22 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Cabins at locations like Indian Flats Cabin and Moose Creek Cabin provide rustic overnight accommodations within the Helena National Forest area. Most cabins feature basic sleeping arrangements with bunk beds or double beds. Electricity availability varies by location, with some cabins like Moose Creek offering electric power while others remain off-grid. "Miller Cabin is a perfect place to disappear for a few days. It's the perfect amount of rustic, while maintaining the creature comforts of a cabin," notes one visitor. Wood stoves serve as the primary heat source in most forest service cabins, essential during Montana's cooler months. Bathroom facilities typically consist of vault toilets located outside the cabins.
KOA-style cabins offer more amenities than forest service options, including the Helena North KOA and Canyon Ferry Lake KOA locations. These furnished cabins typically include beds, tables, and chairs inside climate-controlled structures. Pet policies vary by location, with several allowing pets while others prohibit animals entirely. Reservations are required for all cabin rentals and should be made well in advance, particularly during summer months when availability becomes limited. A review mentioned that "Clean bathrooms and showers and clean laundry room with several washers/dryers" are available at the KOA locations, though these facilities are separate from the cabins themselves.
Most forest service cabins require guests to bring their own propane for cooking stoves, as well as bedding, kitchen supplies, and food. "Keep the fire small or you will cook in the little cabin, even when it's cold outside," advises one visitor to Strawberry Cabin, which like many locations provides basic pots, pans, and utensils but no consumables. Some KOA cabins have more extensive kitchen facilities including microwaves or small refrigerators. Water availability varies significantly, with many forest service cabins requiring guests to bring their own drinking and washing water. On-site stores at KOA locations offer basic provisions, while more remote cabins have no nearby supply options, necessitating careful packing of all essentials before arrival.
"Campground is located in a beautiful area, the host couple are nice people and there is a small store for essentials. The campground is basic but the free WiFi is great."
from $50 - $60 / night
Check Availability"Great spot near Glacier National Park, quick to get to! Dog friendly, cabins and fun little round (yurt-like) metal buildings to stay in too! Plus over sized lawn chess!"
"Only spent one night, but level sites, full hook ups, showers and laundry clean. An area to play games and we didn’t have our dogs this time but the dog zone looked good and clean."
"Remember to bring small propane cans, lanterns, and mantels to replace any broken one's on the gas lanterns."
from $30 - $45 / night
Check Availabilityfrom $25 - $50 / night
Check Availability"This forest service cabin is a perfect place to disappear for a few days. It’s the perfect amount of rustic, while maintaining the creature comforts of a cabin."
from $45 / night
Check Availability"Clean area, typical KOA restrooms. Not much shade. Pretty mount and lake views. Playground and store. $5 for showers if you are not staying."
"Super easy to book a spot here through the KOA website. Found the store stocked with some pretty good food that rotates weekly. Clean and well maintained bathrooms and campsite"
"Staying at Strawberry lookout cabin in December was a great experience, well worth the 1 mile uphill hike to the cabin. "
from $30 - $50 / night
Check Availability"Gast stove for cooking, wood stove for heat. Shed full of wood, fire pit and vault toilet. Beware of mice nests, otherwise cabin was great."
"There was a nice picnic table and fire ring. I hope to stay here again but it fills up fast. I edited this review because the se come time I stayed here the bathroom was disgusting."
LegendThis clean and neat KOA is just outside of Helena. We were arriving late so I spoke with a super friendly man in the office about after hours check-in (which was very smooth). Super clean and modern bathrooms. Quiet campground. Would stay again if passing through
RangerSUMMARY
We booked Grey Sandy on Hauser Lake and pulled our fifth wheel into a site directly across from the office. Shared water, shared fire pit, and enough dust to season a steak. The site was nowhere near level and tight enough that backing in felt like a timed event. Bathrooms were average. The camp store was average. The park itself is run down. Older long-term rigs, no visible upkeep, and the clear impression that nobody has invested a dollar here in a long time. We don't lock camper doors at a campground. We locked them here. We left a night early and did not ask for a refund.
