Best Glamping near Helena National Forest

Glamping Reviews near Helena National Forest

84 Reviews of 15 Helena National Forest Campgrounds

• Z

  Z S.

  Guide

  Jul. 28, 2024

  Holter Dam Rec. Site Campground

  Great week day but packed on weekend

   A lot of water stations.  The boat dock parking area allowed camping along the perimeter. A few paved walking paths near the beach area.   The narrow paved roads made life interesting. The fish cleaning station is closed due to vandalism.  Our first day was 105F which made the lake more inviting.  Evening low of 76F.  No pets on the fairly small swim beach.  All other water access has large rocks for erosion mitigation.

  Our Saturday departure was delayed by FWP boat inspection at the entrance and a long line was inbound to Holter Lake.

• 

  Brian C.

  Ranger

  Jul. 20, 2025

  Kim's Marina & RV Resort

  1 Star – This Ain’t a Resort, It’s a Biohazard Zone With Wi-Fi

  If 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.

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• 

  Sterling C.

  Guide

  Apr. 14, 2019

  Log Gulch Recreation Site

  Great for anything!

  For scouts we had a huge campout here (like we do every year) and it still is one of my most memorable campground. The area is super clean, with the only trash I find way out in the mountain. Talking about that, there are cool “mountains” (basically steep hills with some rocks) you can climb or hike, that give you a great view of the area. The bathrooms are pretty clean and not too smelly as well. If you just want to go camping there are amazing places to pitch a tent and in ground fire pits. Also, if you happen to have a boat, you can park it next to your campsite and take it onto the lake during the day.

• 

  K B.

  Ranger

  Jul. 9, 2021

  Rillway Cabin

  Rustic Cabin

  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).

• H

  Harry H.

  Ranger

  Oct. 1, 2017

  Vigilante Campground

  Great basecamp for the area.

  Free, drive-up, no permit needed. Primitive sites, very simple but clean and kept up well. Wooded by a creek. Pretty sure a bear came through camp one night so make sure to follow all the bear guidelines. Cute small town of York is nearby, got to see a cattle drive which was pretty neat.

• 

  Natalie B.

  Legend

  Aug. 15, 2017

  Fish Hawk Campground - DAY USE ONLY - CAMPGROUND PERMANENTLY CLOSED

  On the lake!

  Beautiful spot on the lake! The campsites are walk-in so be aware of that. There is a handicap spot that is next to the toilet you don't have to walk in to. Not a lot of privacy but there is a good distance between sites. Picnic tables and established fire rings here, dogs welcome!

• J

  Jeff E.

  Scout

  Jun. 17, 2019

  Logging Creek

  Great spot for a family weekend

  This is a great place if you want to get away from Great Falls for a night or two. Each campsite has a fire pit, picnic table and a decent amount of trees. Great little pool on the far side of the campsite is great for kids.

• 

  Chris S.

  Guide

  Jun. 18, 2019

  Jumping Creek Campground

  Convenient little gem

  Right off the road but feels pretty tucked away. Shared the camp with 3 small RVs but everyone had plenty of space. The are has been cleared of timber and there was plenty of wood laying around. Sites are nice with solid tables and fire pits. Two vault toilets as well. Beautiful creek flows through the campsite. Would recommend. $10 self pay no reservations.

• 

  Dexter I.

  Legend

  Apr. 29, 2019

  Upper Toston Dam Campground and Boat Launch

  Ranger review of Upper Toston Dam Campground and Liquid I.V. Review

  Upper Toston Dam Campground and Boat launch is one of two campground in the BLM Toston Dam Recreation Area. The Lower Toston Damp Campground is located a half mile below Toston Dam. The Upper Toston Dam Campground features four cover camp picnic table sites with metal fire rings. All four of the sites sit at the edge of a large parking area. Between the covered sites and the Missouri river is a grassy area that tents can be set up in. The grassy area slopes down towards the river, this could make finding a level spot for your tent difficult depending on the size of your tent. One could also pitch their tent on the edge of the parking area. The site has a single vault toilet. A small boat launch with a dock is available as well. Their is not water or trash service at this campground. This campground will be a quiet location as it is 5 miles from the highway, the only noise will be from water running over the dam and any trains that come down the tracks located on the other side of the river. This site also benefits from not having any cell phone service.

  Ranger Review of Liquid I.V.™ Hydration Multiplier Passion Fruit Flavor

  I have been trying out Liquid I.V. for several days now and I am quite pleased with the result. Just drinking one of these a day is keeping me well hydrated, far more so than drinking the same amount of water or other sports drinks during the day. Today I tried out the Passion Fruit flavor which taste great. I would give the flavor 5 starts, all though I do prefer the Lemon-Lime flavor.

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