Best Dispersed Camping near Drummond, MT

Recent Dispersed Reviews in Drummond

31 Reviews of 17 Drummond Campgrounds

• 

  Ben H.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 7, 2024

  Blue Mountain Forest Rd 365 - Dispersed

  Dusty dirt road

  This area allows disperse camping Beyond a certain point (there is a small sign). There is a map provided at the road trailhead. However it is confusing since I believe the map is upside down. On my drive up I did not see any established distributed campsites. However there are some turn offs that you could park at. This area would probably not be ideal for RVs. Four wheel drive does not seem to be a requirement. I ended up camping at a turnoff and walked a bit off the road to set up my hammock. The road was not very busy I did hear an occasional car pass by. Good views and decently private. I was able to get Verizon signal at my campsite. However driving up signal was spotty

• 

  Curt D.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 25, 2024

  Garnet Ghost Town Dispersed Camping

  There is no camping here

  Just a ghost town no camping

• 

  Liz P.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 10, 2024

  Rock Creek Dispersed Spot - Lolo

  Not a camping spot.

  This spot is not a camping spot.  Day use only.

• 

  Azaali J.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 9, 2024

  Little Blackfoot River Dispersed Campsite #3

  Great little spot

  We didn’t stay at this exact site as it was taken but there one more dispersed site about a mile or so down the road.

  Was nice being close to the creek and there was lots of fallen trees we used for firewood.

  Quiet spot with a small amount of traffic on the road.

  Didn’t see any wildlife but the horseflies were a bit out of control this time of the year.

• K

  Katie T.

  Scout

  

  May. 30, 2024

  Little Blackfoot River Dispersed Campsite

  Good spot

  Easy to find, road isn’t too rough, no service with t mobile, nice little fire ring. Definitely recommend getting there a little earlier to get the good spots

• 

  Terri F.

  Scout

  

  May. 22, 2024

  Placid Creek Pull Off

  Primative but usable

  Open. Near creek. No amenities aside from outhouse. Rough dirt entrance. 4-5 semi designated parking spaces. More if you were cozy. Not recommended for low clearance or large vehicles

• 

  Andy C.

  Scout

  

  Feb. 25, 2024

  Lower Blackfoot River Dispersed - BLM - PERMANENTLY CLOSED

  Closed - but new options available

  The dispersed campground near the start of Johnsrud Rd (Mile Marker 28 on Hwy 200) has been removed. However, 2 new campgrounds have been added, and the entire road is now paved making RV accessibility much easier. 

  The three campgrounds are as follows: 

  Thibodeau Campground- 5 mi in

  Corrick River Bend - 11 mi in

  Ninemile Prarie- 13 mi. in

• 

  Danielle B.

  Scout

  

  Nov. 17, 2023

  Blue Mountain Forest Rd 365 - Dispersed

  No actual camp spots

  The recreation area is nice but there’s not actually anywhere to camp unless you want to camp on the road.

• A

  Ahron B.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 9, 2023

  Rock Creek Dispersed Spot - Lolo

  dispersed camping

  first dispersed camping spot for Lolo from the entry road for this Forest Service land entry. Just cross the bridge, and be careful of high water (signs stating it's impassable 100 yards past the photo of the bridge when high water.) The grey area is public land the white square at the end of the road is private property by the map legend. 

  maps attached are screenshots from the National Forest Service online map as of Sept. 8th, 2023.

  The dots show where dispersed camping is allowed for this spot.

• D

  Don S.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 22, 2023

  Scott Reservoir Dispersed

  Great Secluded Reservoir

  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. I had the entire place to myself on a Thursday night. Some bugs but not too bad. Road going around to the other side of the reservoir is gated and closed now.

• K

  Kelly

  Guide

  

  Dec. 31, 2022

  Rock Creek Dispersed Spot - Lolo

  Standard

  It’s a spot to pull up and sleep for the night

• 

  Ashley C.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 8, 2022

  Scott Reservoir Dispersed

  A nice view of the reservoir

  Came up here in a whim one night and got lucky! No one else camped up there so it was peacful. You're right by the water with. Great mountain view, couldn't ask for more.

  There were just a few cars driving back down the mountain in the evening. But no one bothered.

  There's a nice hand full of spots you could pull up in a car, maybe two spots your could fit a small trailer in. About four or five fire rings in the immediate area. I wouldn't be surprised in there were more spots in the area or the other side of the reservoir.

  Pretty easy to get to from Helena. Just take Rimini road all the way up, past the town, past private property. At some point I took a right onto Goulds.

  Not the best roads but I got up there fine with my 2015 Outback just fine.

• m

  meredith

  Guide

  

  Nov. 29, 2021

  Little Blackfoot River Dispersed Campsite

  Beautiful spot

  This was a pretty spot on the river with quite a few sites and a day use area. Access to the river was a bit tight through the day use area. A small amount of road noise could be heard and the vault toilet was clean. Overall a great place.

• C

  Celine K.

