We have stayed here many times and enjoyed the area very much. If what you are looking for is exploring history and wildlife then this is the place. Campground is located on the edge of a small town with all pull-thru sites and FHU's. Tv reception is good with all the major channels, ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX and PBS. Verizon and AT&T are good. The park WiFi is very good. You are surrounded by several mountain ranges. The town offers fuel and groceries with numerous dining options.
Ranger Review of Duck Creek Primitive Campground
We had a weekend district Scouting camporee at Duck Creek campground and really enjoyed our time. Even with several hundred Scouts attending we had plenty of room to spread out and have a large area to our selves.
Duck Creek Primitive campground is located along the shore of Canyon Ferry Lake at the end of Lower Duck Creek Road. Duck Creek primitive campground is a large open area along the lake allowing camping on Bureau of Reclamation land. This is primitive camping, all you are going to find here is a flat grassy area to camp with rock fire rings. No p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 115%; }facilities, no water, no trash, no outhouse so come prepared. A lot of the area is in the open with out trees and windy. You can find trees for a wind break in several spots in the camping area. Firewood was not a problem when we visited due to all the available driftwood. Their is no cost to camp at Duck Creek, however there is a 14 day stay limit and all Bureau of Reclamation camping rules apply.
Ranger Review of Mountain House's Chicken & Dumplings
Our new Scout BSA Girls Troop/Venturing Crew gave Mountain House's Chicken & Dumplings a try during camp. I think their was a problem, after taking a taste I handed it to the two girls in camp to try and next they I know they are handing me back an empty bag and they wanted more, this after already eating a full meal before hand. This is the real thing, it would hard to make one at home that taste better than this did. How good, one of our adults in camp asked how much they cost as she would consider serving this at home. I definitely know what one of the meal choices for our backing trips this summer are going to be. This is by far the best Mountain House meal we have tried so far, and that Biscuits and Gravy was hard to beat. Scouts gave it a 6 out of 5 starts.
Smaller campground with nice campsites next to the creek that runs through it. Plenty of room between campsites. Campground is a few miles off the main road so you don’t here traffic at all through the night. Out house bathroom facilities with no running water. Did have clean pump water at the campground to use. Single lane paved road to get to the campground.
Not sure what everyone complains about.. we checked in late and left early, so no interaction with staff. The grounds are very well maintained and the fire rings are pretty great! Our site had lush grass and we were next door to the hot springs, which we were given wrist bands for the entire week of our stay. Also the Hot Springs' business hours are listed on google pretty clearly, so again no issues. It's pricey, but it's Bozeman in the Summer.
There are a lot of cabin rentals in western Montana. This is one of the easier ones to access. That being said, DO NOT attempt it in a car. You need HIGH CLEARANCE. And forget about winter months unless you intend to snowmobile or snowshoe in.
Facilities are rudimentary, and in the summer months, there’s a huge fly problem. Bring everything, including propane cylinders.
But for the price, it’s a fun excursion, even if you end up deciding to sleep in the SUV. I did, and didn’t regret it one bit.
York Island FAS Campground Review
York Island Fishing Access Site Campground sits along the upper Missouri River sitting in mature cottonwood trees and features 10 camping sites and a boat launch. This is a popular and busy campground in the summer. The site has 10 well spread out campsites each with a least one picnic table and a metal fire ring. The campground has one ADA accessible vault toilet. No water is available at this campground and you will need to pack out your trash as trash service is not available. The campground has one ADA Campsite, site #4, unless you really need the sites concrete pad I would avoid this site as it is going to be very busy around the site as it is right next to the boat launch and vault toilet, plus add in the historic sign that is placed in the site. The most secluded site is site 10. If you have a large group then try for sites 6 or 7. Both sites 6 and 7 sit in a large grassy area in the middle of the campground. Site 6 has an extra picnic table. Site 7 is basically two sites in one as a second fire ring and additional picnic tables while not having a parking spot or numbered post for the additional fire ring and tables. Cost for the campground vary depending if you have a valid Montana fishing license or not. Discounted camping for those 62 or older. Cost with out a license is $18 with a license $12. Over 62 with a license $6 with out a license $9.
Ranger review of Mountain House Freeze Dried Biscuits and Gravy meal
Tried out the Mountain House Biscuits and Gravy meal and really enjoyed it. It was a chilly below freezing morning when I tried the meal and was a little worried if it would stay hot, but that was not a problem. You could really smell that it was Biscuits and Gravy once I started pouring in the water. Just follow the directions and you're all set, just make sure to stir well so you don't end up with any dry bits. May not look like a traditional biscuits and gravy, but sure taste like it. I managed to eat all of the two servings but it was a little to much for me so this could easily feed two as stated.
