is largely grassy field next to the boulder River," explains Milagros A.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Clancy, MT?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Clancy, MT is Park Lake Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 7 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Clancy, MT?
TheDyrt.com has all 101 dog-friendly camping locations near Clancy, MT, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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