Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Flathead National Forest, MT has a lot to offer. Flathead National Forest is an adventure-filled destination for those who love the outdoorsy camper lifestyle. But it's also great for those who prefer to spend time near the city, exploring and sightseeing. Discover great camping spots near Flathead National Forest, reviewed by campers like you.
$22 - $250 / night
"Great campground for dog walks - short walk over to the swan lake boat dock and the little trail along the water. Relatively short drive over to Flathead Lake areas as well! No service on Verizon"
"Very large camp spot in Montana, lots of space and seclusion. Necessities available and camp spots scattered around the lake, good fishing, hiking and wild life observing. Kayaking most common here."
"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."
"Our campsite was a 2 min walk from the lake where we enjoyed playing with our dog and watching the sunset. Dogs must be on a leash in the park but can be off leash in the lake."
"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."
$18 - $24 / 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."
$20 - $40 / night
"Our trip to Swan Lake Trading Post & Campground started out by reserving the campground through The Dyrts's new reservation system."
"There's also very limited wifi on the porch just outside the bathrooms/showers.
The campground has a great vibe and everyone is very friendly."
$10 - $90 / night
"There’s electric/water sites not on the water and I believe the ones right on the lake are not. Dogs allowed. Spacious spots, some with a decent amount of privacy. Bathrooms."
"- Very clean,
- Dog friendly,
- Free showers (hot in the morning!), firewood, wifi near the day use areas,
- Unparalleled lake access."
$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"
$6 - $54 / night
"Finley point is a unit of Flathead Lake State Park, and has both tent camping as well as RV camping. There are RV spots practically right on the water, as well as tent spots."
"It’s about 3 miles of the main road around Flathead lake , nestled in a beautiful lakeside neighborhood."
$18 - $140 / night
"It was the cheapest option around the Flathead we could find and we were not disappointed! It was perfect for our needs that week."
"We like small, out of the way, campgrounds and this is my husband's favorite in Montana. Campsites are large, quiet, and well looked after by the host."
"The rangers are really helpful with trails and additional camping ideas."
TravelerLoved staying at this campground as it was right on the water and extremely secluded from all that goes on at Glacier. 20 Miles from anything, located in Flathead National Forest. The only con I have is that the road to get to the camp is 20 miles of rough grated dirt. I recommend Site 12! It’s on the corner of the camp and has decent space from the other camps nearby! You can reach quite a few hikes in Flathead National Forest by driving.
GuideIn this video we review 2 more of the free boondocking(dispersed camping) sites near Glacier National Park and Columbia Falls, Montana. This time we focus on the Middle Fork Flathead River(Blankenship Bridge) and Glacier Rim River Access Locations. All locations are located in the Flathead National Forest and there is a 3 day stay limit at Middle Fork and 16 day stay limit at Glacier Rim.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO8kY0x0BoY&t=27
GuideIn this video we review 2 more of the free boondocking(dispersed camping) sites near Glacier National Park and Columbia Falls, Montana. This time we focus on the Middle Fork Flathead River(Blankenship Bridge) and Glacier Rim River Access Locations. All locations are located in the Flathead National Forest and there is a 3 day stay limit at Middle Fork and 16 day stay limit at Glacier Rim.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO8kY0x0BoY&t=27
GuideTalley Lake campground is located in the Flathead National Forest west of Kalispell MT. Road heading into Talley is not paved and not well maintained, road is rutted from heavy usage in both summer and winter travel. Campground has about 40 camping locations with a pubic boat launch. Talley Lake is the second deepest lake in Montana with plenty of fishing spots. North American Bald Eagle have been spotted here in the past.
GuideDispersed spot in the flathead national forest. Did some group camping here. Nice and open, however it was absolutely littered with trash. Some a moose!
GuideIn this video we provide a comprehensive review of 3 of the free boondocking(dispersed camping) sites near Glacier National Park and Columbia Falls, Montana. All locations are located in the Flathead National Forest and there is a 16 day stay limit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0llxG33OdoQ
Free Camping Near Glacier National Park- North Fork Road, Canyon Creek and McGinnis Creek Dispersed
GPS Point for North Fork Road Dispersed Camping
48.499334,-114.131517
Natural Spring for drinking water etc. 48.447581,-114.165680
Conoco Station($5 Dump and Water) 48.371583,-114.203917
Bonus Content GPS Info Canyon Creek Dispersed 48.463612,-114.167320
McGinnis Creek Dispersed(start of road with North Fork Road Instersection) 48.52.3474,-114.128642
McGinnis Creek Large Boondocking Area from Video 48.531014,-114.157493
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
GuideFire pits. Easy access to the river. Ability to have some privacy from other sites. Pit toilet that was fine for a pit toilet. Stayed there sept 9-12, 2020. Right next to the to river and it’s babbling mini rapids. Standard bumpy gravel road access to Glacier national park. Also easy access to the Flathead national forest. Not too crowded while we were there. Couple RVs in the main lot area, ran generators for brief moments at reasonable times. One night only one other tent there. Another there were 5 or 6. A short walk from parking to sites but no big deal. Left our stuff each day while we went to explore glacier and came back to no problems. Limited wood in the area to burn but you can find it - especially if you have a saw/axe.
GuideThis was an adventure for our family. We arrived to the road that lead to the campground only to see we had to go over Hungry Horse Reservoir. I am not one to like bridges, but there we were. After crossing the bridge it takes about 4 miles to get to the campground. Be advised that this campground has 2 sections- first section is for first come and the next is for reserved sites. We had reservations but managed to not read the sign posted for walk ins and found ourselves a nice big site for our Montana 40’ 5th wheel im the walk ins section. The host was nice enough toshow us the other side but we figired the walk in section was better for our RV. It took some maneuvering but we settled.The campground is located in Flathead National Forest which is beautiful. Plenty of shade and a stream to admire. One vault restroom and a water spigot are available.You can run a generator from 6am-10pm. We saw a lot of people fishing and kayaking in the area. It takes about 15-20 minutes to get to West Glacier from this point. Overall a great experience.Be advised that this is bear country, all food must be stored!!!
Experience the beauty of Flathead National Forest while enjoying the company of your furry friends. With several pet-friendly campgrounds in the area, you can create unforgettable memories together.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Flathead National Forest is Swan Lake Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 9 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 130 dog-friendly camping locations near Flathead National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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