Upper Toston Dam Campground and Boat launch is one of two campground in the BLM Toston Dam Recreation Area. The Lower Toston Damp Campground is located a half mile below Toston Dam. The Upper Toston Dam Campground features four cover camp picnic table sites with metal fire rings. All four of the sites sit at the edge of a large parking area. Between the covered sites and the Missouri river is a grassy area that tents can be set up in. The grassy area slopes down towards the river, this could make finding a level spot for your tent difficult depending on the size of your tent. One could also pitch their tent on the edge of the parking area. The site has a single vault toilet. A small boat launch with a dock is available as well. Their is not water or trash service at this campground. This campground will be a quiet location as it is 5 miles from the highway, the only noise will be from water running over the dam and any trains that come down the tracks located on the other side of the river. This site also benefits from not having any cell phone service.
Ranger Review of Liquid I.V.™ Hydration Multiplier Passion Fruit Flavor
I have been trying out Liquid I.V. for several days now and I am quite pleased with the result. Just drinking one of these a day is keeping me well hydrated, far more so than drinking the same amount of water or other sports drinks during the day. Today I tried out the Passion Fruit flavor which taste great. I would give the flavor 5 starts, all though I do prefer the Lemon-Lime flavor.
Lower Toston Damp Campground and Boat launch is one of two campground in the BLM Toston Dam Recreation Area. Lower Toston Damp Campground is located a half mile below Toston Dam. The Campground features two camp sites with picnic tables and metal fire rings. The two sites sit on a nice level grassy area with plenty of room for a lot of tents. The site has a single vault toilet and small boat launch. The site has no water or trash service. If you really want a quiet location and be disconnected from your device then this is the spot to camp, you have zero cell phone connection at this location.
We parked here overnight for a quick nights rest in the jeep before continuing up to Glacier from Bozeman. Did the job, no amenities, this is definitely just a place to park and sleep in the car, i’m sure you could set up a tent inside the trail but when we went April 2019 there was a moose carcass up the trail and wanted to avoid grizzlies and scavengers lol
Parking Lot was open but the road to the campground was closed in April… Ended up sleeping in the car down the way.
The Silos Campground located on Canyon Ferry Lake is a Bureau of Reclamation campground with 77 dry sites, 4 gazebos, handicapped accessible restrooms and RV sites. The campground is run by Broadwater County. The 4 gazebos in the campground that can be reserved through the nearby KOA campground.
Silos campground is a large open and windy campground with no tree cover. All the trees are along the lake and provide little to no releaf from the sun or constant winds that blow through the area. The campground consist of 5 camping areas, four of which have boat ramps. One of the camping areas is for tent only camping. Sites are $10 for a single site and $20 for a double site, Stays are limited to 14 days. Golden Age pass holders are $5.00 a night. No Cost during the winter season. The only way to tell if you are in a single site or a double site is if the site number post tells you if it a double site. Each camping area has at least two vault toilets. Each site has a picnic table and metal fire ring. Almost all of the picnic tables are concrete tables.
The campground's four gazebos can be rented for the night for $30 by contacting the Silos KOA Campground which is located just before the Silos campground. The gazebos all have power and lights.
The campground has four small boat launches and one large launch with a marina (Broadwater Bay) for docking your boat. The marina is managed by Silos KOA. If you need more information on either the campground or the marina facilities call 406-266-3100.
On our visit we only found one site that had any protection from the winds, that was site #1.
The campground does not have a store, but the KOA does have one. If you don't fell like cooking you have two options just outside of the campground. Between the KOA and Silo Campground is the Flamingo Grill which is open seasonally. At the turn on Hwy 12/287 is the Silos Junction Bar and Grill which is open year round. The town of Townsend is less than 10 minutes from the campground is you need more supplies.
Ranger Review of Midland Radios X-TALKER T10X3 Walkie Talkie
The X-Talker T10X3 Walkie talkie has a reported range of up to 20 miles and has 22 available channels. These walkie talkies take three AAA batteries. We gave these radios a test shortly after receiving them. Took one for a hike and left another at home. The trail-head for my hike was 16 miles from home and I had a clear crisp signal at the start. While on the hike I added a few more miles to that distance and was still able to communicate without any problems, even while in heavy timber. It wasn't until I started rounding the back of the mountain and lost line of site that the signal was lost, just like all walkie talkies do. We are quiet please with how these radios have been holding up, our Scouts have used them several times and are no worse for wear. Great to use with out Scout group as we can stay in better communication during our activities and trips, especially in those areas with out cell phone signal, which is the location of most of our activities.
