Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Flathead National Forest

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.

Best Dog-Friendly Sites Near Flathead National Forest (132)

    1. Blair Flats

    14 Reviews
    Flathead National Forest, MT
    8 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 758-5208

    "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."

    2. Swan Lake Campground

    10 Reviews
    Bigfork, MT
    4 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 752-7924

    $22 - $250 / night

    "Super accessible bathrooms that were nearby and clean. The hosts did an outstanding job of managing this campground. They never stopped to snoop on us or get nosey."

    "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"

    3. Wayfarers State Park Campground

    14 Reviews
    Bigfork, MT
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 837-4196

    "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."

    4. West Shore Unit — Flathead Lake State Park

    18 Reviews
    Lakeside, MT
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 844-3044

    $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."

    "After an absolutely horrid experience at Lake Mary Ronan state park, we were left without a place to stay for a night. We were due to camp at this CG but our rez wasn’t until the next day."

    5. Blue Bay Campground

    10 Reviews
    Polson, MT
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 982-3123

    $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."

    6. Swan Lake Trading Post & Campground

    4 Reviews
    Flathead National Forest, MT
    9 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 272-3500

    $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."

    7. Finley Point Unit — Flathead Lake State Park

    17 Reviews
    Polson, MT
    21 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 837-3041

    $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."

    8. Yellow Bay State Park Campground

    6 Reviews
    Dayton, MT
    13 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 752-5501

    $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"

    9. Outback Montana RV Park & Campground

    6 Reviews
    Bigfork, MT
    13 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 837-6973

    $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."

    10. Spotted Bear

    2 Reviews
    Flathead National Forest, MT
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 758-5376

    "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."

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Dog-Friendly Camping Reviews near Flathead National Forest

1085 Reviews of 132 Flathead National Forest Campgrounds


  • Jazmin U.
    Sep. 26, 2020

    Murray Bay Campground (MT)

    Beautiful Waterside Campground

    Loved 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.

  • The Wandering Shores ..The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 21, 2022

    Blankenship Bridge - Dispersed Camping

    Video Review Now Available

    In 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

  • The Wandering Shores ..The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 21, 2022

    Glacier Rim River Access 10363

    Video Review Now Available

    In 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

  • BThe Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 23, 2020

    Tally Lake Campground

    Watch out for the Eagles ....

    Talley 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.

  • Haley L.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 12, 2024

    Big Creek Road

    Large, quiet dispersed spot

    Dispersed spot in the flathead national forest. Did some group camping here. Nice and open, however it was absolutely littered with trash. Some a moose!

  • Brian C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 23, 2022

    North American RV Park & Yurt Village

    Peaceful & clean

    We 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

  • The Wandering Shores ..The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 5, 2022

    McGinnis Creek

    Great Site at the TOP- Watch Rig SIZE (see video review)

    In 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

  • Tim
    Sep. 27, 2020

    North fork Flathead River dispersed camping

    Awesome dispersed set of campsites.

    Fire 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.

  • Janette M.
    Jun. 23, 2018

    Lost Johnny Point Campground

    Lost Johnny

    This 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!!!


Guide to Flathead National Forest

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.

Dog-friendly activities while camping near Flathead National Forest

Tips for camping with dogs near Flathead National Forest

Dog owners appreciate the spacious sites and amenities

  • Campers at Beaver Creek enjoy well-maintained sites with ample space for pets to roam and play.
  • The friendly atmosphere at Honey's Place RV Spot makes it a great choice for families traveling with dogs, offering a welcoming environment and beautiful views.
  • Murray Bay Campground provides a secluded experience where pets can enjoy the natural surroundings without the hustle and bustle of larger campgrounds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Flathead National Forest?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Flathead National Forest is Blair Flats with a 4.5-star rating from 14 reviews.

What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Flathead National Forest?

TheDyrt.com has all 132 dog-friendly camping locations near Flathead National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.