Do you love the outdoors and horses? If you're looking for a rustic but comfortable experience, horse camping in Deer Lodge is the way to go. Whether you own a horse or are joining a tour group, equestrian camping is an adventurous and unique way to experience the city. You're sure to find the perfect site for your Montana horse camping excursion.
Cromwell Dixon Campground, located right on the Continental Divide, provides spectacular views of surrounding country encompassing meadows, timbered slopes, and far away mountains. Trailhead access to the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail is nearby. ACTIVITIES Camping Picnicking
Kading Cabin is located 16 miles south of Elliston, Montana in Helena National Forest. This site has served the Forest Service since the early 1900s when the agency was forming. It was selected for its central location, trail and wagon road accessibility, and telephone line service at the time, ensuring that it would be valuable for both administrative and protective work. The present cabin was built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Renovations and repairs were made to the facility in the 1960s and again in the early 1990s. Today, the cabin is a rustic retreat for guests seeking relaxation and recreation in central Montana. The cabin is typically accessible by car; however, heavy amounts of snow in winter can close the road to vehicles. Access to the cabin is via a 7-mile stretch of road passable by snowmobile, snowshoe, skis or dog sled. Guests must be prepared to pack in several of their own supplies.
Plenty of hiking, fishing and wildlife viewing opportunities exist along the numerous trails and roads that can be accessed within a short distance from the cabin. Fly fishing on the Little Blackfoot River is excellent. Brown trout are found in good numbers and large sizes below Elliston. Brook and cutthroat trout are found above Elliston. Whitefish can be found throughout the length of the river. In winter, guests will enjoy snowshoeing, skiing and snowmobiling on trails throughout the area.
Hemmed in by old-growth, conifer forest, Kading Cabin sits at the edge of a grassy clearing. The Little Blackfoot River flows near the cabin, a tributary to the Upper Clark Fork watershed. It drains an area of 265,300 acres from the Boulder Mountains north of Butte and west of Helena. The area around the cabin offers a variety of landscapes, from river banks to subalpine terrain. Valley bottoms, dense forests, meadows and barren ridges are mixed with streams, rivers, and lakes. Wildlife in the area abounds. Elk, deer, squirrels and a variety of birds are commonly seen. The more elusive badger, wolverine, mountain lion and lynx find habitat in nearby areas as well.
Plenty of historic mines are scattered throughout the area, including Charter Oak Mine and the Mill and the Monarch Mine.
$30 / night
$35 - $40 / night
This wooded picnic area is located near Rock Creek next to the East Fork Reservoir.
Ekstrom's Stage Station is a collection of historic log buildings reassembled along Montana’s famous Rock Creek, functioning today as a full-service campground. The campground is situated in a large grassy meadow surrounded by tall pine trees. The campground offers water & electric sites, full hookups, as well as tent sites for campers who prefer “roughing it.” For those who forgot their tents, we also have an historic school house and rustic log cabins for rent. For registered campers, there is a bath house with hot showers and we have a laundromat. Unfortunately, the restaurant is closed pending renovations required by the county.
$40 - $100 / night
The Indian Meadows Trailhead provides access into the Scapegoat Wilderness. The site is not usually accessible by passenger vehicles until late May.
General Notes: Provides access to the Scapegoat Wilderness. Food Storage order in effect. Limited stock campsites available.
Parking: Ample parking provided for large stock trailers.
The Granite Butte Lookout is located at 7,587 feet above sea level atop the Continental Divide of North America. The 15' by 15' lookout cabin sits atop a 20' tall wooden tower that was first built in 1932. The structure was rebuilt in 1962 and has been recently renovated. This tower was listed on the national register of historic lookouts in 2008 and offers guests a glimpse into the life of a Forest Service Lookout. Located near Lincoln, MT the lookout offers direct access to the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail which stretches along the back bone of the continent from Canada to Mexico. It is accessible by vehicle, but be forewarned, the road is rough towards the end and high-clearance vehicles are recommended. The lookout has the basic amenities including a bed, auxiliary cots, tables, chairs, dishes, cutlery, and a woodstove are provided, but guests should prepare to bring their own bedding, water, and propane.
The Continental Divide Trail passes right by the lookout tower and offers guests access to as many miles as they care to hike, bike, or ride on horseback. There are several other trails for guests to explore within a 1/2 hour drive. The cabin also offers winter recreation opportunities with cross-country skiing opportunities out the back door and nearby access to over 200 miles of groomed snowmobile trails.