A very good quality 2 way radio at a low cost. We have another set of Midland Radios that these work just as well with.
13 miles from town, but you wouldn't know it. Well marked trails. Lots of trees well established trails. Hosts were friendly and helpful. Site well kept. We will be back for sure.
This is a very popular campground in the Livingston area. fills up fast in the summer, but totally deserted in the late fall and winter. Campground hosts usually are straight from the Third Reich and had many years of tutelage under Heir Hitler himself, instead of chillin around a campfire enjoying life they patrol the campground with a copy of Mein Kampf in tow. Good basecamp for many great day hikes. Pine creek falls is really popular and about a mile, George Lake and Pine Creek Lake are good hearty all day hikes.
The Maxey Cabin, although sparse in its' appointments, is a magical destination that is accesible year round. With two sleeping cabins, a large sun deck, fire pit and outdoor swing, this forest service cabin offers the active ncabin camper a gateway to the many recreation opportunities available in the world famous Hyalite Canyon recreation area- Bozeman's backyard.
The main cabin offers a table and chairs, two double bunk beds, wood stove for heat and a small counter area for preparing your meals. Guests need to bring their own water supply and all cooking supplies including stove, pots and pans and utensils. The second cabin has two single bunk beds and a table.
Invite your friends because they will want to share in the quiet solitude of Maxey cabin and there is plenty of room. At approximately a 35 minute drive from Bozeman, the convenience of this retreat is unmatched.
Excellently maintained and kept clean throughout, visitors to Maxey cabin can survey the surrounding mountains from the large front deck. Once you've been, you'll wonder why you haven't been before and not want to tell your friends.
If you are planning a weekend excursion, be prepared to reserve your spot 6 months in advance as reservations typically are in high demand.
Cottonwood Campground is a nice small 4 site campground. While the campground is near Canyon Ferry Lake it is not on the lake. Boat access to the lake is possible from a boat launch in a day use area past the campground, the launch is to a side channel of the Missouri River. While the campground is listed as a dispersed camping campground I would not call this a dispersed camping area. The site has four established campsites with picnic tables and metal fire rings. These four campsite take up the entire area and does not leave on a place to "disperse camp". The site has a ADA Vault toilet and one of the four campsite is an ADA site with a large concrete pad. One thing that is nice about this campground is that you need to know it's here, their is no signage along Highway US 12/287 to indicate that their is a campground here. The site has no water or trash service so come prepared. No fee is charged for the site.
To me, the best part about camping is just being outside and also hiking! If the campground is mediocre but the hiking is fantastic, then its a win-win for me. This campground was "okay," nothing really special about it. It was clean, but a bit small. Thankfully we went during the late week, so it wasn't too busy. We honestly stayed here because it had the nights we wanted available and it was close to a few hikes we wanted to do. The campground, like I said above, is smaller but it was clean and well kept. We got in a bit late, and our campsite was tagged for us so we knew which one was ours. We got up that morning and did a great hike (can't remember name?) that was about 10 miles roundtrip. Some of the best views! Beautiful wildflowers throughout the hike, which I always love. The campsite is pretty basic, with a fire ring and table in your campsite. The table that was in our campsite was a bit beat up, we were a little afraid to all sit on it because we thought it might break! No water spigot, so definitely bring enough water and filtration system if you plan to do some hiking. We stayed here 2 nights, and did 3 different awesome hikes! Probably wouldn't stay here again, but definitely would come back to this area.
Newlan Creek Reservoir FAS has lots of opportunities for camping. The FAS has six different camping areas. The first three camping areas are right next to each other. They are like three developed campgrounds in a row, to go from one to the other you have to get back on the main road then turn into the next section. The other three camping location are less developed and more spread out further along the reservoir. The first three areas have numbered sites with distinct parking pads. All sites have picnic tables and fire rings. Each section has a vault toilet. Section 2 has a boat launch and dock. An interesting thing was that the campsite numbers do not always go in order, and jump around. Found three sites listed as site #4, two of which were in the same section. Most of the sites in the first three sections are in the trees. The last three camping sections are all in the open with no trees. Water is not available and you must pack out your trash.
