We're here to help you find where to go horse camping in Helena National Forest. It's easy to find Helena National Forest equestrian campgrounds with the Dyrt. These scenic and easy-to-reach Montana campsites are perfect for your horse camping excursion.
Cromwell Dixon Campground, located right on the Continental Divide, provides spectacular views of surrounding country encompassing meadows, timbered slopes, and far away mountains. Trailhead access to the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail is nearby. ACTIVITIES Camping Picnicking
Kading Cabin is located 16 miles south of Elliston, Montana in Helena National Forest. This site has served the Forest Service since the early 1900s when the agency was forming. It was selected for its central location, trail and wagon road accessibility, and telephone line service at the time, ensuring that it would be valuable for both administrative and protective work. The present cabin was built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Renovations and repairs were made to the facility in the 1960s and again in the early 1990s. Today, the cabin is a rustic retreat for guests seeking relaxation and recreation in central Montana. The cabin is typically accessible by car; however, heavy amounts of snow in winter can close the road to vehicles. Access to the cabin is via a 7-mile stretch of road passable by snowmobile, snowshoe, skis or dog sled. Guests must be prepared to pack in several of their own supplies.
Plenty of hiking, fishing and wildlife viewing opportunities exist along the numerous trails and roads that can be accessed within a short distance from the cabin. Fly fishing on the Little Blackfoot River is excellent. Brown trout are found in good numbers and large sizes below Elliston. Brook and cutthroat trout are found above Elliston. Whitefish can be found throughout the length of the river. In winter, guests will enjoy snowshoeing, skiing and snowmobiling on trails throughout the area.
Hemmed in by old-growth, conifer forest, Kading Cabin sits at the edge of a grassy clearing. The Little Blackfoot River flows near the cabin, a tributary to the Upper Clark Fork watershed. It drains an area of 265,300 acres from the Boulder Mountains north of Butte and west of Helena. 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.
Plenty of historic mines are scattered throughout the area, including Charter Oak Mine and the Mill and the Monarch Mine.
$30 / night
The Indian Meadows Trailhead provides access into the Scapegoat Wilderness. The site is not usually accessible by passenger vehicles until late May.
General Notes: Provides access to the Scapegoat Wilderness. Food Storage order in effect. Limited stock campsites available.
Parking: Ample parking provided for large stock trailers.
The Granite Butte Lookout is located at 7,587 feet above sea level atop the Continental Divide of North America. The 15' by 15' lookout cabin sits atop a 20' tall wooden tower that was first built in 1932. The structure was rebuilt in 1962 and has been recently renovated. This tower was listed on the national register of historic lookouts in 2008 and offers guests a glimpse into the life of a Forest Service Lookout. Located near Lincoln, MT the lookout offers direct access to the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail which stretches along the back bone of the continent from Canada to Mexico. It is accessible by vehicle, but be forewarned, the road is rough towards the end and high-clearance vehicles are recommended. The lookout has the basic amenities including a bed, auxiliary cots, tables, chairs, dishes, cutlery, and a woodstove are provided, but guests should prepare to bring their own bedding, water, and propane.
The Continental Divide Trail passes right by the lookout tower and offers guests access to as many miles as they care to hike, bike, or ride on horseback. There are several other trails for guests to explore within a 1/2 hour drive. The cabin also offers winter recreation opportunities with cross-country skiing opportunities out the back door and nearby access to over 200 miles of groomed snowmobile trails.
The Continental Divide Trail passes right by the lookout tower and offers guests access to as many miles as they care to hike, bike, or ride on horseback. There are several other trails for guests to explore within a 1/2 hour drive. The cabin also offers winter recreation opportunities with cross-country skiing opportunities out the back door and nearby access to over 200 miles of groomed snowmobile trails.
