Best Tent Camping near Dillon, MT
Tent campsites in the Dillon, Montana area provide varied options for outdoor enthusiasts seeking simplicity in natural surroundings. Barretts Station Park Campground offers accessible sites with basic amenities near the river, while Beaverhead National Forest campgrounds like Mill Creek and Grasshopper provide more secluded tent camping experiences. Lone Tree Campground near Clark Canyon Reservoir features tent sites with picnic tables and fire rings in an open setting, making it suitable for campers who prefer unobstructed views rather than forest cover.
Most tent campgrounds feature minimal improvements with dirt or gravel parking pads and grassy areas for tent placement. Primitive facilities typically include vault toilets and metal fire rings, though water availability varies significantly between locations. Brownes Bridge Fishing Access Site provides tent camping with picnic tables and fire rings along the Big Hole River but offers no potable water. During summer months, particularly July, insect activity intensifies at riverside locations like Barretts Station, where one reviewer noted that "bugs are INTENSE" and that "our thermacell was no match for these guys."
Sites farther from Interstate 15 offer quieter experiences for tent campers. The Mill Creek Campground in Beaverhead National Forest features well-shaded tent sites under large fir and pine trees, providing natural shelter during hot summer days. Bear-proof food storage is required in this area as it lies within grizzly territory. Fishing access sites along the Big Hole River, including Salmon Fly and Brownes Bridge, provide tent camping with direct water access. Visitors appreciate the spacing between sites at these locations, with one camper describing Brownes Bridge as having "five campsite sitting under large cottonwood trees" that are "nicely spread apart from each other," creating a more private tent camping experience despite proximity to transportation corridors.
