Best Tent Camping near Helena, MT

Holter Dam Campground Review

Holter Dam Campground at Holter Dam Recreation site is a BLM 15 site campground located just below Holter Dam. All 15 sites at the campground feature covered picnic tables with a fire ring. All the sites sit along the edge of a very large parking area. 13 of the sites have plenty of room for tents on a nice flat grassy area. Two sites are close together and have limited room for tents. The campground has a double vault toilet with numerous water faucets, and dumpsters. A second vault toilet can be found at the boat ramp area just a short distance from the campground. An ADA campsite sits right in front of the vault toilets. The concrete pad for the ADA site extends to and surrounds the fire ring allowing wheelchairs to get as close to the fire as they want. Campsites run $10 an night (½ price for senior and access pass holders). Keep an eye out on the surrounding hills around the campground for Big Horn Sheep. While staying at the campground we saw 5 sheep on the hill next to the campground entrance.

Ranger review of the Wenzel Windy Pass Mummy 0° Sleeping bag

I was quiet pleased with the Windy Pass 0° Mummy sleeping bag. The bag is roomy, giving you room to turn around in the bags with out needing to have to bag turn with you. On the bags stuff sack it says it is a cold weather bag 0-20 degrees. I slept warm all night with the temps dropping into the low 30's with it raining all night (snow was on the ground on the hills above us). I was quiet pleased with the amount of padding the bag provided during the night as my sleeping pad failed to hold air, but I was still able to sleep comfortably on the hard ground. I got up several times during the night and each time I was able to warm back up in just a few minutes after getting back in to the bag. It will be interesting to test it out next winter in colder weather to see if it meets its temperature claims. I weighted the bag, and at 4 pounds 10 ounces, you might not be taking this one out on a backpacking trip, but for the front country camping you can't go wrong with this warm bag, specially for the price of $45.

Review of Duck Creek camping area

This was our second camp at Duck Creek this year with our Venturing Crew. This time we conducted a wilderness survival camp at the far opposite end of the camping area from our last camp. We constructed our survival shelters on the sand and gravel shore of Canyon Ferry Lake. We picked the shore in order to get away from the bugs. The cottonwoods and willows held plenty of little vampires looking for blood, the grassy areas had fewer mosquitoes but a recent hatch had occurred and although they didn't bite all those bugs made you thing you were being attacked. So the beach it was, it was amazing that you could walk out on the beach and not have any bugs, what a slight breeze will do. After setting up our shelters it was time to build a fire and cook dinner. Our site had a rock ring built into the sand, but we found this to be to close to the trees for our liking as the wind would blow embers into the vegetation. We built a new ring next to the water for the nigh. You will be unable to find our fire ring as any evidence of our visit was removed the next morning...Leave no trace. Their is no problem finding fire wood at duck creek drift wood is everywhere. If you want to stay at Duck Creek be prepared, this is primitive camping. No vault toilets, no water, no trash service, no metal fire rings, but you do have cell service.

Ranger review of the Firebiner from Outdoor Element.

Gave the firebinder to one of our Scouts to get a fire started, sparks up really well, she had a little problem due to how windy was, but a second try with a cotton ball covered in petroleum jelly had a fire going after three strikes. Our Scouts gave the striker five stars. The cutting blade worked well on string and fishing line, how ever we could not get through 550 para cord, and with such a small opening you are really limited on what you can cut with it. Over all everyone likes the look of the firebiner, and it held up to a weekend of use, is small and light weight and has worked well for clipping items on to packs.

Goose Bay Primitive Campround is right next to Goose Bay Marina and Campground. The primitive campground is free. The very large disperse campground area has several Vault Toilets. Rock fire rings are at the sites. Sites are not numbered as you can camp anywhere, but the good spots have rock fire rings. Sites do not have picnic tables. Their are ADA camp sites next to each Vault Toilet. The ADA sites each have large concrete pads, picnic table and metal fire ring. We had a Boy Scout Camporee at this location a few years ago and made for a nice camp, tons of room and plenty of lake access. If you use a water craft on Canyon Ferry you must have your craft inspected and cleaned before leaving. The Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks inspection site is located at the entrance of Goose Bay Marina and Campground

