Best Campgrounds near Dayton, MT

Camping around Dayton, Montana centers on Flathead Lake, with state parks offering both developed and primitive sites. Finley Point and Big Arm state park units provide camping with lake access, while private RV parks like Rollins RV Park feature additional amenities. Most campgrounds accommodate tents and RVs, with several locations like Yellow Bay State Park designed specifically for tent camping. The Blair Flats dispersed camping area offers free primitive sites for those seeking a more rustic experience away from developed facilities.

Seasonal availability varies significantly across the region, with most state parks operating from spring through fall. Finley Point Unit operates from April through mid-November, while Big Arm is open from early May through late September. West Shore and Lake Mary Ronan state parks remain open year-round, providing options during winter months. Many campgrounds require reservations, particularly during summer when waterfront sites fill quickly. A visitor commented that "Most sites are on the small side, and most are not very flat," highlighting the importance of selecting appropriate sites for larger RVs or trailers.

Waterfront campsites receive particularly high ratings from visitors exploring the Flathead Lake area. Campers consistently mention the exceptional water clarity, mountain views, and wildlife viewing opportunities. Big Arm State Park, located on Flathead Lake, provides access to swimming and boating, with several walk-in tent sites offering enhanced privacy and solitude. One camper described their experience at Big Arm as "truly one of the best campsites I've ever had," noting the private lakeside access and opportunity to set up hammocks near the water's edge. Most campgrounds offer basic amenities including picnic tables, fire rings, and vault toilets, though amenities vary considerably between state parks and private facilities, with RV parks typically offering full hookups and shower facilities not found at more primitive sites.

Best Camping Sites Near Dayton, Montana (205)

    1. Big Arm State Unit — Flathead Lake State Park

    24 Reviews
    Big Arm, MT
    4 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 837-3041

    $14 - $70 / night

    "Most of the sites are along the water, but seem a little close to one another. Fortunately, the woman at the gate told me about sites T1 and T3."

    "Flathead Lake is a very large wonder of nature and the town of Polson is perfectly situated.  You will not see a more gorgeous mountain range.  "

    2. West Shore Unit — Flathead Lake State Park

    18 Reviews
    Lakeside, MT
    7 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 844-3044

    $20 / night

    "West Shore State Park was a beautiful way to spend an afternoon after kayaking to Wild Horse Horse Island State Park nearby. The water was clear and the dogs throughly enjoyed splashing around."

    "On Flathead Lake with views of the lake. Choose loop B if you want electric. Loop A doesn't have electric and is closer to the highway. Good trails to the lake."

    3. Finley Point Unit — Flathead Lake State Park

    17 Reviews
    Polson, MT
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 837-3041

    $50 / night

    "It’s about 3 miles of the main road around Flathead lake , nestled in a beautiful lakeside neighborhood."

    "There are a select few sites yards away from the water, each with a bit of beach. The biting bugs were minimal, but the swarms of other bugs were impressive, and the fish obviously loved them."

    4. Lake Mary Ronan State Park Campground

    8 Reviews
    Proctor, MT
    7 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 849-5082

    $14 - $120 / night

    "My wife and I headed to Montana on a whim. We knew it would be difficult to find a campsite just for one night. After, many calls, Dennis had a single night availability."

    "This was our first time visiting Lake Mary Ronan or the state park. The layout of the campground was very nice and spacious. It was extremely clean."

    5. Blue Bay Campground

    10 Reviews
    Polson, MT
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 982-3123

    $10 - $90 / night

    "My site is right on the lake with lake access. It’s a short walk to water, trash, and bathrooms (not all in the same location)."

    "This is a private, tribal run campground about half way up the eastern shore of Flathead Lake."

    6. Rollins RV Park

    5 Reviews
    Dayton, MT
    3 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 844-0572

    $26 - $55 / night

    "My family and I recently stayed at Rollings RV Park on Flathead Lake in Montana, and we loved it!"