The lookout is located atop a grassy ridge directly on the Continental Divide. The area around the cabin offers spectacular views, abundant wildflowers, high elevation white bark pine stands, open meadows, and large rock outcroppings. There are lower elevation conifer stands and streams located nearby as well. Wildlife in the area abounds; including the more common elk, mule and white-tailed deer, squirrel, black bear, and a variety of birds. The more elusive grizzly bear, badger, wolverine, mountain lion, and lynx can be found here as well.
The nearby town of Lincoln offers restaurants, bars, art galleries, a sculpture park, and many events that are put on in the community throughout the summer. Visitors can also access the scenic Blackfoot River and Copper Creek from town and the nearby area.
$45 / night
Guide
This is a small, no frills site just outside of Helena, MT. No hookups for RVs; Vault toilets, which were very clean. Pack in/Pack out as there are no trash receptacles. Moderate road noise until dark. Beautiful views and dark skies at night for stargazing
ScoutIt was a clean campground spaces far apart. Pit toilets and water. Water was rusty. It worked for over night.
Legend
Indian Meadows Trailhead is the trailhead for two trails in to the Helena National Forest Scapegoat Wilderness Area, plus it features a camping area with picnic tables and metal fire rings along with a vault toilet. The camping loop has five developed sites with tables and fire rings. The area serves as the trail head for two trails, Mainline Trail #481 and Landers Fork Trail #438. Each trail head has a small parking area, but a very large parking are is between the two to allow for additional parking and for horse trailer parking. No water or trash service is available at the site, but can be obtained at the Copper Creek campground a few miles away. Cost is FREE!
ScoutYou can turn right off the highway and easily access dispersed camping around the site. Only drawback is the highway noise but it dies down when it gets dark.
GuideSites have good separation. Potable water taps and vault bathrooms are very clean. Higher elevation for cooler Summer evenings. No hookups. Decent cell signal. Can hear road noise at a distance, but not too loud.
Guide15 sites available at $15 per night. Showed up at 12:30pm on a Sunday and many still available.
RangerI stayed there for a few weeks when the temperature is down in the valley started to get into the upper 90s and near 100. It was a good 10° cooler at this campsite than down in the valleys. You sit right below the continental divide with good access to the continental divide trail. The other big plus is that there is a cell phone tower right above the campground so you have excellent cell phone service. It's a nice clean little campground with a pit toilet and water available.
GuideA Stunning Surprise! In spite of a loss of large pine trees... and having no personal comparison, for us, this was a surprise. So peaceful and with a gorgeous sunset on a vast horizon. The rocky sloped landscape had a lot of wildflowers and made for a pleasant overnight stop with no expectations.
Scout
Nice camp ground. It’s primitive , has a couple fire pits. Pack it in pack it out! Quit except the highway is just up and over the river. Free
Legend
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.
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Cromwell Dixon Campground is a nice Forest Service Campground located on the Continental Divide's McDonald Pass. The campground has 15 campsites serviced by two vault toilets and water spigots. This is a Trash-in Trash-out campground. The campground has a mixture of drive and and pull through sites. All sites are first come first served. This campground use to be nicer until pine beetles killed most of the trees. All the dead trees have been removed making this campground more open, with little cover from the winds. Cromwell Dixon is very busy during the summer months. The campground is available in the shoulder seasons if snow drifts are not blocking your access to the campground. Nearby the campground are trail heads for the Continental Divide trail heading south along the trail. The hike along the CDT trail is a nice hike through rolling terrain.
Guide
Great secluded spot to set up a tent or boondock. Vault toilets. Only a mile or so from holter lake so you can drive back to the lake and play around or go to the store.
GuideBeautiful, usually quiet, and lots to do in the area.
RangerStayed one night while visiting a friend in Helena. Close to the Continental Divide trail, which we briefly hiked. Beautiful trail. Campsites had tables and plenty of shade. There was a highway near the campground, which unfortunately meant we had occasional noise at night.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Helena National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Helena National Forest is Cromwell Dixon Campground with a 4-star rating from 10 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Helena National Forest?
TheDyrt.com has all 5 equestrian camping locations near Helena National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.
