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The Snowies is the farthest east geographic area and is primarily in Fergus County with smaller portions in Golden Valley County. The geographic area includes both the Big and Little Snowy Mountain ranges. The Snowies display prominent changes in elevation accentuated by surrounding grassland, high plains, and foothill savanna. The Little Snowy Mountain range has a rich cultural history, beginning with first peoples then homesteading. Today, large ranches maintain the open character of the area. Pine Grove Cemetery continues to be the final resting place for early Euro-American occupants. The Little Snowies are separated from the Big Snowies by a subtle break in topography. It is characterized by foothills that are partially forested with mostly ponderosa pine. In general, the country is semi-arid and dominated by grassy vegetation. Landform is rolling with slopes that are gentle to flat, except where creeks have dissected them. Creeks within the Little Snowies are small and often run dry during the summer months. The major drainages are Willow Creek and the North Fork of Pole Creek, both of which drain south to the Musselshell River. More information on the Snowy Mountains Brochure of hiking opportunities in the Crystal Lake area. Bears may frequent the area; keep all food out of sight in approved containers and remove all food from area after eating. Mandatory food storage is required.
ScoutThe host here is great, and the local area is great. But if you are tent camping, beware. There is not really a good tent camping spot, as the sprinkler system will start every few hours and basically ruin your stay.
Legend
Nice small campground is the launch point for starting at river mile zero for floating the 149 mile Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. Has 25 tent sites and 7 RV sites with hook-ups. Showers are available in the fairgrounds for those staying at the campground. Jointly run by Chouteau County and the BLM. Tent sites $10, RV's $22, full hookups $22.
Guide
We decided to not stay here, because we are tent camping this trip. If you have an RV or Trailer, this would be a good stop if you are in Great Falls.
Traveler
This place overall is pretty amazing Parks pool playsets petting zoo it's got all the p's. Perfectly level pad in the trees fire pit and picnic table in your own little grassy area cabins tents glamping RVs tent camping got it all one downside is the internet is super spotty.
TravelerYou have to drive through part of Great Falls, Montana to get to this campground, but once you are in it, you forget all about the city. You get the full camping (in a campground) experience, but you can easily drive into the city to pick up whatever you forgot to pack.
Our site was in what they call a tent village, which is a nice roundabout of tent sites. There are walls separating the sites for privacy, but the area is big enough for your vehicle and a large tent, or multiple smaller tents. Toward the middle of the roundabout is a covered area, including a table, counter, electrical outlets, and a large cabinet that can be locked with a padlock. The tent villages are very close to a nice restroom/showers that require a key code to get in.
RangerIn an area of mostly open fields, this KOA is filled with nice trees. It is a very large campground with RV sites, cabins, and tent sites. This is a very kid friendly campground, almost too much. Twice within an hour a train full of kids rolled by my site shouting. There is a large playground, volleyball court, basketball, and pools. The wifi was pretty good. The bathrooms could use some updating. They are nice single occupancy toilet/shower combos but some had damage on the tile, missing soap dispenser, non functional paper towel dispensers. Close to town but no city noise.
GuideThis is a cute spot if your feeling like camping but want to stay in cell service and have electricity and water access.
Down by the river. Bring bug spray.
There is a small boat ramp/ river access. But otherwise the river access is a little steeper. My 7yr old enjoyed catching soft shell turtles.
Your far enough out you feel like you are camping but you are right in Fort Benton. I highly recommend checking this adorable little town out.
Also check to see when their rodeo is. The campground is right by the arena. If that isn't your thing you might get dusted out.
Cute small spot. Definitely our go to when we are only feeling semi adventurous.
LegendSet on the edge of Historic Fort Benton, this is a great place to land for a night or a week or more. Lots to see, explore and experience in the area. The sites are not fancy, but the bathrooms are clean, updated and have hot showers. Right near the Missouri River and you can't beat the price!
There are 2 campgrounds right next to each other. The Canoe Camp is closer to and on the river with a more traditional campground setting.
Sitting here enjoying the setting sun on the bluffs along the Missouri, enjoying the birds chirping and a laugh floating in and about here and there... it's really nice. 5 minute walk to downtown. Dump station to stop at on the way out. There's no host at the fairgrounds, but it's fairly self explanatory. Lots of electric hook ups, a few with water, none at the fairgrounds with sewer. No numbers here either.