**WHAT I LIKED
**The hosts. Genuinely kind people who seemed to actually care about the guests, which is more than the property can say for itself. The male host walked over and fired up the fire pit for the kids and us, and that was hands down the best part of the stay. The fire pit itself, once it was lit. The only nice feature in the park. Bathrooms and the store were average. At this campground, average counts as a win.
**WHAT I DISLIKED:
**Extremely tight site. Not level. Dirt and dust everywhere. Shared water and a shared fire pit. Dirt road in with steady traffic, so the dust never had a chance to settle. The lake is a long way off. If you are booking this for Hauser Lake access, look elsewhere. Overall condition of the park. Rough-looking campers parked long-term and no sign of maintenance or pride of ownership. The photos on the website do not match what you pull into. Go in with your expectations adjusted. We canceled a reservation in June when our camper broke down and never received our refund.
**WILL I STAY HERE AGAIN?
**Not the way it sits today. We left a night early and walked away from the money, which tells you exactly where we landed. That said, the campground has changed hands, and I know the new owner. There is real potential here. Level the sites, control the dust, clean up the long-term rigs, and update the photos so they match the property. Do that, and this becomes a solid Hauser Lake stop. I will check back in a season. As of this trip, it is a hard pass.
ScoutI was going to give a"3" but the manager got defensive with excuses so a"2"- but then the manager kept on cutting me off as I was describing problems. So, a solid"1" for this site. KOA's brand is being hurt and needs to do a site review.. Problems with the showers, water at the site, voltage drops and cutouts on the 30A service, toilets that kind of flush(after 6 tries maybe) and no trash disposal on site. There was more, but this is enough to get the message across. Beware.
TravelerAmazing staff clean restrooms live music
My one year old is cutting g teeth and the owner bentover backwards to help me find different things honey apple juice icecream and whatever might help the price compared to the koa intown night and day. I dove over to the other koa and hands down this one's 100 times better and its only 20 mins to town.
Ps the little coffee shop off the highway is amazing and so cheep my wife and inlaws coffee order is 40 bucks at Starbucks this coffee stand made there's and mying for 24.89 and thats 5 32oz blended drinks that tasted better than any chain coffee shop
TravelerCampground is located in a beautiful area, the host couple are nice people and there is a small store for essentials. The campground is basic but the free WiFi is great.
RangerIf you’ve ever wondered what it’d be like to vacation in a post-apocalyptic landfill run by people who watched Green Acres and said,“Hold my beer,” then Kim’s Marina& RV Resort is the place for you.
We pulled in at 1:30PM—our assigned site already occupied by another camper who kindly apologized. The staff, however, offered nothing. No sorry, no heads-up, no water, no shade. Just a“shrug emoji” in human form. Their own check-in pamphlet said checkout was at 2PM—so why hand us a site that still had a family fully plugged in and grilling hot dogs?
Meanwhile, my 76-year-old mother (who confirmed the day before that her cabin would be ready at 1:30) was treated like a burden every time she asked if her room was ready. FIVE times she asked. They didn’t even start cleaning it until 2:40. It was 100 degrees. She waited in that heat like a forgotten prop in a bad country western, and when they finally let her in, the bed was bare and they told her,“Oh—you still need bedding.” Like it was a lemonade stand, not a paid rental cabin.
The grounds? Picture a campground that moonlights as a junkyard. Dog poop was everywhere. It was like a minefield from the moment you stepped out of your camper to the joke they call a“beach.” And the dogs? Off-leash, wild, and no one batted an eye.
The plumbing situation? Grab your hazmat suit. The water spigots looked like they were salvaged from a scrapyard, half-stripped, leaking like crazy, and—you guessed it—pooling water under the electric hookups. One sewer cap shot off like a geyser when I touched it. I wouldn’t wash a lawnmower with this setup, let alone plug in my rig.
The roads were a combo of gravel, pothole dirt, and vague paved patches—but folks sped through it like NASCAR tryouts. No speed limit signs. No enforcement. Just kids on bikes diving for cover.
