Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Heart Butte, MT

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!

First come first serve. This was my favorite campground. From the different campsites to the sun setting over the lake, to the people I met. I've never seen so many camp cats on leashes. I think I counted 7 cats out with their owners enjoying nature. Plenty of restrooms, and lots of different loops to choose from. 

At the time of my visit, there was heavy black bear activity. No soft side camping aloud. You had to stay within reach of your food to be able to quickly grab it and retreat into your vehicle if the black bear was in camp. There was a dead moose on the other side of the lake, so the hiking trail was closed. We did see the bear along the trees, but it didn't come into camp that night.

Lake Shel-oole Campground is a hidden gem in Shelby, Montana! This campground offers a plenty to do. There are baseball diamonds, a nice little dog run with a couple of obstacles, a fishing dock (although when we were here the lake water was pretty low) and biking trails. If you follow the bike trail it will take you to a paved exercise trail. The facilities are well-maintained, the showers are nice and hot, and the staff is friendly and accommodating. Whether you're traveling in an RV or setting up a tent, the spacious sites provide comfort and convenience. It's an ideal spot.

We ended up at Lid Creek after the first few campgrounds along the lake were full.

Sites are on the small side, and most are not very flat. There is a good amount of distance between sites and lots of trees so privacy is good.

There are 2 clean vault toilets and trash dumpsters.

Bear boxes are spread throughout.

Each site has a fire ring and picnic table.

Host on site sells fire wood.

Lake access is a just short walk down a trail. There is a great rock beach with plenty of room for kids to play and splash.

We encountered 2 thunderstorms during our stay... Montana weather is always unpredictable.

We had a deer walk through our site early morning, so wildlife is definitely near by.

Yes it’s a new campground but it’s very close to all of the East Glacier attractions and it’s surrounded by Montana’s natural beauty. I stayed for 5 days and had an amazing time. I even got a chance to talk to the owner and he was extremely helpful. Also, he informed me on the rich history behind the land.  This place has a lot of history behind it. I feel like I can now say I have a great understanding of Blackfoot and Glacier Park history staying here.  I officially have checked off something that’s been on my bucket list for the longest time! Thank you guys!