ScoutBenton RV Park in Fort Benton Montana is run by a very nice lady. The restrooms and showers are very clean. Those are the only nice things I can say about this place. They have a full page of rules and regulations with threats of eviction if not obeyed. Fear not though none were enforced. This is what lead us to depart early. One of there rules is to respect the campsites of others and not short cut through them. The other rule that we took issue with is children under the age of 18 must be supervised by an adult at all times. Our campsite was overrun by a group of 6 kids. Playing and cutting through the entire time we stayed there. We had kids outside our camper door in our campsite the entire time we were there. We couldn't sit outside and enjoy our picnic table for the kids toys and their constant running back and forth. We found the photos on Benton RV Park website very deciving. They must have been very old. They depict green grass and well spaced RV's. The reality is dead brown grass and being so close to your neighbor it's more a parking lot located in an area where the houses across The street ends at an industrial like area. So if you have children you want to let run wild and you don't mind everyone cutting through your campsite this place is for you. Otherwise stay away.
GuideThis was the best KOA I’ve ever been to. I’m not a dedicated KOA camper but I’ve been to my fair share and this one takes the cake. The grounds were shaded and kept tidy, the shower+toilet bathroom combo was really nice and super clean. The amenities and camp store were great too. We stayed in the glamping tent for one night, which was a super cool spot with a great view. Unfortunately it rained all night. We were nice and dry but the road up from the glamping tent got muddy and slick. Thankfully we have 4-wheel drive. A 2-wheel drive car may have gotten stuck. Overall it was great and I wish we could have stayed longer!
TravelerKOA has everything you need. An outdoor swimming pool and hot tub, tent, cabin and rv spots.Outside kitchens. Shower area, small store, playground, and wifi. A lot of room to move around and have fun. You can even winter camp. We really enjoyed camping there and our day trips with the cub scouts.
TravelerThis camp has a lot of both comfort and entertainment. There’s a petting zoo and a mini water park. The bathrooms are an individual room with both toilet and shower stall. There is a laundry facility. Found greater comfort and service here than if I had parked my Roof Top Tent at an RV site and it was $20-$30 cheaper per night.
Guide
Great almost-primitive site. Truly middle of nowhere, we only knew about it because a friend into fishing took us. The last 30 miles or so are dirt roads and I wouldn’t want to try it in most sedans (or an RV). Pros: rustic, cheap, good hiking and fishing nearby, wooded, pretty empty, middle of nowhere, wildlife, cowboy history feel, all tents, varied landscapes. Cons: no reservations, dirt access road can be rough.
GuideA nice campground with both tent and RV sites. Nicely separated from the RV sites so that I wasn't breathing in the RV exhaust. There is the canoe drop in that is quite busy during the day but not a hassle, It does have quiet hours that are enforced by the camp hosts. The cliff on the other side of the river was a gorgeous view when the sun was setting.
The facilities are very nice that are attached to the rodeo grounds. The toilets flush and the showers are private.
Legend
This is a primitive boat camp along the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. Would not spend the night here. The site is listed as having 2 fire rings, but we could not find them due to the 3 foot plus high vegetation. If you did find them you would start a wild fire with all the high vegetation. With all the vegetation couldn't locate a place that we would want place a tent. Being just 5.7 miles down the river to early to stop for the night
Legend
Located in the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument at river mile 56.0. Eagle Creek is a very popular camping location on the river. The site has two vault toilets and five metal fire rings, several more rock fire rings are also available. Large cottonwoods provide shade and good locations to set up a hammock. Plenty of room to set up tents. Good hiking through a slot canyon is possible. Lewis and Clark camped near here on the other side of Eagle Creek on May 31, 1805.
GuideClean and well maintained. It's probably the bright spot in the entire town, which appears to be about a half square mile of trailers and double wides surrounded by miles of amber waves of grain. There isn't a single paved street in town other than the main road.
Everything worked and the front desk was friendly. Stopped here for a one nighter on the way to another destination.
Be aware that this isn't the mountains that Montana is famous for. We were here in mid July and it was 94° with about a 35 mph wind howling across the Prairie. Quite a shock considering we had just come down from the mountains!