The “beach” for kids? There were broken signs with rusted nails still sticking out of them. Nothing says “family memories” like a tetanus shot.
Bathrooms? Closed when we arrived. When they did open, it smelled like something had crawled into the plumbing and lost its will to live. Didn’t even risk a shower—especially since you have to PAY for one on top of your already steep site fee. Pay to shower in your own stink? Pass.
Now let’s talk about the nightmare fuel they call a laundry room. Clean and dirty laundry were stacked everywhere like someone gave up mid-fold. It looked like a middle school lost-and-found exploded. Vomit in the utility sink. I wish I was kidding. ONE washer worked, and TWO dryers were broken. Not that it mattered—the pile of abandoned linens made it impossible to find space anyway.
Oh, and the staff? If the dress code was“backwoods buffet with a side of resentment,” they nailed it. Rude, grunting, eye-rolling, dismissive. One guy looked like he’d used his shirt as a napkin from breakfast through dinner and capped it off with ripped jean shorts straight outta 1987. Customer service was nonexistent, but judgment? Flowing like that busted water spigot.
Trash? Overflowed all weekend. Piled up 15 feet high and smelled like the opening scene of a horror movie. At night, I wasn’t sure if I heard raccoons or zombies.
We booked 5 nights. We stayed 5 nights. But if we didn’t have family with us, we would’ve packed up and peeled out of there after night one.
Bottom line: Kim’s is not a“resort.” It’s a rotting relic held together by duct tape, fumes, and apathy. The only thing elite here is how fast you’ll want to burn your shoes when you leave.
Never again. Not if it was free. Not if you paid me. Absolute disgrace.
TravelerIt’s a great cabin it’s super close to the road it has two bedrooms they both have 2 beds a double and a single bed. It does have propane with a small 2 burner stove it also has a microwave toaster and coffee maker. Very standard for these cabins is you bring your linens but the mattress is a mattress not great but it’s a rustic cabin and VERY AFFORDABLE
GuideThis is a typical KOA. First the good: Friendly helpful staff until their gone at closing time. Little mini store with a few essentials. Clean bathrooms and showers and clean laundry room with several washers/dryers.$2.00 per load to wash. Can't remember how much to dry. Very cool pinball machine that costs 25 cents per game. Fun fun fun! Another bathroom/shower in middle of park but I never looked inside that one. 65 sites that most have full hook-up and pull-through. A few cool tent sites with gas BBQs. Some cool looking cabins but I never looked inside one. I'm here on 8/24/2024 and RV park is sold out except 3 pull-through sites. All tent sites were full. I don't know about the cabins. Cool playground for kids and large mostly gravel dog run. Edit added: AT&T has 5G and three bars. KOA has wifi but slow slow slow I got 3MPS so instead of KOA wifi I used my iPhone Personal Hotspot that worked great. THE BAD(and reason for only 3 stars): All gravel roads and sites throughout the park. Very close together. Some sites have a very narrow strip of grass. Some of the picknick tables need to be re-painted. Unfortunately while eating breakfast you could be 2 feet away from the next RV dumping their sewer. P.U. The luxury sites don't have that problem. They are at the end of each row and only have a neighbor on the drivers side. I think well worth the extra 17 bucks. Not ADA friendly. Very hard for someone with a walker to get around because of gravel roads/sites. Someone with a wheel chair near impossible. Has a nice handicap shower in main office building. Only problem is that once I take my walker in with me it's very tight and no room to move around. Not EV car friendly. There is a$250 fine and eviction if you plug in your car. The person at the front desk told me the$250 fine and eviction is because EVs overload the outdated system and cause a fire. This KOA is an older one and was wired before EVs. Each individual site has its own 30 amp and 50 amp circuit breaker. Some trees but few and far between. No pool or hot tub. Final thoughts: Make reservations well in advance if you can. This KOA is the best game in town and is mostly sold out in summer. I think(sorry I don't know for sure) there is only one other RV park in town and from what I can tell, it is a much older one. I would proceed with caution before I booked it. Good traveling. See you on the road.
