Are you in need of a campground near Fortine, MT? Camping, hiking, biking: however you want to spend your days near Fortine, you'll find great campgrounds with The Dyrt. Discover great camping spots near Fortine, reviewed by campers like you.
"Lot’s of deer walking around, very safe , locals are very friendly."
$10 - $15 / night
"Be prepared for a dusty, bumpy, narrow, pot-holed drive in on the road."
"Nice NPS campground within walking distance to Bowman Lake and several trailheads. This is a good spot to camp if you plan on hikeing or boating near/on the lake."
$10 - $15 / night
"The drive here wasn’t easy, but once you’re there it is worth it. You are camping right along Kintla Lake where many kayak, swim, etc."
"Very nice campground on the lake and next to the drainage creek. Off the beaten path and takes some commitment to get to, but well worth the drive."
"Diverse campground with tent sites, car camping sites, and cabins and teepees. Ryan was super friendly and offered showers, an outdoor kitchen, kayaks to use, and potable water"
"Nice camping area with access to the river. Was a bit noisy during the day (stayed over the weekend) as the area is used by non-campers coming to fish, kayak, sightseeing, etc."
"Only about 15 minutes away from Glacier National Park Westgate. I was able to stay here for multiple days. Each time was no trouble in finding a place to park."
"Long drive from the main road. I think there are 3 campsites right on the lake. One was a little farther up the road. Snow was over the road still but not too deep."
LegendBe prepared for a dusty, bumpy, narrow, pot-holed drive in on the road. There's a sign at the beginning of the incline that indicates parking availability… pay attention to the sign, it will tell you if no parking is available. If the road is wet, it is treacherous! Remember to bring bug spray and bear spray, be aware of your surroundings.
You'll be a high elevation so be ready for cooler nights. I used my 0-degree sleeping bag, and that worked great. Limited campsites so get there early on the weekend. Several trails lead into the mountains, one leads along the lakeshore. There is drinking water, pit toilets, fire rings, picnic tables, plus some bear-proof storage boxes.Highly recommend taking the time to explore and camp at this location.
GuideJust about a mile from the highway, this site is right on the river with some nice deep pools. There are three separate fire rings with a vault toilet and picnic table. It's a short drive in but more suitable for truck camping, van, tent camping or very small trailer like 13' max due to narrow track and limited maneuvering area. High clearance required!
LegendNice NPS campground within walking distance to Bowman Lake and several trailheads. This is a good spot to camp if you plan on hikeing or boating near/on the lake. Super clean, lots of shade and hammock trees, vault toilet, first come. I was surprised there was only one bear box for the whole campground to share instead of one at each site. Especially after seeing a leather deposit of bear scat on the Bowman Lake trail. No showers here but you can pay for a shower down at Polebridge Market Place, which you want to visitor anyway for their amazing baked goods (pizza after 3 pm too!). There was a ranger hanging out in the parking lot of the trail head area if you have any questions (though her job looked to be more traffic management than anything else).
LegendThere are about 8 sites here, several miles down the road from the —- Glacier ranger station. It’s quiet, all you can hear is the creek and the wind in the trees. Sites 4 and 5 are the best as they are right on the creek with water access. There is one central bear box, one central water pump (currently NO water), and one clean vault toilet. You are close to a couple of trailheads as well.
TravelerSituated along the southwest side of Glacier National Park's Fish Creek Campground, I snagged two nights at site D173 - right on the lake!
Follow the paved road to Loop D, and it's one of the last sites you come to. The site was extremely spacious and very clean (many of the sites at Fish Creek Campground are very small). It contained a fire pit, picnic table and outline for tent location. Plenty of close trees for hammocks.
Just a short walk down the hill from the site and you're on the lake! Because of the trees, there's not a great view of the lake from the site. Site D174 has fewer trees with clearer views of the lake.
The site was extremely close to the dumpsters (but not too close!), the bear vault was across the road and the bathrooms were maybe 100ft away (M/W - two stalls with flushing toilets and two sinks with a hand dryer).
I'm not much of a campground person (I prefer backpacking to avoid screaming kids and the sounds of generators), but this was sufficed for my time exploring Glacier National Park.