    "Our first time to Flathead lake. Spots were booking up quick around the lake. Found this gem, got a spot reserved for Labor Day weekend. The park is very clean and well maintained."

    7. Wayfarers State Park Campground

    14 Reviews
    Bigfork, MT
    16 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 837-4196

    "I love living in Montana and being able to hike some of the best spots ever. Flathead is also an amazing spot, so really any campground in the area is good in my opinion."

    "Very close to the beautiful town of Bigfork and great amenities, yet it feels tucked away. Right on Flathead lake, can’t beat the views!"

    8. Yellow Bay State Park Campground

    6 Reviews
    Dayton, MT
    11 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 752-5501

    $9 - $28 / night

    "You are surrounded by beautiful mountains, crystal clear water and a place where you can do a lot of great outdoor activities!"

    "I absolutely love Montana the yellow Bay Area keeps me coming back I live in beautiful Idaho however Montana just has something different to offer and I I'm always looking for excuses to go back to Montana"

    9. Blair Flats

    14 Reviews
    Flathead National Forest, MT
    20 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 758-5208

    "Be prepared for a colder night because of your proximity to the water. The only negative thing about this campsite were the masses of mosquitoes and other bugs."

    "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."

    10. Wild Horse RV Resort - LOT 1 - Big Arm, MT

    1 Review
    Big Arm, MT
    5 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 531-5582

    $60 / night

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Recent Reviews near Dayton, MT

996 Reviews of 205 Dayton Campgrounds


  • BThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 4, 2025

    Holland Lake Picnic Site

    Heaven on Earth

    Embarrassing to say that I’m pushing 50 and this is my first time visiting Holland Lake. OMG! This place is gorgeous. I have taken some strolls on nearby paths and there are so many hidden gems of lakeside spots to enjoy the scenery. It is a very mellow weekend and wx has been cool and rainy. I could spend weeks here. I’m on the Bayview loop and they’ve locked up the bathrooms and put porta potties instead. Sign says it closed for the season in a few days 10/7. The other loops they’ve kept the bathrooms open oddly enough. I was not expecting to get service but T-Mobile I have 1 bar and sometimes I get 5G. Around the lake I’ve seen 3 bars of service. There are zero complaints. Quite a few spots show reserved and nobody showed up likely b/c of the wx but that’s still garbage to hold up a spot out of selfish greed. I’m so glad I came and I am so excited to visit with my family in the summer. There are a decent amount of walk up sites that imo should be reservable for $100nt they are so epic.

  • Raul C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 4, 2025

    Camp off North Fork Road

    Large and open

    The area down the road was full and had limited car camping / roof top tent camping so my buddy and I moved this way and found plenty of opportunity.

  • Vinny A.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 1, 2025

    Middle Fork Flathead River Dispersed

    Riverside Camping

    Very nice spot close to Glacier NP. As others have mentioned, the road getting in is very rough, but i made it up/down several times with my Promaster 2500 van with no issues, just got to be strategic about how you take the ruts. Awesome views of river. Road is a little noisy at times, but nothing to complain about. Plenty of other people camping there. Cell service was pretty good.

  • DThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 21, 2025

    Richmond Marshall hookup trail dispersed campsite

    Logging Logging Spur MTN view

    Acesss logging road in good shape. Narrow in places . Fire ring at the edge of the embankment. Tight place to turn around. Can hear a creek deep in the gorge. Only saw one other person. Vegetation is very dry. Nice open view for camping. Most of the road cuts through tall trees. Good cell service . No services just a fire ring and cell reception.

  • GThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 21, 2025

    Emery Bay Campground

    Beautiful campground with excellent host

    We arrived mid September for 4 nights. Our site #21 is huge and private. Surrounded by large conifers with a large fiberglass topped picnic table that is easy to clean and fire pit. The vault toilets are within a short walking distance. Water spigot just across from the toilets provided lean potable water. Kevin the host is on top of his game, easy to find and very friendly and accommodating. Glacier National Park is about a 20 minute drive from there. Probably about 15 minutes from Corum and all of the essential services.