The Continental Divide Trail passes right by the lookout tower and offers guests access to as many miles as they care to hike, bike, or ride on horseback. There are several other trails for guests to explore within a 1/2 hour drive. The cabin also offers winter recreation opportunities with cross-country skiing opportunities out the back door and nearby access to over 200 miles of groomed snowmobile trails.
The lookout is located atop a grassy ridge directly on the Continental Divide. The area around the cabin offers spectacular views, abundant wildflowers, high elevation white bark pine stands, open meadows, and large rock outcroppings. There are lower elevation conifer stands and streams located nearby as well. Wildlife in the area abounds; including the more common elk, mule and white-tailed deer, squirrel, black bear, and a variety of birds. The more elusive grizzly bear, badger, wolverine, mountain lion, and lynx can be found here as well.
The nearby town of Lincoln offers restaurants, bars, art galleries, a sculpture park, and many events that are put on in the community throughout the summer. Visitors can also access the scenic Blackfoot River and Copper Creek from town and the nearby area.
$45 / night
Guide
First come first served sites but we were surprised to have many available. A nice hundred yard path that is paved to the waterfall for anyone with mobility issues. A longer hike up to the bridge is nice and wooded.
Guide
This is a great location along the Clark Fork river. Staff was very friendly. Sites were well maintained and sufficient.
Cons: Interstate noise and the occasional train whistle would keep me from using the facility for nothing more than an overnight stop.
Guide
$42 for fire pit and picnic table! No privacy between the spots. That said, it’s a very beautiful setting with big trees, and very quiet. Nice playground for the kids . Showers and bathrooms looked like they had been clean to, but overall were in need of a deep cleaning. The shower curtains were on the toilet stalls… Not sure how you keep those clean thoroughly.
Restaurant was really nice and tasty. Nice people. But they are only open till 230 even though their website says they are open for dinner. I was hoping to stay one more day because it was so peaceful but we needed to get going on our trip.
Guide
This is a small, no frills site just outside of Helena, MT. No hookups for RVs; Vault toilets, which were very clean. Pack in/Pack out as there are no trash receptacles. Moderate road noise until dark. Beautiful views and dark skies at night for stargazing
ScoutIt was a clean campground spaces far apart. Pit toilets and water. Water was rusty. It worked for over night.
Legend
Indian Meadows Trailhead is the trailhead for two trails in to the Helena National Forest Scapegoat Wilderness Area, plus it features a camping area with picnic tables and metal fire rings along with a vault toilet. The camping loop has five developed sites with tables and fire rings. The area serves as the trail head for two trails, Mainline Trail #481 and Landers Fork Trail #438. Each trail head has a small parking area, but a very large parking are is between the two to allow for additional parking and for horse trailer parking. No water or trash service is available at the site, but can be obtained at the Copper Creek campground a few miles away. Cost is FREE!
GuideWe pulled in and the kids where so excited!! Wonderful people helped us to our spot, we are t up camp, kids went to the playground & then we went down to the restaurant for dinner! Everything was wonderful!
We had the best thunderstorm with hail that night as well…best night ever!!
ScoutYou can turn right off the highway and easily access dispersed camping around the site. Only drawback is the highway noise but it dies down when it gets dark.
GuideSites have good separation. Potable water taps and vault bathrooms are very clean. Higher elevation for cooler Summer evenings. No hookups. Decent cell signal. Can hear road noise at a distance, but not too loud.
ScoutWe called the number on their sign when we arrived. It’s pretty shut down with no services but we dry camped. Owner was super nice and we were greeted warmly by her grandkids. They ran our dogs around and tired them out.
GuideWe stayed here for a night as we headed west. It offered everything we needed with a beautiful campground to boot. The laundry facilities were great. The showers were clean and hot. There was an adorable restaurant in the campground. Every single staff member we came across was so friendly. There is a basketball court, sand volleyball court, horse shoes and a playground. There’s also a beautiful creek running along the campground with beautiful Mountain views. WiFi sand cell service worked great. I would absolutely stay again!
Guide15 sites available at $15 per night. Showed up at 12:30pm on a Sunday and many still available.
ScoutExtremely clean! Terrific staff!
LegendLost Creek State Park campground is a 25 site campground along lost creek. This campground sits in a narrow canyon with colorful white and pink granite walls extending over 1000 feet above the campground. If you like waterfalls then you are in luck, after a very long 125 yard hike you will be treated with the 50 foot Lost Creek Falls. Since this campground is at the end of the road, it is very quiet. Each campsite has a picnic table and fire ring. Several vault toilets are located through out the campground. During our visit the raspberries and thimble berries located along the creek were ripe. The campground starts pretty much right after you enter the park. The more private sites were located in the beginning of the park. Water is available, but you will need to take your trash with you as no trash service is available. If you want a longer hike than the 250 yard water fall hike, he forest service has a trail head in the park. The trail follows lost creek higher into the mountains.