  Ranger

  

  Nov. 8, 2021

  Blue Mountain Forest Rd 365 - Dispersed

  Local fav

  Blue Mountain is a great place to recreate! Very dog friendly and tons of trails for hiking and mountain biking. Camping is allowed west of road 365. The area can get busy during the day but is quiet at night.

• 

  Leonidas R.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 9, 2021

  Blue Mountain Forest Rd 365 - Dispersed

  An escape from the city

  Not the best in terms of views, but worth the drive to get out of the city. You will have the occasional driver coming up and dust you a bit, but if you can get past that, it's a nice area to set up camp. You've got to go in at least 5 miles to camp.

• 

  Dexter I.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 1, 2021

  Little Blackfoot River Dispersed Campsite #3

  Roomy disperse site with easy river access

  This is the 3rd and final disperse site that the Helena National Forest has marked along the little Blackfoot River.  It is nice to be sure that you are on public land when in an area checker boarded with private land.  This is a large flat camping area with plenty of room for tents and several RV's.  Site has a large rock fire ring, and the river is only a few short flat feet away.  Plenty of wood can be found for making a fire.  Site is near the road, but very little traffic comes this way as you are almost at the roads end.  Water can be easily filtered from the river (more like a creek at this point)

• 

  Dexter I.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 1, 2021

  Little Blackfoot River 2nd Disperse Campsite

  Small disperse campsite along the Little Blackfoot RIver

  This is the second disperse camping sit along the Little Blackfoot River that has been marked as a disperse campsite by the Helena National Forest.  It is nice having these sits marked by the Forest Service as their are several parcels of private land along the road.  This site is small with only one small level area for a tent of mid sized RV.  The site has a large rock fire ring in the center.  Their is no easy trail access to the river.  Plenty of down trees in the area for firewood if you have a way to cut them, their is also plenty of small stuff that can be easily collected for a fire.   Site is right next to the road, but road noise should be little to none as a few curves will slow vehicles down and their isn't much more road left until the campground and trailhead at the end of the road.

• 

  Dexter I.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 30, 2021

  Little Blackfoot River Dispersed Campsite

  Big Roomy Disperse campsite along the little Blackfood River

  Bumped in to this disperse campsite while heading out for a hike.  This is one of three disperse campsite along the Little Blackfoot River in the Helena National Forest that have been marked by the Forest Service as a disperse camping area. This is a nice large flat right next to the creek with plenty of room for multiple tents or RVs.  The site has a large rock fire ring and the big bonus of having a picnic table.  A short trail leads to the river, but does require a little bit of scrambling.  The River (more of a creek at this point) has a nice spot if you need to cool off from the summer heat.  Another short trail goes up a small hill and leads to an area with lots of fallen trees which can be cut for firewood if fire restrictions are not in place.  The only bad thing about this disperse site is that it is right next to the road.

• 

  K B.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 14, 2021

  Pyramid Lake Backcountry Primitive

  Peaceful Alpine Lake

  Long climb up the trail over Pyramid Pass to access the lake but its worth it. One of the shortest hikes to get in to a lake in the BobMarshall.
  Spotty cell reception on shore of lake. Wonderful views, lots of wildlife (including bears...).

• 

  K B.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 14, 2021

  Boulder Lake Backcountry Site

  Great Backcountry Lake

  Awesome lakento hike into, best accessed during summer after snow has melted. Trail that descends the steep grade down to the lake is not horse friendly, difficult for those who struggle with steep terrain.

  Numerous primitive campsites around west shore of lake, old growth grove at base of cliff is fun to explore. Burned remains of Boulder Lookout sits at the top of the cliff overlooking the lake. Awesome views to take in. There was a pair of loons mesting at the lake when we visited a few years ago.

• K

  Kerrie

  Guide

  

  Jul. 9, 2021

  Lower Blackfoot River Dispersed - BLM - PERMANENTLY CLOSED

  Pretty

  The river was running pretty fast when we were there. Couldn’t play in the water but it was still beautiful. Saw an eagle. Quiet.

• S

  Susan S.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 17, 2021

  Garnet Ghost Town Dispersed Camping

  This location is not a campsite as it is within the 1/2 mile zone. It is marked with no camping sign

  Great ghost town!

• P

  Phillip R.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 2, 2021

  Garnet Ghost Town Dispersed Camping

  No camping within 1/2 mile of the town.

  Interesting and informative, though half of the buildings are locked upright. You can really interesting artifacts through the windows. Great potential. A little picnic area.

• 

  Quinn Z.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 29, 2020

  Upper Seymour Lake Dispersed Camping

  Lake-side hike-in dispersed camping with amazing hiking nearby.

  Full disclosure: I didn't camp here as I passed through this area en route to another dispersed campsite a bit deeper in. That said, we stopped here for a snack / water break and to filter some water so I had some time to explore.

  The area is BEAUTIFUL. The lake is stunning, and sits nestled right up against some pretty dramatic mountains. Lots of trees and dispersed camping sites throughout. The hike in is about 7 miles, very gentle incline. Not too hard unless you're not used to carrying weight. 

