Searching for the best camping near Hilger, MT? Hilger is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. Discover great camping spots near Hilger, reviewed by campers like you.
The Crystal Lake Group Campground is located in the beautiful Big Snowies south of Lewistown, Montana, at 5,700 feet. Home to the Crystal Lake recreation area, visitors enjoy hiking and fishing in the Snowies.
The lake provides opportunities for swimming, fishing and canoeing. The various trails that stem from the Crystal Lake complex provide excellent views and interesting photo opportunities. One trail displays old hieroglyphs in a cave allowing visitors a glimpse of the past.
Water is available via a spring faucet and is just down from the camping site. An outhouse is provided next to the parking area for the group site. There is room for parking behind the gate in a parking area or to have two (up to 35___) campers parked there as well. Asphalt walkways and tent pads are present but room in the adjacent meadow can be used for bigger tents. Two large picnic tables are on site and a metal fire ring.
Settled in the basin of Crystal Lake, the group site offers great access to trails and ta short drive or walk to the lake. Some trees are around the campsite but may not offer much shade.
Ice Caves Trail, Cascade Trails and the lake are all located in the complex.
$40 / night
James Kipp Recreation Area is situated along the Upper Missouri River and is open from April 1 to December 1, annually. This is a popular site for launching watercraft, as well as camping, picnicking and fishing. The potable water system is currently shut down. Water for the RV dump will become operational after the last spring freeze, typically by May 15. Campsites are on a first-come, first-serve basis ___ NO RESERVATIONS There are 34 sites that can accommodate trailers or recreational vehicles (RVs) up to 40 feet in length. There are no hookups. Each site has a designated fire ring and picnic table. The campground is equipped with vault toilets, trash dumpsters, and an RV waste dump ($10 dump fee).
A rest stop where you can actually spend the night. No fire rings, but a park like atmosphere. Road noise disappears at night.
Minor noise from the road. Many spots were available. Got some fresh spring water from one of the spigots. Very clean and clear skies. Next to an airport, but absolutely no traffic.
We were here on June 17, 2022. It was somewhat crowded but we managed to snag a spot for our 38’ fifth wheel. They have a ten day limit on your stay which is free. No electric but they do have some water spigots spaced throughout. Our AT&T has 2-3 bars of data and running 13 mbps. No designated sites just find a place to park.
Everything is booked, so this is great stop on mt200 trying to get to great falls & on to Glacier. Like a rest area !
Perfect place to duck into and park during high winds/rain. Extremely clean restroom. Be aware, Waze directed me to a totally different place but Google Maps pointed me to the exact location. You just find a place on the grass or in an actual site and be sure to honor them with a donation!
Not too bad for a quick overnight stay. Right next to the highway so lots of traffic. The grass is nice but they are having a problem with prairie dogs. Restrooms were clean!
This use to be the most beautiful campgrounds in Montana, until the USFS said the trees were dangerous. They had every tree in the campgrounds cut down and hauled off. Not much privacy now as every camp site can be watched by all the other campers in the other campsites.
This is a clean well kept basic campground right off the highway. The Dyrt description is a little confusing, no dump station, water only. Nevertheless we were happy to find it as a quick night stop. Road noise minimal, a few airplanes took off from the airport while we were there, but were not too intrusive. Bathrooms clean and well functioning, plenty of spaces without being crowded. Donations only.
Camped for one night between White Sulphur Springs and Glasgow MT. Clean park with plenty of room to space out. Just pull in and pick your spot. Only charge is they accept donations. We'll maintained and used by many as it is also a little rest area off the highway. Grocery store accross the road very handy. It is all dry camping with water and restrooms available. Small municipal airport is next door. Fun watching the activity. Not noisy at all.
I camped two nights . The sites are spacious and most are shady. We took a nice hike along the river. There is an rv dump for $10. There was no water available during my stay. Only downside was a swarm of horseflies that were not deterred by bug spray or a bug light!
This would have been a 5 star review, but most of the trees that made this area magical have had to be cut down due to beetle infestation. Lake is gorgeous and crystal clear. Hiking trails to an overlook and the ice cave are marked.