You'll see I had a tent/tarp set up the first night (I refused to be wet in my tent!), but the second night I slept in my car since I knew it would be pouring rain the next morning and I didn't want to break down camp in the rain.
Beware! You cannot collect sticks from the area for your fire. You must purchase firewood at Apgar Village (around $6/bundle) or collect dead branches/wood from the road to Bowman or Kintla Lakes.
The site host was at the start of Loop D, so she was close by for any issues (she's super nice!).
The campground is dog friendly (I had mine with me), but know that there are NO dog-friendly trails in Glacier NP.
GuideWe've camped all over...all over Glacier and all over the country, and this is hands-down one of our favorite campgrounds. 100% our fave national park campground! An authentic unplugged, quiet camping experience.
The remote location is amazing, and the campsites are nicely spread out in a moody, dark forested area with near full shade. There are a couple of paths directly to the lake, literally a 2-3 minute walk from anywhere in camp. Sites have fire rings and picnic tables, and there are a few vault toilets and several trash bins and potable water spigots. No showers or sinks. Deer galore! The visitor tent is pretty cool, especially for families with kids. It has activities and games like scavenger hunts, books/tools for identifying wildflowers/plants/scat etc. And there's a camp host onsite seasonally, also.
Note that all sites are FCFS. Rangers at the entrance usually have a fair idea of whether you'll get a spot.
Even though the park has gotten much busier in the past few years, Bowman still remains a quietER gem. The long road keeps people away, I guess - although some 2023-24 construction/improvements has made it quite a bit better.
RangerReally excellent location right inside Glacier National Park limits and walking distance to Lake McDonald. I had very limited cell phone service with Verizon at the campground but I had 4G at the lake. The sites were spacious enough. Most sites had a semi circle type parking so easy to get in and out for trailers. Bathroom was ok but there was no soap. No wifi. Trash receptacles were available. The showers were not great. Deer frequented the sites. Proper food storage is very important. It was nice and quiet while I was there but during peak summer months would likely be very busy and crowded.
LegendNice little forest service campground with two small loops for a total of about 20 sites, reservable. I lucked out and was able to get a site last minute as a walk in, and my site was pretty good! Site 9 site on the river side and has water access (with a bit of walking), and is close to the vault toilet (which is in need of service). Quiet with a good number of trees (bring your hammock), you may need to kick some pine cones out of the way to pitch your tent. There is a nice picnic table and fire ring as well. I watched a doe nose around in the site opposite mine for a while.
RangerThis is a very busy campground in a stunningly beautiful park. We selected this campground because it is one of only 2 in Glacier National Park that accepts reservations, and its close proximity to Lake McDonald. We stayed in the D loop (loops are A-D). Of the four loops, this one was my favorite. The A loop had larger sites, but they were less private. The A loop is the only loop with showers as well, so a lot of campers come thru to hit the shower. We hit the shower mid-day and were lucky that there was no line and a little hot water. Our loop had a mix of sites, but mostly tent campers. Some have direct views to the lake, some are along Fish Creek, and many are little more than a driveway with a picnic table & fire pit. We had to put our tents, one medium size & one small, in the driveway due to no other space available. The ground was incredibly hard to put stakes into and the gravel drive put a hole in my sleeping pad. The bathroom was within a minute walk and there are several water spickets around each loop. Being “bear aware” is essential in this area, so all food & food prep items have to be stored in your vehicle or one of the communal bear boxes. The camp hosts offer wash basins for dishes and there is a grey water dump at the bathroom. For the most part, it is a relatively quiet campground, as most people are off exploring the park every day. We did have a large group of loud campers/partiers next to us one night that resulted in a small swarm of park rangers showing up, but I think this is probably unusual. Apgar Village is nearby where you can get everything you may need and more...gifts/souvenirs, ice cream, firewood, boat & bike rentals, coffee, etc. Glacier is amazing!...but very busy & with really only one road going thru the park for the most part. Be prepared for crowds but relax & take in the beauty of it all.
Nestled in the stunning landscapes of Montana, Fortine offers a variety of tent camping options that cater to outdoor enthusiasts seeking adventure and tranquility.
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