Looking to cabin camp near Helena National Forest and enjoy a rustic retreat into nature? Cabin camping is an adventurous and unique way to experience the city. Each cabin offers quick access to one or more of Helena National Forest's most popular destinations.
Whether you're exploring the Rocky Mountain beauty of Montana or you're on a longer journey traveling throughout the West, the new Helena North KOA provides a convenient base camp. It lies just half a mile off I-15, with plenty of Pull-Thru RV sites for larger rigs. All RV sites have 30 or 50 amp service, along with a patio area and picnic table. In Helena, Montana's state capital, you can hop aboard the Last Chance Tour Train for an engaging open-air ride around the capitol grounds, through the mansion district and past a restored miner's village. About 10 miles north, boat tours take visitors up the Missouri River through a canyon of towering limestone walls - a historic route traveled by Lewis and Clark, who dubbed it the Gates of the Mountains. You'll find other spectacular mountain scenery to the north and south; Helena lies midway between Glacier and Yellowstone national parks.
Indian Flats Cabin is nestled in a hollow of old-growth trees in the shadow of Hogback Mountain, offering a remote lodging experience in the Big Belt Mountains in west-central Montana. The present Indian Flats Guard Station started its days as the Conway Station on Rock Creek in the Jim Ball Basin. The cabin was constructed in 1944 and replaced the original Conway Station. Rangers used this cabin when fulfilling duties in the area. In 1969, the cabin was relocated to its present location below Indian Flats. During the summer and fall months, the cabin is typically accessible by car. During the winter months, poor road conditions and heavy amounts of snow can be present. Access to the cabin during snow conditions is via an 8-mile stretch of road passable by snowmobiling, snowshoeing or skiing. Guests should be prepared to pack in many of their own supplies.
Plenty of opportunities are available for hiking, mountain biking and wildlife viewing near Indian Flats Cabin. A hike through nearby Refrigerator Canyon passes through a 10-foot wide, 200-foot high canyon that was carved through limestone rock by a small mountain stream. The canyon is appropriately named, as breezes blowing over the stream and through the canyon's rock walls cause evaporative cooling, creating temperatures 20 degrees cooler than surrounding areas. An active fire lookout sits at the top of Hogback Mountain near the cabin. The Lookout is accessible by passenger vehicle and is manned by Forest Service personnel from mid-June through September. A short walk from the lookout offers spectacular panoramic views into Beaver Creek Canyon and surrounding landscapes.
Plenty of opportunities are available for hiking, mountain biking and wildlife viewing near Indian Flats Cabin. A hike through nearby Refrigerator Canyon passes through a 10-foot wide, 200-foot high canyon that was carved through limestone rock by a small mountain stream. The canyon is appropriately named, as breezes blowing over the stream and through the canyon's rock walls cause evaporative cooling, creating temperatures 20 degrees cooler than surrounding areas. An active fire lookout sits at the top of Hogback Mountain near the cabin. The Lookout is accessible by passenger vehicle and is manned by Forest Service personnel from mid-June through September. A short walk from the lookout offers spectacular panoramic views into Beaver Creek Canyon and surrounding landscapes.
Indian Flats Cabin is backed by mixed conifer forest, and a small stream flows in front of it. Hogback Mountain is located within a mile of the cabin at an elevation of 7,813 feet. The area around the cabin offers a variety of landscapes, from river banks to subalpine terrain. Valley bottoms, dense forests, meadows and barren ridges are mixed with streams, rivers and lakes. Wildlife in the area abounds. Elk, deer, squirrels and a variety of birds are commonly seen. The more elusive badger, wolverine, mountain lion and lynx find habitat in nearby areas as well.
The Gates of the Mountains Wilderness and the Missouri River are a short drive from the cabin, offering chances to explore.
$30 / night
New ownership and recently renovated in 2021, Casey and Kristen’s goal is to make their guests feel welcome and at home. Whether enjoying lake Hauser with family or a quiet weekend away, Grey Sandy makes your getaway simple with full hookup sites. Come say hello and enjoy a s’more on us at the community fire pit each night. Cabins, store and showers coming in 2023!
