Best Equestrian Camping near Custer Gallatin National Forest

About 20 minutes south of Bozeman, MT on scenic Hyalite Canyon Road sits Langohr Campground. There are 19 spacious single sites and the 20th site is a group picnic site for day use. Langohr Campground runs along Hyalite Creek and is tucked inside Custer Gallatin National Forest in a small open meadow with Douglas fir, Lodgepole pine, and Englemann Spruce. 

I was fortunate to find a campsite as a walk-in even after arriving mid-afternoon at the beginning of June 2019 because it was too late to reserve online. Each site does have a picnic table and fire ring, and electrical sites are available. Some are drive-in or back into sites, and a few are literally next to Hyalite Creek which is an added bonus. A heavy snowfall occurred a week before and remnants of it were scattered along the campground. Good thing I brought a snow scraper to clear the picnic table of snow. The fee is $20.00 per campsite for two vehicles and $8.00 for any additional vehicles. The group picnic site is $45.00 for day use. I paid cash for the site, but I believe you may also pay by credit card.

Many of the campers were settling in and had parked RVs and pop-ups. Pets are allowed but must be on a leash as wildlife such as bears, deers, moose, and elk frequent the area. Bear lockers should be used for food storage or properly stored in vehicles. There are huge bear safe trash and recycling containers near the entrance for campers to use. The bathroom is clean, free of odor and bugs, and it is a vault toilet. There are no showers, dump station, or camp store, but you are close to Bozeman.  The camp host was settled on site 11 and sells firewood for $6.00. You can take a walk along the Hyalite Creek or drive 3.5 miles south down to Hyalite Reservoir for other activities such as fishing, kayaking, canoeing, climbing, hiking, and boating. The night sky was pretty spectacular especially with the trees around on a clear day.

Eagle Creek campground is a nice small 16 site campground a few miles above Gardiner Montana and only a few minutes from the Yellowstone entrance.  Getting to the campground requires a steep 2 mile drive which the road recommends 4 wheel drive for to help with the incline and to prevent washboard.  Sites sit in a grassy open area with willows and other small trees and bushes around the edge.  Small creek runs along the campground.  Site #1 would the site to get it you can, out of view from the rest of camp and has two picnic tables.  The site has a vault toilet.  All sites have a metal fire ring and picnic table. Bear proof food lockers for food storage at most sites.  No water or trash service.  I filtered water from the creek.  Their is a horse Corral adjacent to campground.  Campground was nice and quiet at night with great view of the night sky.  No cell service.

The campground is usually well maintained. I’ve camped here quite a few times, but this past week I was a little disappointed. The grass at the site was very long. The picnic table hadn’t been mowed under. The bathrooms were mostly clean. The sites here can accommodate larger trailers, but the road up to the campground can be washboard, depending on the time of year. The road within the campground was a little hard to navigate with my Mazda 6 - there was an area with a hole and also a larger bump. Some sites are pretty small, while others are quite large. There is very little shade during the day. You may get lucky with some early in the day or later, depending on your site location. Eagle Creek runs along some of the sites, which can make mosquitos an issue. There is a corral for horses and a large turn around area for trucks with trailers.

Water can be acquired at Arch Park in Gardiner.

We came in late and it was already dark. That may have contributed to the confusion in where to go when we first got there, but once we were there it was fine. Not a lot of privacy between spots but to pull in, set up camp and leave the next day it was worth it.

We LOVED visiting with the horses and they were very friendly and did not even mind when our dogs barked at them.

Biggest negative is that you can hear all the highway noise and trucks like to jake-break in this area. On the other side of the highway there were railroad tracks. The train blew its horn through this area ‘frequently and when it stopped you could hear all the train cars smashing together. This woke me up a couple times throughout the night but otherwise fine.

There is a pit toilet, with hand sanitizer.

We camped in a tent with our 2 dogs and young toddler.

Pack it in Pack it out

FCFS

Open all year

Sites:  10 Fees: $12.00 $5.00 for additional vehicle LIMIT: 16 day One bear box, picnic table on some sites, fire ring.  The gravel road in is very long and the last several miles the road narrows and it is rather bumpy. Nice size trailhead just as you turn into the campground. The pit toilet is right at the entrance and the toilet was very clean. The campground has been bush hogged and the sites are mowed so to speak.  Some sites had amenities and some didn't. I would not make the trip unless I am bringing my horses for the trail. Some sites had full sun, and some sites shade. The backdrop of the mountains is just beautiful.

Directions: 16 miles south of Big Timber, MT on US 298, 6.5 miles SW on County Road 30, 8 miles SW on West Boulder Road. Access is limited due to snow. Bring your supplies with you since it is so far back into the camp.

Pack it in, Pack it out,

LNT BTYFI

Travel safe

An absolutely stunning area to camp. A relatively challenging nine-mile-hike in from the Spanish Creek campground. Turn left at the trail map and follow the well marked signs. You’ll have stunning views of the mountains, rivers, and pines on your hike in. A few other places to camp on the way in. You’ll cross a couple rivers—so be prepared to take off those boots. Once arriving at the top; you’ll find a stunning array of crystal lakes, snow melts, and glistening cliffs. We camped on top of a large cliff system across the first lake. As you hike in, there are multiple little lakes to camp and fish around. The highest lake (about 100 meters past the first) is indescribably breathtaking. Surrounded by massive mountains, a rolling stream, and a little dead forest accompanied by a campsite and fire ring—AH! I felt like I was in a simulation. Apparently you can summit the nearby mountains and reached a higher lake called Beehive. My friends went and said they enjoyed it. Tons of fishing in all of the lakes. Diverse wildflowers. Tons of bugs. But all great fun! Will certainly return when I go back to Montana.