  • Rikky F.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 20, 2025

    Apgar Campground — Glacier National Park

    Good campground but felt like the amenities were scare for the number of sites

    We visited the weekend after Labor Day and I'd say the campground was moderately busy, someone I ran into at Logan Pass said they weren't able to get a site there so it must have been full.

    I didn't research this campground as much as I should have. This is the largest campground on the west side, serving about 200 sites, and for some reason only has one shower building located on loop A. That building has exactly 2 showers. They're private, you can lock the door to go in, there's a bench outside of the shower portion, and while they seemed clean it wasn't as bougie as the showers at Canyon Campground in Yellowstone National Park. I never ended up trying the showers because after a long day, waiting to shower wasn't what I felt like and sometimes I was so tired I crawled into the tent after packing the food away and slept.

    According to something I read online, there is no where to wash your dishes. Dish washing is to be done at your site, and the grey water transported to the disposal area located in loop C. I had no deep desire to haul a bucket of water around or have it sloshing in the back of our car so thankfully we had backpack meals and the only thing we needed to clean was forks which were wiped off with a paper towel and called good. When we used some stuff on the Going to the Sun Road, I decided to walk over to C when we got back to camp. There was a door labeled "Wash Station" and there was soap and a sponge. There's nowhere to clean anything off, so I guess you still need to figure that out if you have a significant amount of bits and pieces left after your dinner. It seems odd to me though that the largest campground on the west side has so few amenities for such a large number of sites.

    The campsites are all kind of different. Like we have a huge Big Agnes Bunkhouse 6 and B 118 was a little inappropriate. I picked it so I only have myself to blame, but I recommend checking out any online views of the campsite you're thinking of just to make sure it vibes with your setup.

    The bathrooms seemed plentiful enough, although the one closest to us had no soap on either side (as confirmed by my gf). I highly recommend bringing your own soap, however you want to accomplish that.

    You can hear a train from camp, which didn't bother me but I know some people aren't fans. Everyone around us was pretty quiet for the most part, and we were a quick walk from the lake and the amphitheater. There's also a trail to Apgar Village and some nearby hiking trails (easy little walks, not hardcore hikes).

    I have Verizon and had one bar that just refused to do much for me unless it was like 2am. My gf has T Mobile and her phone worked great!

    Even though for the most part this is a good campground and it's worth going back to, I would explore other campgrounds if we 8 get to go back.

  • SThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 18, 2025

    Dispersed Site - Lolo National Forest Recreation Area

    Very nice

    Main dirt road is well maintained but narrow and curves up the mountain. Lots of spots if you keep on going, but some offshoots are steep and rocky. We took the second right offshoot and got an awesome view with plenty space to spread out. We car camp in a Wagoneer


Guide to Dayton

Camping near Dayton, MT centers on the eastern and western shores of Flathead Lake, with sites situated between 2,900-3,000 feet elevation. This region experiences warm summer days with temperatures often reaching the mid-80s, while nights cool considerably, requiring campers to pack appropriate layers. The camping season peaks from June through September when water temperatures are most comfortable for swimming.

What to do

Kayak to Wild Horse Island: Access this unique state park via boat launch at West Shore Unit — Flathead Lake State Park. "West Shore State Park was a beautiful way to spend an afternoon after kayaking to Wild Horse Horse Island State Park nearby. The water was clear and the dogs throughly enjoyed splashing around," writes Elizabeth G., who visited in 2020.

Fish from shoreline access: Blair Flats provides direct river fishing opportunities without needing a boat. "Fishing is great, right out your door is the river! The water is cold and fast in May," notes Sara L., highlighting the free camping area's primary attraction.

Rent a pontoon boat: Several campgrounds offer rental services during peak season. One camper at Rollins RV Park shared, "We rented a pontoon boat from the rv park and explored the lake. The boat rental for a whole day is equivalent to a 4 hour rental near Spokane. Great prices."

