Essex is an ideal place for camping adventures of all kinds. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in. Experience some of the most stunning views that Montana camping has to offer. At The Dyrt, campers like you share their favorite spots, plus tips and photos. No matter where you're headed in Essex, you'll find the best spot for you and your camping crew.
Bear Creek River Access Boating Site
4 min away
Spotted Bear
3 hrs 38 min away
$18 / night
"The lake, Salish Mountains and Montana’s big sky are all front and center here. Lid Creek is 15 miles off U.S. 2 on a very winding but paved road."
"We ended up at Lid Creek after the first few campgrounds along the lake were full.
Sites are on the small side, and most are not very flat."
$50 - $75 / night
"We booked this campgrounds so we could visit Glacier National Park. If that is your intent you need to get Go to the Sun Highway access tickets way in advance."
"Clean facilities and the camp hosts were all really nice! Booked last minute when another spot fell through and I’m so glad we did. Took one of the wooded sites."
"We are full-timers in a 36 ft Class A with a Cherokee Trailhawk tow and stayed in site 14 for 3 days in mid August."
"We had a pull through spot.
The office and facilities are clean and well kept. We stayed in 2019.
Bathrooms are locked and private. Nice showers. WiFi worked well."
$60 - $80 / night
"Pet friendly! Kid friendly! Adult friendly!
Great dog park, kids area ok, walking distance to store. Driving (15 min) to Glacier National Park. Restaurants close, wonderful fire pits!"
"We had a space near the dog play area which is very nice. Local employees come in the evening for talk and dog play-nice people and nice dogs. Great wifi laundry and showers. Room for big rigs."
$105 / night
"This park is all about location and you pay a premium for that. FHU pull through sites, pretty good wifi and no OTA TV or cable for the times not in GNP."
"Friendly staff. Had a pull trough site that was plenty big for our 32" TT. Utilities were well placed and worked well. Lots of well placed, bear proof trash cans."
$45 - $115 / night
"Clyde’s Camp was close to the beaten path, but quiet and clean. Hidden gem!"
"I stayed in this brand new wooded park for two nights in July. It was a last minute trip and the owner was so accommodating and helpful. Parking my truck was easy and getting into town was quick."
"This was such a beautiful campground filled with rustic natural beauty. What you’re not going to find here: nearly manicured lawns, pretension, or resort-like amenities."
"Had a water spiket and electricity on site. The bathrooms and showers were nice. The owner was great. Loved that it was close to Glacier but also close to town for easy access to groceries and gas."
$25 - $60 / night
"What we liked about Beargrass is it is so convenient to the park, Whitefish and Flathead Valley. We liked that it is not a parking lot."
"Great spot close to the west entrance of the park. This was the most reason prices spot I could find in the area. Cool huckleberry shops just a walk away."
$100 - $180 / night
"Close quarters, especially if you and your neighbor have slide outs. Has an RV parts store, helpful! Friendly staff, quiet if you get a spot in the back. Nice walking neighborhood."
"Nice campground, lots of sites, solid wifi. Walking distance to a fun coffee shop. There is often a farmers market in Columbia Falls. Great location to explore Glacier National Park."
"Fits small trailers. It is right next to railroad tracks."
GuideThree large loops, some with modest shade, others in the wide open (the latter type with fantastic views of the surrounding mountains). All a bit scruffy looking, but serviceable. Low on amenities (no electricity, water faucets scattered about) and relatively tight pull-through spaces, but all have a fire ring and picnic table. Well patrolled by rangers, with a daily evening program in the summer. As others have mentioned, timed entry tickets are not needed at the St. Mary entrance to the park, so you can head into the park any time you like. Added bonus: if you are camping with a travel trailer (and thus not able to drive the Going-to-the-Sun road because of length limitations), you are allowed to park your trailer in the the RV section of the St. Mary Visitor Center parking lot for the day, and drive in with your car alone. We were there in late June/early July: don't know if this option is available when the very high season hits in later July and August.
RangerWe loved this campground!
Watch our video review!
Why?
Pet friendly! Kid friendly! Adult friendly!
Great dog park, kids area ok, walking distance to store. Driving (15 min) to Glacier National Park. Restaurants close, wonderful fire pits!
Staff was kind and helpful
GuideFish Creek campground within Glacier National Park is a great place to stay on the west side of the park. It’s within a short walk to beautiful Lake McDonald. There are no electrical or water hookups available, but there is a dump station on the way out. The bathrooms have clean flush toilets and sinks, but no soap provided. Loop A showers have great water pressure and hot water. There are plenty of water spigots throughout the campground. There are several bear proof food storage sites as well. The Fish Creek amphitheater hosts fantastic ranger talks almost every night during the summer. Most if not all of the sites in loop A are pull through, but they can be very tight for a mid size travel trailer. During our stay sit was quiet and peaceful even though every site was full. Excellent National Park campground!