$50 - $60 / night
Moose Creek Campground is located southwest of Helena, Montana.__ Travel west of Helena on Highway 12 (about 8 miles) and turn south on Rimini Road #695.__ This__9 unit campground is located near other Forest Service features including: rental cabin, picnic area and environmental education trail.__ Also located within a short distance is access to the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail.
Bar Gulch Cabin is located in the Big Belt Mountain Range in Helena National Forest. The cabin was originally constructed in the 1930s on Forest Service lands to be used for mining purposes. Instead, it was used for recreational purposes and issued a special use permit, which was transferred to several owners until it was donated to the Forest Service in 1988. Today the cabin is a rustic getaway for guests seeking relaxation and recreation in west-central Montana. It is accessible by car, but snow removal is not provided in winter. The cabin offers several amenities, but guests should be prepared to bring some of their own supplies and gear.
Guests at the cabin can step out to several hiking opportunities right out the backdoor. Belt Divide Trail and Bar Gulch Trail are favorites in the area. Bar Gulch Trail is actually an old road through a timbered gulch, and is mainly used for hunting. The Ridge Trail, located along the crest of the Big Belt Mountains, is a favorite for those on foot, offering expansive views of the surrounding mountain ranges as well as overnight camping opportunities. Guests can take advantage of boating and fishing at Canyon Ferry Lake, which is only five miles away. The lake offers excellent fishing opportunities for rainbow trout, perch, ling and walleye. The wildlife viewing near the lake is quite impressive as well. It is one of the best in the country for viewing large concentrations of bald eagles. A wildlife management area at the end of the reservoir is home to a colony of terns and pelicans.
Guests at the cabin can step out to several hiking opportunities right out the backdoor. Belt Divide Trail and Bar Gulch Trail are favorites in the area. Bar Gulch Trail is actually an old road through a timbered gulch, and is mainly used for hunting. The Ridge Trail, located along the crest of the Big Belt Mountains, is a favorite for those on foot, offering expansive views of the surrounding mountain ranges as well as overnight camping opportunities. Guests can take advantage of boating and fishing at Canyon Ferry Lake, which is only five miles away. The lake offers excellent fishing opportunities for rainbow trout, perch, ling and walleye. The wildlife viewing near the lake is quite impressive as well. It is one of the best in the country for viewing large concentrations of bald eagles. A wildlife management area at the end of the reservoir is home to a colony of terns and pelicans.
Bar Gulch Cabin sits in a grassy, open clearing surrounded by a canopy of mixed-conifer forest. The area around the cabin offers a variety of landscapes, from river banks to subalpine terrain. Valley bottoms, dense forests, meadows and barren ridges are mixed with streams, rivers and lakes. The area offers unique opportunities for viewing wildlife. Elk, bighorn sheep, mule and white-tailed deer, black bear, moose and a variety of birds are commonly seen. The more elusive badger, wolverine, mountain lion and lynx find habitat here as well.
$25 / night
Beautiful Canyon Ferry Lake is the most used and enjoyed water playground in Montana. Summer recreation includes swimming, boating and some of the best walleye and trout fishing in the state (home of the Canyon Ferry Walleye Festival and Perch Ice Fishing Derby). Winter activities include hunting, ice fishing and ice sailing! This KOA offers 57 Pull-Thru RV Sites with both full hookups and water/electric. It has Camping Cabins, Tent Sites, showers and restroom facilities, and is close to the Canyon Ferry Lake Boat ramp and docks! Amenities include Wi-Fi and complete laundry facilities. You'll also find storage facilities for your boats, trailers and campers. What? You forgot your beer and marshmallows? The convenience store offers almost anything you may need for a pleasurable camping experience. Enjoy horseshoes, volleyball, a kids' playground and more! If you are out on the lake too late, the KOA store has Heat and Eat meals to choose from, or the Silo Bar and Grill is open most days year round. Our staff is friendly and well-informed on everything about fishing, boating, RVing, and storytelling!
If you are looking for a casual, quiet park with friendly service come join us. During your stay; why not check out Helena and the surrounding areas.We are just a few minutes away from experiencing the beauty of the State Capital building, next to it is the Historical Society Museum. How about jumping on the tour train, or take a trolley ride downtown and hear about the uniqueness of our city.If you like boats, there are boat tours at the Gates of the Mountains or put your own boat on one of our three gorgeous lakes [Canyon Ferry, Hauser, and Holter.] Take a couple of hrs. and have a quiet picnic at the Tizer Botanical Gardens & Arboretum which is S of Helena in Jefferson City.Many things to see and do; so stay a couple of days. We offer Clean Showers, Laundry, TV and Lounge Room.