GuideLost Creek is in a beautiful canyon spot, with numerous (25) sites to accommodate all types of campers (huge RV’s to tents). Camping spots are nice, but close to one another and the campground is often full. This means, if you do find a spot, you will have to deal with neighbors . There is a beautiful hiking trail that starts at the top of the campground and there is a beautiful waterfall and rushing creek that is a pleasure to listen to at night. (It almost drowns out the noise from neighboring campers if you find a spot on the creek.)
TravelerEasy access from I-90. Beautiful location, classic Montana with trees mountains and rivers! Great restaurant on site. Campsites are the reason for not giving 5 stars. Very tight and not great space for maneuverability. Was not full so we were fine with a big rig. Had it been full would be a little uncomfortable.
RangerI 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. You sit right below the continental divide with good access to the continental divide trail. The other big plus is that there is a cell phone tower right above the campground so you have excellent cell phone service. It's a nice clean little campground with a pit toilet and water available.
GuideThis campsite is pristine, next to a beautiful river, mountains all around. There is a good amount of space between RV campsites, all of which have water and electric. There is a big field next to the river that was great for kids to run around in. This feels like more of a stop through campsite than one you’d stay for several days, and it’s perfect for that.
GuideA Stunning Surprise! In spite of a loss of large pine trees... and having no personal comparison, for us, this was a surprise. So peaceful and with a gorgeous sunset on a vast horizon. The rocky sloped landscape had a lot of wildflowers and made for a pleasant overnight stop with no expectations.
GuideAbout a mile of rt 90. Camping is tight by fly fishing is very good. Freindly people with great food. Beautiful country.
Scout
Nice camp ground. It’s primitive , has a couple fire pits. Pack it in pack it out! Quit except the highway is just up and over the river. Free
LegendLost Creek State Park has a beautiful canyon setting and a pretty waterfall just a very short hike from your campsite. We stayed in site #14 where was the closest site. We could hear the waterfall from there. Our stay was on September 9, 2019. We paid $28 as a non-resident. Potable water was from a large pump spigot. The vault toilets were very clean and we saw the ranger several times. There are some trails nearby and a beaver pond along the road in. The road in is narrow but paved and you will be gawking at the scenery.
This has been one of our favorite campgrounds and we plan to return.
GuideAbsolutely loved this hidden spot back in the valley between two mountains. Has a short walk back to a very nice waterfall. Definitely recommend this spot if you are passing through. Keep driving all the way back to the loop at the end. It has some great sites here.
ScoutWe stopped here for one night on our way to Olympic National Park and I’m so glad we did. The grounds are SO well maintained and the owners are super nice. There are cute flower beds all around and the cabins are adorable.
TravelerThis campground is well maintained and tucked away between beautiful rock formations, a rushing creek, and aspens. Our spot was perfect, with a little picnic table that was chained but able to be moved slightly and a fire pit with a metal grill. Perfect getaway spot and very dog friendly!
Guide
The river by the camp sites is absolutely beautiful. The lake at the top of the hill is a sight to be seen with the surrounding mountains. There are hiking trails and access to a massive wilderness area that has in excess of 40 separate lakes. Definitely recommended! To get this this portion of camp sites, as soon as you get to the dam you take a very hard right. It’s 180 degree turn to the right. I took a picture of the sign and road so you don’t miss it!
TravelerLost Creek State Park is located just outside of Anaconda, and is a perfect location for a quick day-hike or a multi-day trip. It is located in a canyon that is very secluded and has great views. You have to start by going to the waterfall, which is a very easy 100 yard, paved hike. If you’re staying overnight, campgrounds are located right next to the trailheads and offer tables, campfire rings, and well-water. The prices for both day use and overnight use differ for state residents and out of state residents. If you’re staying multiple days, take advantage of the miles of trails that will bring you to different creeks and mountain lakes!
Horse camping in Montana offers a unique opportunity to explore the stunning landscapes while enjoying the company of your equine friends. With a variety of campgrounds equipped with horse-friendly amenities, you can experience the great outdoors in comfort and style.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Deer Lodge, MT?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Deer Lodge, MT is Lost Creek State Park Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 10 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Deer Lodge, MT?
TheDyrt.com has all 8 equestrian camping locations near Deer Lodge, MT, with real photos and reviews from campers.