GuideWe booked this campgrounds so we could visit Glacier National Park. If that is your intent you need to get Go to the Sun Highway access tickets way in advance. We got luck and were able to visit the Highway by taking the bus trip.
The campground is about 45 minutes from the Going to the Sun Highway. It is a beautiful drive.
The campgrounds is on a meadow. It is very clean and well carried for. The showers are hot, sometimes too hot. 😃 Manager was very informative. It is a quiet campgrounds with a pleasant mix of seniors and families.
My campsite, number 34, has water, 30 Amp, 50 Amp, fire pit, and a picnic table. There is lots of room to park additional vehicles.
The only issue is there is no cellular service unless you use there Verizon booster in the pavilion. The wifi is weak. I have a booster which gives me enough wifi to check my phone and watch movies. I found nothing else to complain about.
GuideI reserved a site at Sundance when I couldn't find any other campgrounds close to Glacier National Park that had availability for our 40 ft Super C. It was reasonable in price compared to others, but...
First the pros:
Cons:
It is too bad that the owner, who was very nice but obviously trying to run this place all by himself, appears to have given up trying to make a nice place. There are junk cars and RVs surrounding the campground and I don't think a weed whacker has been used for years.
I would have been okay with paying $50 a night for this place, not $90.
Guideeasy to find. nice views. nice showers with hot water. pull throughs were level and nice and long. Came with picnic table and fire pit. Guests were quite and had great camp ground etiquette. Had a nice big dog run. the Store was great with food, souvenirs, and ice cream!
It is expensive but was 6 mins from east gate glacier. Had great Glacier views. Lots of dumpsters around for easy access. close to gas and shops. nice big hot tub and pool.
We enjoyed ourselves here.
LegendThis is a small, family owned native American campground. While not perfect, we ended up staying 6 nights. We had no reservations and called around. They were very accommodating. We loved how convenient it was to St. Mary (1 block) and the Many Glaciers road turnoff at Babb (8 miles). Some sites so have mountain views. Although only 2 bathrooms with showers (1 each for men & women) they were very nice with current decorating. There are new power poles in the big rig section for 50 amp. However, there is no breaker on the pole. We used a 30 amp reducer and on the 3rd night, our power relay switch fried. We had to go to Great Falls for repairs (Martin's RV Repair is the bomb). They couldn't be sure, but think it may have been a power surge, not a lose wire. The roads around the campground were dirt and not smooth. Not too bad though. The big rig section was level, gravel sites with grass area and picnic tables. No shade. The other areas for 30 amp and tent/car camping are tree shaded. The wifi could only be reached at the office. No cell at all. They do have 2 washers and 1 dryer. $2 each. This is definitely not a resort. They do try hard to accommodate. Would we go back. Yes, but only if we could get a 30 amp (our rig usage) site.
Awesome scenery and hikes close by. Going to the Sun road is amazing. Hidden Lake Overlook is not to be missed. PRO NOTE: If you like steak, Cattlemen in Babb (the only rest.) makes the best steak and lamb per hubby. Avoid the Salmon, though.
GuideFirst, as we were driving up to the site, I saw these large Class A motorhomes with gazebos and lush green lawns and thought “I wish I knew about this RV park before booking,” only to find out it was the KOA! The sites are leveled, gravel pads on a hill, with a wooden deck, railings, 2 waste water hookups, and super clean facilities. The pool and hot tub were nice and clean. The staff, including the young man who escorted us to our site on check-in, were hospitable. Finally, there is a nice view of Flathead Lake. This is a destination KOA and only an hour from Glacier National Park.
GuideStayed here as part of a 12 day vacation. Nice small rv park just behind a hotel which muffled the street noise a bit. I'd say 40% ish of the park is long term residents, but they were all friendly and stoped by to talk and talk about our rig. The couple who run it are incredibly nice. We were about 75 yards from the showers/bathroom which was nice. This was the first time for us to stay in an RV site with the roof top tent which we took advantage of with an electric heater and blanket for the nights. It was needed because it was high 30's in the mornings. The Glacier Nation Park gate was about 25 miles away. There were a ton of great restaurants and shops near by. I'd highly recommend stopping by the Army Navy Surplus store next to the rv park! I could see if your towing a fifth wheel or have a long setup this location could be a tight squeeze. Ohhhh yeah there is this town siren that goes off every night at 10p sharp...there is a reason behind this with some history, pretty cool...I'll let you look into that!!
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular RV campsite near Essex, MT?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular RV campground near Essex, MT is Lid Creek Campground with a 4.8-star rating from 8 reviews.
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