The Miller Creek Cabin is located in the Townsend Ranger District and rests at the intersection of the Confederate Gulch Road (FS Road 287) and the Blacktail Road (FS Road 4171), surrounded by scattered forest in the Big Belt Mountains in west-central Montana. The cabin is accessible by high-clearance vehicle, but requires over-the-snow vehicle travel during winter months.____ Please use caution when accessing Miller cabin in the winter months, winter access will vary based on snow conditions. Do not count on wheeled vehicle access from November through April. You can get to Miller cabin in the winter months with snowmobile or cross country skiing. It is not recommended driving full size vehicle to the site during this time period.
During the summer months, enjoy a hike on local trails that will take you to high mountain lakes. During the fall, the cabin offers a wide array of recreation opportunities including hiking, hunting and off-highway vehicle access. The winter months provide for cross-country skiing and snowmobile opportunities.
During the summer months, enjoy a hike on local trails that will take you to high mountain lakes. During the fall, the cabin offers a wide array of recreation opportunities including hiking, hunting and off-highway vehicle access. The winter months provide for cross-country skiing and snowmobile opportunities.
The cabin sits at the confluence of two drainages, Confederate and Blacktail Creeks. The site is shaded for most of the day with mature trees and shrubs.
Confederate Gulch is a steeply incised valley on the west facing slopes of the Big Belt Mountains. Its small stream drains westward into Canyon Ferry Lake on the upper Missouri River Valley near present day Townsend, Montana. In 1864 Confederate soldiers on parole from the American Civil War made a minor gold discovery in the gulch, but in 1865 the discovery of the sensationally rich Montana Bar - one of the richest placer strikes per acre ever made - led to other rich gold strikes up and down the gulch, and touched off a frantic boom period of placer gold mining that extended through 1869. From 1866 to 1869 the gulch equaled or outstripped all other Montana Territory mining camps in gold production, producing an estimated $19 to $30 million in gold - late 1860s money. For a time, the gulch became the largest community in Montana. In 1866 Montana had a total population of 28,000, and of these, about 10,000 (35%) were working in Confederate Gulch. The main community was Diamond City while gold production was at its height; Diamond City roared along both night and day.
$45 / night
This 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.
amazing campground
This 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.
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.
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! A storm came through and it was windy for a bit, but besides that beautiful skies and great weather. Respectful campers, and right by water access!
Nice and quiet, with only the sound of the creek. It was nice to cool off in the water. 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. I wish people weren’t slobs.
Nice spacious log cabin with plenty of room to roam/hike in the area. Beds for up to 8 people, wood stove and firewood on site (firewood not guaranteed). Large open floorplan (takes awhile to warm up when it's cold out though...).
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
This place is not a good choice. It is dirty and not maintained except for the bathhouse which is decent. This property caters mostly to long-term residents in older RVs and mobile homes. It is not a place for Dyrt campers wanting to get away from it all. I was the only short-term traveler, and I was charged$35 for a 20 amp electric only site. That was too much. I have been on the road full time for eight months and this is the least attractive campground yet. I don’t like to criticize other reviews, but the other rating of 4 stars is a joke. It is more like a 1. I gave it 2 because the people were very friendly and the bathhouse was a B-. There are huge pot holes in the entrance which are not RV friendly. There is no garbage dumpster and no sanitary dump. I had to drive a gas station in town to do this.
Clean area, typical KOA restrooms. Not much shade. Pretty mount and lake views. Playground and store. $5 for showers if you are not staying.
Did not visit. Passing along info that camp website is gone. Park is now a KOA Park.
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.
Good, level, graveled sites. Full hookup pull-thrus that have a decent amount of space between sites. Bathrooms and showers very clean. Friendly staff. We were here in mid-October so not many traveling campers, but a few long-term
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!