  When we went through, there were people camping, but not too many. Once we went beyond this camp area, we didn't see a soul. That's likely because of the really intense pass you have to go over to get to the dispersed site we were aiming for (see my review for that here: https://thedyrt.com/camping/undefined/flower-lake-dispersed-camping).

  Tons of great hiking in this area as it is close to the Continental Divide Trail. A lot of it definitely involves going up the sides of mountains, but if you're day-hiking and not carrying a heavy backpacking pack, they're not that hard.

  Bring bear spray. Hang your food. This is grizzly country.

  For true back-country seclusion you'll probably want to go further in than this dispersed area, but for a less strenuous and equally as beautiful locale, this is a pretty amazing place.

• 

  Quinn Z.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 29, 2020

  Flower Lake Dispersed Camping

  Very secluded hike-in only BEAUTIFUL dispersed camping.

  Oh man, what an epic camping spot. Getting here is a doozy, but it is so worth it.

  In early September, myself, my brother, and our two cousins decided it was time for a long-overdue reunion, and getting lost in the back-country was going to be the stage for it. We struck out from Bozeman, drove as far as we could go (past Lower Seymour Lake) and then once we hit the end of the road, strapped on our (very heavy - remind me not to bring so much food next time) packs and trekked in.

  The trek is pretty damn tough if you aim to do it in one go, like we did. It's about 7 miles to Upper Seymour Lake (also very beautiful, and with dispersed camping), which isn't too strenuous, but then you have to cut over a pass to get to Flower Lake. That is pretty much straight up and straight down, switchbacks the entire way. I was struggling. The views from the top are amazing though. Also, don't mistake Page Lake for Flower Lake - once you descend the other side of the pass, you'll hit Page Lake before you hit Flower Lake. Page Lake is also beautiful and has dispersed sites, but keep going. I think you'll find it is worth it.

  Once we got to Flower Lake, it was serene. From the time we left Upper Seymour Lake to the time we got back, we didn't see or hear another soul. Five days of just us. The area around the lake is pretty dramatic - it sits in a little valley basically surrounded by steep mountains. Around the lake there are a few areas with rough dispersed sites. Fire pits, a few logs to make "benches", that's about it. Plenty of space to throw tents down, and TONS of firewood from the dead trees in the area. You can camp out in the open if that's your jam, or in trees. We chose the trees for better cover and because that's where we found the best dispersed site. Flower Lake itself is beautiful but absolutely frigid, so we didn't go in. There is a little stream that feeds it where we gathered our water to filter, and I finally decided to take a half-bath. Good god it was freezing, but it felt good once it was over.

  Definitely check the weather before going in. We got slammed with a blizzard that lasted all of the second day and night. We were expecting snow that day, but this was more than we were imagining. It was COLD. Intense wind. Lots and lots of snow. We didn't leave the campfire the entire time except to dig out our tents when the snow got too high around them. Given we were running three-season tents, that night was bitter cold (the water bottle in my tent next to me was frozen the next morning) but we all tossed and turned and made it through it. Not gonna lie, the blizzard was a bit unnerving when we were in it, but it made the next four days of sun so much more appreciated. If you're in the sun, it's actually pretty warm, and a lot of the snow was gone a few days after it fell.

  Lots of great hiking here, as the CDT (Continental Divide Trail) goes through this area. I recommend the hike to the top of Rainbow Mountain for some truly stunning views. Not too hard either, once you've cleared the initial pass to get in, and you're not carrying your full pack. 

  BRING BEAR SPRAY. HANG YOUR FOOD. This is grizzly country and we saw a LOT of signs of them. Fresh droppings. Fresh prints in the snow after the blizzard. We never ran into one directly, but they were definitely around. Be in the habit of making noise so as not to surprise them. I can't possibly imagine how many times I yelled "Hey bear!" over the course of the trip. We noticed that one side of the lake had far more signs of bears than where we were. We avoided it, and I wouldn't recommend camping there. See my photos to get an idea of where.

  The hike out was not a cakewalk either, but with lighter packs and having the hard ascent and descent happen at the beginning rather than the end, it wasn't half as bad as going in.

  This is a great spot for back-country aficionados. It was my first real pack-in back-country camping trip (other than when I did Outward Bound when I was a teenager), and one I won't ever forget. 100% recommended, but be prepared. If you got hurt out here, or caught in bad weather, or god forbid had a nasty run in with a bear, getting out could be difficult. Definitely let someone know where you're going, and when you expect to be back. That said, don't talk yourself out of it if you want to give it a go. This place is special. Really special.

• 

  BriAnne M.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 31, 2018

  Lake Marshall

  Rugged, beautiful little crescent lake

  One of our families all time favorites if you can get there early enough to get a spot! Only 1 site on the lake shore, 2-3 other sites scattered along the road in not as ideal but not that far. Great hiking just a little drive away along an old forest service road.

• 

  BriAnne M.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 31, 2018

  Lake Elsina - Dispersed

  Rugged, mosquito infested, breathtaking

  Absolutely gorgeous undeveloped area! If you can stand the hordes of mosquitos and constant trail of hikers coming through the area hiking to Lake Dinah.