Scoutamazing campground
Cabin rentals near Helena National Forest range from basic Forest Service structures to more comfortable KOA accommodations. Located in Montana's Big Belt Mountains where elevations reach 9,000 feet, these cabins provide shelter in an area known for temperature fluctuations even in summer. Many forest cabins require high-clearance vehicles to access remote locations.
Creek exploration: Moose Creek Campground offers access to the namesake creek where visitors can cool off during summer months. "The creek is fun to play in! The only negative was all the mosquitos," notes one camper at Moose Creek Campground.
Winter adventures: Forest Service cabins provide cold-weather shelter for winter activities. "Staying at Strawberry lookout cabin in December was a great experience, well worth the 1 mile uphill hike to the cabin. Our Venturing Crew stayed the night after pulling gear in a sled to the top in light snow," shares a visitor to Strawberry Cabin.
Family playground time: Canyon Ferry Lake KOA offers dedicated play areas convenient to tent sites. "Great Playground, close to tent sites. Nice staff and great coffee and beautiful setting!" reports a camper, making this one of the more family-friendly cabin options in the area.
Isolation from technology: Forest cabins provide a true disconnect from everyday life. "This is a nice area especially if you want to be totally isolated because there is no cell phone service here. It is close enough to Helena that you are not too far from civilization should you want to pick up supplies or make a phone call," explains a visitor to Moose Creek Campground.
Clean facilities: Canyon Ferry Lake KOA maintains exceptional sanitation standards. "Cleanest and nicest bathrooms I've seen in a long time!! We stayed in tent spaces which they were working to update with water and electricity, both of which worked for us!" shares a camper at Canyon Ferry Lake KOA.
Rustic experience with basic comforts: Many forest cabins strike a balance between wilderness and comfort. "This place is amazing. Remember to bring small propane cans, lanterns, and mantels to replace any broken one's on the gas lanterns," advises a visitor to Indian Flats Cabin.
Accessibility challenges: Some cabins require preparation for access. "DO NOT attempt it in a car. You need HIGH CLEARANCE. And forget about winter months unless you intend to snowmobile or snowshoe in," warns a visitor about Miller Cabin.
Temperature management: Cabin heating systems can be surprisingly effective. "The cabin has a wood stove and firewood was provided. Keep the fire small or you will cook in the little cabin, even when its cold outside," advises a visitor to Strawberry Cabin.
Wildlife encounters: The region's name indicates potential wildlife sightings. "Be on the look out for the campground's name sake as Moose to visit the area," mentions a camper at Moose Creek, where the natural setting attracts various forest animals.
Bring games: Forest cabins often have entertainment options. "Plenty of games were in the cabinet to keep everyone entertained," notes a visitor to Strawberry Cabin, though bringing additional activities is recommended for longer stays.
Water access planning: Most remote cabins lack running water. "Water is not available so you will need to bring it with you," explains a camper about Strawberry Cabin facilities, making advance water planning essential when staying at Forest Service properties with children.
Store access: KOA locations offer convenience for forgotten items. "Found the store stocked with some pretty good food that rotates weekly," mentions a visitor at Canyon Ferry Lake KOA, providing a safety net for family camping needs.
Electrical limitations: Some campgrounds have restrictions on power usage. "Not EV car friendly. There is a $250 fine and eviction if you plug in your car. The person at the front desk told me the $250 fine and eviction is because EVs overload the outdated system and cause a fire," cautions a camper at Helena North KOA.
Road conditions: Access routes to some cabins require caution. "The road is a bit rough and the vehicles do not slow down so be careful pulling out onto the main road from the campground area," warns a visitor to Moose Creek Campground.
Full hookup availability: Multiple KOA locations offer complete RV connections. "Full hookup pull-thrus that have a decent amount of space between sites," notes a camper about the Helena North KOA, which offers larger spaces at premium sites located at row ends.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Helena National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Helena National Forest is Grey Sandy Campground with a 4-star rating from 3 reviews.
What is the best site to find cabin camping near Helena National Forest?
TheDyrt.com has all 22 cabin camping locations near Helena National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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