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. Everyone had a great time at the cabin. 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. A propane stove was provided but you will need to bring fuel. The propane lantern was broken, but luckily we took along our own light sources. Pots, pans, dishes and utensils are available in the cabin. Plenty of games were in the cabinet to keep everyone entertained. The cabin has two bunk beds, and a table with chairs. Water is not available so you will need to bring it with you. A vault toilet is next to the cabin. Outside has a picnic table next to a fire ring. Plenty of room if your group is to big for the cabin to set up tents.
Moose Creek cabin is a nice fairly large cabin. It features a kitchen area, living room and two bedrooms each with two beds. Cabin has electricity but no running water. An outhouse is outside. A nice metal fire ring is available with two picnic tables. Fire wood is supplied during the winter months. Wood stove is in the living room area to heat the cabin. Kitchen is fully stocked with plates, cups and silverware. A small propane stove is available but you need to bring your own propane. If you need additional water the near by campground has a pump for water when open. We took our Girl Scout Troop here in June and they had a great time.
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. Hiking trail right by the cabin, even found some huckleberry nearby.
Cozy forest service cabin, wood stove for heat. Close to highway, so there's road noise but creek and cliffs make it relaxing to sit outside. (Families with small children beware of Proximity to highway).
Cozy Cabin near Lincoln. Great for families with small children (be bear aware though). Small secluded lake nearby for relaxed swimming.
Clean and relaxing. Table and fire ring at each site. Nice creek and very little traffic noise.
Granted, It’ a busy weekend. The facility is full with campers and with boaters. Some sections of the of the facility have the campers parked willy-nilly. Other areas are filled with “nice” camp sites. It’s busy, crowded, but. . . ok.
Nice stopping point between Glacier and Yellowstone. It was quiet and beautiful. The creek is fun to play in! The only negative was all the mosquitos! It was only $5 per night so it was worth it!
If you are looking for a quiet campground away from electronic distractions then this campground is for you. Kading Campground is located along the upper Little Blackfoot river at the end of Little Blackfoot road. Being at the end of the road and located along the river you will have a nice quiet night as the only vehicle traffic with be those vehicles travel to the campground of near by trail head. Kading Campground has 11 sites, each site has a picnic table and metal fire rings. The campground has two vault toilets. Water is available at Kading Cabin located across the road from the campground entrance. A small public corral is located across the road from the campground, and there are two horse watering troughs in the campground. A trail head at the end of the road can be reached from a short trail at the end of the campground. The trail follows the Little Blackfoot river. A five mile hike leads to Blackfoot meadows a popular fly fishing location. The campground has been recently cleared of its beetle killed trees making the campground much more open than it used to been, but this is still a nice quiet campground to visit.
I camp here with Boy Scouts since the place is often reserved for youth organizations. In the winter it can be fun but to climb some hills. Each campground has cabins which hold about 11 people and tent spaces out side. The cabin do have semi-decent heating, but not AC. The bathrooms are really big and well developed (and super warm for the winter). There is also a big “roof building” with picknick tables to eat food.
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Moose Creek campground will allow you to unplug during your visit as their is no cell service at this campground. Moose Creek campground is located along the newly paved Remini Road. This 9 site campground is scheduled to increase to $15 per night. The campground has two vault toilets, one at the beginning of the campground with the first three campsites. the remaining 6 sites are at the far end of the campground and have another vault toilet to serve them. All sites have picnic tables and fire rings. The campground has a water pump located at the beginning of the campground, so if you are staying in the far end of the campground be sure to fill up on the way in. Be on the look out for the campground's name sake as Moose to visit the area. Remini road gets light traffic so you should have much in the way of car noise, and Moose Creek runs along the edge of the campground helping muffle road noise.
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.
Camping near Helena National Forest, Montana, offers a mix of beautiful scenery and outdoor activities. Whether you're into fishing, hiking, or just soaking up nature, there’s something for everyone.
Camping near Helena National Forest, Montana, is a fantastic way to enjoy the great outdoors. With beautiful campgrounds and plenty of activities, it’s a perfect getaway for families, RVers, and nature lovers alike.
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 Helena North KOA with a 4.3-star rating from 3 reviews.
What is the best site to find cabin camping near Helena National Forest?
TheDyrt.com has all 24 cabin camping locations near Helena National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.
