Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Gallatin National Forest, MT is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. Gallatin National Forest is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near Gallatin National Forest and user-submitted reviews.
$25 - $195 / night
"We LOVED visiting with the horses and they were very friendly and did not even mind when our dogs barked at them."
$26 - $60 / night
"Langohr Campground runs along Hyalite Creek and is tucked inside Custer Gallatin National Forest in a small open meadow with Douglas fir, Lodgepole pine, and Englemann Spruce. "
"We were looking for a campground near Bozeman and a friend recommended Hyalite Canyon. We lucked out finding Langohr! Wonderful and secluded camping spots, and we found one right by a river."
"There are train tracks nearby, which wasn't necessarily negative for us since we live next to train tracks at home ."
"It is close to the train track and you can see the trucks in the freeway."
"I arrived around 1pm on a Friday and there were only two spots remaining. I grabbed spot #8, it certainly is not the most desirable but it was a spot nonetheless."
"The scenery surrounding the campground is breathtaking: sharp peaks that rise upwards of 7,000 ft in elevation, crystal clear mountain streams rushing down the mountain sides, waterfall after waterfall"
$65 / night
"The cabin is great and lots of room outside to set up tents. Has firewood and an out house. The lake it beautiful and lots of wild life!"
"The campsites were easily accessible near the trailheads. It was extremely quiet and peaceful the whole time I was there."
"Once arriving at the top; you’ll find a stunning array of crystal lakes, snow melts, and glistening cliffs. We camped on top of a large cliff system across the first lake."
"To get there you drive into the Spanish Creek Picnic area. Then you follow the trails on the map to Spanish Lakes. The trails are pretty well marked. It’s about 9.5 miles in and up."
$65 / night
"Comfortable and beautiful scenery, hiking trails near by."
$40 / night
"We stayed at Lake Shore Lodge Campground while visiting my parents in Ennis."
GuideAbout 20 minutes south of Bozeman, MT on scenic Hyalite Canyon Road sits Langohr Campground. There are 19 spacious single sites and the 20th site is a group picnic site for day use. Langohr Campground runs along Hyalite Creek and is tucked inside Custer Gallatin National Forest in a small open meadow with Douglas fir, Lodgepole pine, and Englemann Spruce.
I was fortunate to find a campsite as a walk-in even after arriving mid-afternoon at the beginning of June 2019 because it was too late to reserve online. Each site does have a picnic table and fire ring, and electrical sites are available. Some are drive-in or back into sites, and a few are literally next to Hyalite Creek which is an added bonus. A heavy snowfall occurred a week before and remnants of it were scattered along the campground. Good thing I brought a snow scraper to clear the picnic table of snow. The fee is $20.00 per campsite for two vehicles and $8.00 for any additional vehicles. The group picnic site is $45.00 for day use. I paid cash for the site, but I believe you may also pay by credit card.
Many of the campers were settling in and had parked RVs and pop-ups. Pets are allowed but must be on a leash as wildlife such as bears, deers, moose, and elk frequent the area. Bear lockers should be used for food storage or properly stored in vehicles. There are huge bear safe trash and recycling containers near the entrance for campers to use. The bathroom is clean, free of odor and bugs, and it is a vault toilet. There are no showers, dump station, or camp store, but you are close to Bozeman. The camp host was settled on site 11 and sells firewood for $6.00. You can take a walk along the Hyalite Creek or drive 3.5 miles south down to Hyalite Reservoir for other activities such as fishing, kayaking, canoeing, climbing, hiking, and boating. The night sky was pretty spectacular especially with the trees around on a clear day.
LegendI 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.
RangerAn absolutely stunning area to camp. A relatively challenging nine-mile-hike in from the Spanish Creek campground. Turn left at the trail map and follow the well marked signs. You’ll have stunning views of the mountains, rivers, and pines on your hike in. A few other places to camp on the way in. You’ll cross a couple rivers—so be prepared to take off those boots. Once arriving at the top; you’ll find a stunning array of crystal lakes, snow melts, and glistening cliffs. We camped on top of a large cliff system across the first lake. As you hike in, there are multiple little lakes to camp and fish around. The highest lake (about 100 meters past the first) is indescribably breathtaking. Surrounded by massive mountains, a rolling stream, and a little dead forest accompanied by a campsite and fire ring—AH! I felt like I was in a simulation. Apparently you can summit the nearby mountains and reached a higher lake called Beehive. My friends went and said they enjoyed it. Tons of fishing in all of the lakes. Diverse wildflowers. Tons of bugs. But all great fun! Will certainly return when I go back to Montana.
