Best Campgrounds near Heart Butte, MT

An hour and a half east of the St. Mary entrance to Glacier National Park--great when you are (like us) headed east after a long day in the park--this municipal campground exceeded expectations.  A pleasant, well-maintained loop of sites, many with electricity and some with water (although the spigots, on some sites, were bizarrely distant from the normal location near the electrical box, requiring long hoses).  Set in the area below the dam for Lake Shel-oole, with access to the lake from the campground loop.  The lake was low during our stay, so not clear what activities might be available when the water is higher.  Well patrolled, with a bathhouse in the center of the loop, old-school but serviceable, containing flush toilets and hot showers. Relatively far from any highways and train tracks, so (for this part of the world, and unlike many commercial campgrounds) was very  quiet.

Three large loops, some with modest shade, others in the wide open (the latter type with fantastic views of the surrounding mountains).  All a bit scruffy looking, but serviceable.  Low on amenities (no electricity, water faucets scattered about) and relatively tight pull-through spaces, but all have a fire ring and picnic table.  Well patrolled by rangers, with a daily evening program in the summer. As others have mentioned, timed entry tickets are not needed at the St. Mary entrance to the park, so you can head into the park any time you like.  Added bonus: if you are camping with a travel trailer (and thus not able to drive the Going-to-the-Sun road because of length limitations), you are allowed to park your trailer in the the RV section of the St. Mary Visitor Center parking lot for the day, and drive in with your car alone.  We were there in late June/early July: don't know if this option is  available when the very high season hits in later July and August.

We’re currently staying at St. Mary’s Campground, located right inside the east entrance of Glacier National Park, and the Going-To-The-sun road. One of the biggest perks this summer (2025) is that you don’t need a park entrance reservation to access the park from this entrance—unlike most of the other entrances, which are still under the reservation system. That alone made it worth booking here.

The campground is surprisingly well-equipped for a place with no hookups. There’s a dump station and water fill-up right at the entrance, but I also spotted a few water spigots scattered throughout the campground itself. Bathrooms are clean and have sinks, and even better—there are showers! There’s also a wash sink station for doing your dishes and a greywater dump area inside the campground. Definitely not your typical dry camping setup.

Bear lockers are available (not one per site, but they’re around), which is important considering the local grizzlies. We’re in Loop C, and it’s pretty balanced—half the loop has nice, small pull-through sites with picnic tables, tent pads, fire rings, and some much-appreciated shade. The other half of the loop is much more exposed—no trees or bushes, so you’ll be out in the open if you end up on that side.

The campground hosts have been super friendly and helpful, and there’s even a ranger talk in the evening, which is a nice touch. I haven’t had a chance to check out Loops A or B yet, but if I do, I’ll update this review with more info.

Overall, it’s a great base for exploring the east side of the park and super convenient if you’re heading to Many Glacier. Definitely recommend.

Lid Creek Campground is in the Hungry Horse Recreation area on the Hungry Horse Reservoir. The lake, Salish Mountains and Montana’s big sky are all front and center here. Lid Creek is 15 miles off U.S. 2 on a very winding but paved road. The road down to the campground is gravel, lots of tight turns but generally in good shape; we did just fine towing our 30 ft travel trailer. Double-check the campsite length when you reserve - some sites are very short and a smallish car would have trouble fitting.

The campsites include picnic table and fire pit, there are vault toilets throughout the campground and bear-proof food boxes - there are definitely bears in the area. Keep pets close by and please store food in the storage boxes. There is NO WATER available at the campground so bring your own or you’ll be frustrated. Camp host was terrific and has firewood at the host site right as you enter the campground. We had 5G of T-Mobile which was very surprising considering how far off the main highway the campground is. West Glacier is about 45 minutes away and a very easy drive from Lid Creek Campground. We loved it!