Cooper Creek Campground is a nice quiet campground in the Helena National Forest. Cooper Creek Campground offers 20 sites with metal fire rings and concrete picnic tables, and has three vault toilets and potable Water is available from a hand pump. For those who like to fish, the campground is along Cooper Creek and Snowbird lake is just across the road from the campground. Like to hike, the trailhead for Snowbank Creek/Sucker Creek trail is just across the road next to Snowbird lake. The trailhead has plenty of parking space and a Vault Toilet. Like bears, good, this is grizzly bear country so Food Storage Order is in effect. You will have to store your food in your vehicle as storage lockers are not available. Campground does have trash service. Cost in 2018 was $8 a night put this is planned to go up to $15 next year, but still well worth the price.

A Ranger review of the Vivobarefoot Primus Trail SG / Soft Ground.

I really like these shoe, but when I first pulled them out the box I wasn't sure. My first experience with these shoes was a little hard, hard as in, these shoes were hard to get in to. I though I was going to have to send these back, but I finally got them on. These shoe need to be broke in as they are very snug around the ankle. Luckily the shoes get easier to put on as you wear them, but still a bit of a challenge. That snug fit at the top of the shoe has its advantage, you don't get debris in your shoe as there is no room for anything to make its way into the shoe.

I was concerned at first that these shoes would not provide enough protection from rocks, but after taking them out on the trail my mind was changed. I was able to hike a rocky trail easily and comfortably, I even purposely stepped on loose rocks to see how it would feel. While I could feel the rocks, the shoe was tough enough to protect my feet, even the front of the shoe has enough material to protect your toes if you stub your toe on a rock.

A few things to note when you take the shoes out of the box, be sure to put the inserts in the shoes. I missed them at first and wore the shoes for several days before noticing them. While they are slim, those inserts made the shoes so much more comfortable. The shoes have elastic laces, but also come with a set of traditional laces, but the shoes fit so well I could probably go without the laces at all.

Confederate Campground is a Bureau of Reclamation campground on the shore of Canyon Ferry Lake. This small free campground does not have developed campsites with the exception of the one ADA available campsite. Their appears to be six camping spots, five that have rock made fire rings, the only developed site is the ADA site which has a concrete parking pad and metal fire pit. No picnic tables are available at this campground. The campground does have a ADA accessible vault toilet directly across from the ADA campsite. Two of the campsites sit along the lakes beach. Don't be expecting a nice sandy beach however, this is a gravel beach, but still nice. Two sites are near the vault toilet and ADA site, these sites sit on the edge of the lake among cotton wood trees and willows. The final location is away from the other sites in a grassy area near large cotton woods. Camping at Confederate campground is limited to 14 days. There is no water, trash service or picnic tables so come prepared. Their is not a boat launch at this campground, but boats can easily be launched from the rocky beach area. All water craft regardless of size must be inspected prior to launching at Canyon Ferry Lake.

Orofino campground is a small campground with 11 sites, but it also has a second half across the road which has two large family/group camps and a Day Use area with a large pavilion.  The sites are not numbered.  The Campground has a vault toilet.  The two family sites each have their own vault toilets, the day use site shares two vault toilets with one of the family sites.  This campground appears to get little use and little maintenance.  The vault toilets are quite old wooden structures, but in good shape.  The campground area has several sites where finding a level spot for a tent is difficult.  One hand pump is available for water and is located on the campground section.  Each family site had 6+ picnic tables and firer rings with a few BBQ grills.  All the sites in the campground have picnic tables but a couple do not have fire rings.  The campground has plenty of shade from its large trees, fewer trees in the family areas but still some good tree cover.

Orofino Campground is a small campground with 11 sites, but it also has a second half across the road which has two large family/group camps and a Day Use area with a large pavilion. The sites are not numbered. The Campground has a vault toilet. The two family sites each have their own vault toilets, the day use site shares two vault toilets with one of the family sites. This campground appears to get little use and little maintenance. The vault toilets are quite old wooden structures, but in good shape. The campground area has several sites where finding a level spot for a tent is difficult. One hand pump is available for water and is located on the campground section. Each family site had 6+ picnic tables and firer rings with a few BBQ grills. All the sites in the campground have picnic tables but a couple do not have fire rings. The campground has plenty of shade from its large trees, fewer trees in the family areas but still some good tree cover.