LegendGeneral: Just about every option you could ask for (except for tents): 50-amp FHU pull-thru, 30/20-amp with w/e(back-in and pull-thru), FHU with patio, glamping tent, one and two-room cabins and cottages.
Site Quality: Different from many KOAs we have stayed in is that the camper pads are gravel, not paved, and there are quite a few trees that provide decent separation/privacy between the sites. The sites are bordered by railroad ties, and some are a tighter fit than others. A few of the sites at the end of the row before the glamping site appeared a little overgrown. As is usual for a KOA, our site was assigned upon check-in. The first site we were assigned didn’t work out for us since our electric cord could not reach the pedestal. Be aware that electric connections are shared between two sites so if you do not have an extension cord, you may have a problem (or need to be reassigned which was easily done for us).
Bath/Shower House: Accessed by code. All-in-one units with soap and paper towels. They were clean.
Activities/Amenities: Many and varied including a water playground (guests can join you here by paying a fee), petting zoo, train, dog park, yard games, bike rentals, propane fill, dump station, laundry, ice, ice cream, and free pancakes. There was even live entertainment!
We don’t typically stay in KOAs or RV parks (mainly because of cost and lack of privacy between sites) but they are good for us when we need showers, laundry, and a dump station. Although still more than we like to spend for camping, this one was a pleasant surprise with the number of trees on the property. The staff was exceedingly friendly!
LegendThis campground is okay however it needs some maintenance. It’s seems like several of the sites need to be cleaned up and re-leveled. They were working on the volleyball site when we visited so maybe they are in the middle of renovations? The cabins in the back had some nice views and for the most part the sites were shaded. I was glad my site was near the office/shower house/laundry due to the fact the WiFi worked only in that immediate area. Big park, nature trail out the back that was interesting and some animals like in the old style KOA’s. I really liked the tent area and shelters on the far side, they looked brand new and the camp kitchen was nice. Good base camp for the area.
GuideIt's a decent campground. The cliff view is really nice! spaces are pretty close together, though. They say there are full-hookups but really there is only 1 site with both electric and water. The others only have electric. There is a restroom and it's very clean and well kept with a garbage and hand sanitizer. The locals come around during the day to walk their dogs so it makes for a decent amount of traffic through the area.
LegendPart of the campground is right on the Missouri River! Nice big spaces, could put two Campers in most of the spaces. Canoe put in for a beautiful float on the river.
We wanted to stay here, but it was full so we stayed at the fairgrounds next door, very nice also.
First come first served.
Guide$22 for electric hook up. Bathroom and showers available 24/7. Friendly caretaker. Beautiful views of the Missouri River canyon wall. Great little town!
ScoutThe island right near the fairgrounds is called snake island. They are everywhere.
It’s super buggy and extremely hot in the summer. We couldn’t even sit outside at night because of the mosquitoes.
Thankfully there was power to run the AC. We would’ve been long gone without it.
Legend
We give this our highest primitive camp review of 3 stars. Site had one fire ring that would be safe to make a fire at as the area around the ring is free of vegetation. Nice camp locations under the cotton woods. No outhouse or tables. A bonus is the swim someone has made in a large cottonwood. Located at Upper Missouri Rive Breaks National Monument river mile 16.2.
Scout
Put Decision Point for the destination & drive past it 1/4 mile downhill to the Loma Missouri bridge. There is a sign here with the Woods Bottom CG a mile down to the right on a improved gravel road. We had very little traffic here just a few fisherman. The road past the campground is really rutted & is almost impossible to turn around with a travel trailer. Check it out before you drive it!
One bar Verizon Cell, works well with a booster
Nice location to explore the Missouri River Valley & all it has to offer!
GuideThe campground is okay, but the disbursed spots along the river are awesome! Some of the best spots you can find!
LegendWe gave this 2 stars as the camp areas are just fire rings along the edge of a parking area. Does have a outhouse. Located on the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument rive mile 20.3
Nestled along the scenic Upper Missouri River, Fort Benton, Montana, offers a variety of tent camping options that cater to outdoor enthusiasts seeking adventure and tranquility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Fort Benton, MT?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Fort Benton, MT is Senieur's Reach Primitive Boat Camp with a 3-star rating from 1 review.
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TheDyrt.com has all 9 tent camping locations near Fort Benton, MT, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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