TravelerWe came in late and it was already dark. That may have contributed to the confusion in where to go when we first got there, but once we were there it was fine. Not a lot of privacy between spots but to pull in, set up camp and leave the next day it was worth it.
We LOVED visiting with the horses and they were very friendly and did not even mind when our dogs barked at them.
Biggest negative is that you can hear all the highway noise and trucks like to jake-break in this area. On the other side of the highway there were railroad tracks. The train blew its horn through this area ‘frequently and when it stopped you could hear all the train cars smashing together. This woke me up a couple times throughout the night but otherwise fine.
There is a pit toilet, with hand sanitizer.
We camped in a tent with our 2 dogs and young toddler.
ScoutWe were looking for a campground near Bozeman and a friend recommended Hyalite Canyon. We lucked out finding Langohr! Wonderful and secluded camping spots, and we found one right by a river. This was probably the best campsite of our week-long Montana camping excursion.
TravelerWe were in need of a place to stay while attending a field seminar in Yellowstone. It is about a 30 min drive to Gardiner/Entrance to Yellowstone. The owners have experience in the hospitality industry and it shows inside the tent. We stayed in the Elk because we wanted a private bathroom. The room had 2 beds (super comfortable and well dressed), refrigerator, couch, writing table and electric fireplace (more for ambiance vs really providing a lot of heat) and still very roomy. They provide a little lantern for night walks to bathroom or back to tent if you don't have your own flash light. The deck off the front was ideal for sitting or practicing yoga. You do have to walk to the bathroom/showers. While we didn't have the opportunity to use the 2 community fire pits or horseshoes, butthey were well placed with a beautiful backdrop of mountains. There is also a small building with a coffee/tea machine and another small refrigerator. You can park right next to the tent.
If you want to take a walk, there are some dirt roads to walk by other surrounding farms.
The tents a pretty dispersed and seemed fairly private. There was only one other couple on the premises so not sure when it is a full house. They offer really nice kennels.
My only ding is they have a few kinks to work out, but I feel they will figure it out. They will be offering speciality breakfasts in the future, but now they are just store bought muffins with yogurt and orange juice. The location gets you off the highway, but you do need to navigate a gravel road for about a mile. Totally drivable for any car.
I think if I stayed here again I would take one of their guiding trips.
GuideI arrived around 1pm on a Friday and there were only two spots remaining. I grabbed spot #8, it certainly is not the most desirable but it was a spot nonetheless. The campground has many beautiful spots, especially on the backside south edge of the loop. The bathrooms were immaculately clean. There were a couple water pumps. You sit in a canyon and weather can fluctuate fast. There is a parking lot nearby for hikers and backpackers. I hiked to Granite Lake (4mi) and it was hard but worth the effort for sure. As others mention the dirt road from the highway is about 15mi and there are some pretty bumpy spots. You’ll need about 45-60 minutes outside of Big Timber to get here but it is a great spot.
ScoutThis campground is very nice, next to Langohr Creek. Kids play in creek and build rock dams. Nice walk around campground. Camp host was very cool. Mountain wildflowers abundant! Got to camp next to Alpen Girls outdoor youth camp, which was cool to see youngsters learning outdoors skills.
RangerPlenty of dispersed drive in camping sites at the Spanish Creeks Trailhead. Many lots, solid roads, picnic tables, fire rings, and clean facilities. Great signage nestled behind the trees at the start of the trail. Water and a nice bathroom available. A cute little creek nestled along the side of the campground—making for good morning music. Stunning mountain views from the campsites. Head down the canyon trail a little bit to view some stunning meadows. All around a great spot if you’re looking to hit the trails early the next day!
Horse camping near Gallatin National Forest in Montana offers a unique blend of stunning landscapes and equestrian-friendly facilities, making it an ideal destination for horse enthusiasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Gallatin National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Gallatin National Forest is VangoBoon with a 3.8-star rating from 5 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Gallatin National Forest?
TheDyrt.com has all 12 equestrian camping locations near Gallatin National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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