I was not impressed with Richardson Campground. This campground has three sites. Be sure to pay attend to the sign at the beginning of the campground "NO TURN AROUND" this sign is correct. Once you get past the second campsite their will not be room to turn around if you have a trailer. A signal vehicle can turn around a tree at the third campsite, but if someone is camped in the third site you may not be able to even do that. The three campsites sit along a small creek. The first site has a picnic table, metal fire ring and a BBQ grill. Sites 2 and 3 both have a picnic table and metal fire ring. The campground has a single Outhouse, not a vault toilet, this is a small wooden outhouse. At the entrance to the campground is a trailhead and a horse corral, an added bonus if you bring horses. Horses are not allowed in the campground. This campground is a "Pack-in, Pack-out" campground with no water.
Lewis and Clark National Forest Grasshopper Campground is a nice campground in the Castle Mountains. As you enter this campground you find a trail head to the left and then a picnic area to the right. The campsites start right after the first of two vault toilets for the campground. At the beginning of the campground loop, right behind the registration box you will find the hand pump for the campground. A creek runs right through the middle of the campground. One nice feature of this campground is once the campground gates are closed and locked, you can still drive to sites 1 and 2 as they are before the closure gate, so as long as you can still drive up the road you can camp. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. I did notice at least one site also had a BBQ grill in addition to the fire ring. Sites are $10 per night with a 16 day stay limit.
This campground was a pleasant surprise. We had initially planned to camp at Glacier but were thwarted by fire and smoke. We booked this campground when we arrived at the State Park, no problem. The road circles the campground. There are five loops inside the outer road, with about 7 campsites per loop, and the playground and bathrooms in the center. The sites have electric hookups. We were able to fill our water tanks with spigots centrally located throughout the campground, but could not keep it connected. No sewer, but the bathroom is very convenient. The site was level with a fire pit and very spacious. The State Park was awesome. We went hiking and the cave tour was great. They have two souvenir stores and one cafe near the cave. We stayed there for 4 nights which was perfect for what we had planned. Would highly recommend.
Not much pizzazz with this campground. It's a gravel parking lot next to grandstands and an ice rink. All the sites back up to the southern fence. Spaces are a little tight but not too bad… it's not like you are going to sit outside in a lounge chair in this place. And while I am on the down side, there were a few occasions at night where cars would drive through the parking lot and hang out. Not doing donuts or anything, but it was a little creepy. We stayed here because all other campgrounds in the area were full. But on a good note, it was nicely located, very central to town. The traffic was not too loud and despite it being a non-paved lot, it wasn't too dusty. It was ok. Sorry, no pictures to add.
This is a wonderful RV Park, on the banks of the Yellowstone River, just north of Yellowstone NP. Great location with easy drive south to Yellowstone or dining in Livingston a few miles north. Clean modern shower & bath, plus laundry and store.
They had WiFi. There was a camp store. I camped here on my way to Yellowstone back in 2014 when I worked in the park.
Langohr Campground is a nice campground besides Hyalite Creek, it was even better when I camped here about 20 years ago during the summer months, this last visit was in the snow, but we won't let the snow affect this review. The campground has two different sections to it. While most sites overlook the willow lined Hyalite creek, turning to the left or the right once you enter the campground will give you different camping experiences. If you turn to the left you will find most of the campsites are in a grassy open area with little shade. If you want a campsite with two picnic tables a the site then go to the left as sites 17 and 18 have two tables each. If you turn to the right the campsites tucked in among a stand of pine trees and would provide lots of shade. The campground also has a large day use picnic area, and a trail head. The campground and parking pads are paved through out the campground. The campground has 19 sites, water, trash and service. This is bear territory so all food must be locked in a car or the provided bear proof lockers provided. Our October visit was after the mid September shutting down of the campground, but we could still gain access as their was not a closed gate like the other campgrounds further up the road, this was likely due to a trail head located in the campground.
I stayed here on a 3 day weekend camping trip to just get away. It was amazing. Most sites are by the creek even though the website says different. We took site number 5 and I was extremely happy with it. it was peaceful and close to all the major hikes and waterfalls! The campground host was amazing! He brought us firewood and kept up to make sure every thing was okay!
Nice campground with really large sites. Nicely wooded and quiet. The road in is narrow and 1 lane but paved, about 3 miles off the main road. Vault toilets and water are convently located. Hiking trails accessible from the campground.
Quick note to backup other reviews. This place is worth a stop and folks seem to know it. Occupancy appeared near capacity for our visit. Would stay again - preferably when there is live music in the dome.
Gteat location. Lots of bison. Easy access to all the Geysers. Great ranger program. Only down side is heavy use and hard for staff to stay on top of it. Staff were friendly and helpful though.