What campers like

Crystal clear water visibility: The remarkable clarity of Flathead Lake draws consistent praise. A camper at Blue Bay Campground explained, "The swimming docks are wonderful to dive off into crystal clear flathead lake... Us humans enjoyed swimming in water where we could actually see if anything was swimming around us."

Waterfront tent sites: Campers highlight the value of lakeside camping spots. At Finley Point Unit — Flathead Lake State Park, a visitor described, "This was an amazing tent site. A little windy at night, but I loved falling asleep to the sound of the wind and waves breaking as we were right next to the water."

Yurt accommodations: For those seeking alternative shelters, Big Arm State Park offers circular shelters. "The most amazing way to stay here is in a yurt! These circular traditional structures are an experience not soon forgotten by kids or adults alike," describes Kent B.

What you should know

Limited boat trailer parking: Some lake access points have space constraints. A visitor to Yellow Bay State Park Campground noted, "There may be an issue with parking with a boat trailer at the launch, space is limited."

Tribal campground regulations: Blue Bay Campground operates under tribal management with specific rules. Morgan O. points out, "Native land & no alcohol. Fire ring with grill attachment and a picnic table."

Tree root challenges at free sites: When considering dispersed options, be prepared for uneven ground. A camper at Blair Flats warned, "Hard to find flat ground for a tent because of the roots. Gotta watch your step everywhere."

Seasonal availability: Most campgrounds around Flathead Lake close by early October. Lake Mary Ronan remains an exception, with one visitor sharing, "We ended up asking if they could extend their service past October 1st and they said YES!"

Tips for camping with families

Tree-shaded playgrounds: Rollins RV Park receives praise for its kid-friendly amenities. Brian C. highlighted, "One of the best things about the park is the great playground for kids. Our kids loved it!"

Protected swimming areas: Look for campsites with swimming docks and shallow entry points. Michelle R. observed at Blue Bay Campground, "The water shallow for a long distance of beautiful colorful rocks and perfect for swimming of all ages."

Wildlife viewing opportunities: Multiple campgrounds offer wildlife sightings from your site. At Lake Mary Ronan, Cody L. mentioned, "Small lake with beautiful foothills surrounding it. Tons of wildlife around the water!"

Group sites for family reunions: Some campgrounds accommodate large family gatherings. One camper noted that Blue Bay Campground has space for "two huge family reunions" during holiday weekends.

Tips from RVers

Site selection for larger rigs: Not all campgrounds easily accommodate big rigs. At Big Arm State Unit — Flathead Lake State Park, Hailey M. advised, "Nice campground, a bit tight if you are a bigger rig but doable in the right spot."

Internet connectivity: For those needing to stay connected, service varies by location. Lake Mary Ronan offers "wifi is really really good, can even watch football on Sundays," according to Blake C.

Electric hookup availability: Electrical options differ significantly between campgrounds. At Yellow Bay, only tent camping is permitted, while Lake Mary Ronan provides "50amp electrical hookups" at most sites according to Chris D.

Dump station locations: Plan ahead as many campgrounds lack this amenity. Chris D. noted that at Lake Mary Ronan, "There is not a dump station at the campground," requiring RVers to find alternatives.

Frequently Asked Questions

What camping is available near Dayton, MT?

According to TheDyrt.com, Dayton, MT offers a wide range of camping options, with 205 campgrounds and RV parks near Dayton, MT and 33 free dispersed camping spots.

Which is the most popular campground near Dayton, MT?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Dayton, MT is Big Arm State Unit — Flathead Lake State Park with a 4.6-star rating from 24 reviews.

Where can I find free dispersed camping near Dayton, MT?

According to TheDyrt.com, there are 33 free dispersed camping spots near Dayton, MT.

What parks are near Dayton, MT?

According to TheDyrt.com, there are 11 parks near Dayton, MT that allow camping, notably Flathead National Forest and Lolo National Forest.