Crystal Lake is a beautiful area, very much worth the drive. There is a lot of gravel and one lane roads going in with a few sketchy spots where you are looking straight down off the side. Campground is not kept mowed as well as others we've been too, but really adds to the pristine natural environment around you! We had abundant wildlife sightings with multiple deer right at our campsite.
I love this place so much. This was my first time camping in Montana. It was breathtaking for me. The lake was so peaceful and clear. The trail around the lake is a nice walk to see all the different views around it. The meadows were full of wildflowers in the summer. The campground is a small loop and spaced out, the lake trail also had a couple of backcountry spots to set up. There’s also a few more trails in the area that were very pretty!!
Crystal Lake is a nice area. To get there it's a mix of about 20 miles of gravel and 1 lane paved roads. The gravel roads are well maintained. The 1 lane paved roads are a little iffy if you're pulling a trailer and its a busy travel day. The lake is beautiful and small enough hike around it if you have a few hours. The surrounding area is gorgeous as well. The campground isn't very big, there's about 20 or so sites in the loop and I believe they are all first come first serve. There is a Group campsite and a cabin which are reserveable. We reserved the Group Site which sits closer to the trail head. ONE thing to know if you reserve the Group site, call ahead during the week and get the lock pass code. We overlooked that requirement and almost had to stay in the regular camping area because the gate was locked. Luckily during the evening the camp host came down to see if we paid the nightly fee and he had the code. That said, the camp host wasn't clearly identified anywhere and apparently they were camped out behind the cabin. It appears that at one point either there was a fire or beetle kill in the meadow that the camp sites are in as there are no trees in the immediate area. Its kind of like an large open area that has a lot of overgrowth. The Group site area has what appears to be a great tent camping layout but the brush is way overgrown and you cant really tell. The regular campground looks the same. Don't get me wrong, the Crystal Lake area is stunning, its just seems like the campgrounds haven't been really tend to in a few years. We saw a few fish being pulled out of the lake, lots of hikers heading up the trails and a few deer passing through the meadow. Overall it was a nice experience. Good hiking trails and beautiful (smaller) lake to play or relax on. One thing it lacked, for us at least, is trees in the campground and area's to ride our SxS.
We stayed here on a trip out to Glacier NP. If you are just passing through to get from point A-B and don't want to get out into the back country, this campsite really fits the bill.
It's clean, maintained and relatively quiet. As others noted, it's essentially free, donations accepted.
This place is great and it runs off of donations, so make sure to drop some cash into their donation box if you can. Clean bathrooms and plenty of spots to park your car and camp, some with picnic tables even. There is trash and plastic/can recycling. Flush toilets and running water. There’s a shower at the civic center in town for $2, or one in Grass Lands for $5 just 30 min down the road.
This place is awesome. I wish they had these all over the country. Nice parking, covered picnic tables, Grassy and some shade, nice bathrooms. Free but please donate what you can so they will keep this open for the next time you pass thru.
The Lewistown Kiwanis provide a rest area and free campground to travels on the west end of town next to the airport. This camping area has no fee(they will take your donation to help with upkeep of the site), but does have restrooms with running water, several frost-frees are in the camping area to provide water, and trash cans are found at the restrooms. The camping area does not have numbered sites, but there are 12 concrete picnic tables, 6 of those are covered. No campfires at this campground. Their is plenty of room for camping even if all the tables are taken. Camping is limited to 10 nights. The airport is small so you will have very little aircraft noise, most noise will be from State Hwy 200/U.S. Hwy 87, but since the speed limit is 45mph noise from cars and trucks will be slight.
I love visiting Montana to do hiking and camping. The outdoors here is amazing!! Mountains everywhere, and wildlife everywhere!! The campground was awesome. Here are some things we liked:
We will definitely be coming back! :)
Great area for hiking and wildlife spectating. Great sites.
In the summer, you’ll want to bring or rent a boat of some kind to explore the river; there are many local outfitters. In the fall I’ve heard about the elk herds here and it’s not far from a wildlife refuge. Pros: outhouses, water (seasonally), beautiful landscape (cliffs, river, meadows), lots of water recreation, interesting (but tragic) local history, stargazing, choice of shady or open campsites, along river. Cons: bugs and mud (both seasonal).
In late October, hundreds of elk congregate in the Slippery Ann area of the park. Dozens of cars also come to watch the herd. It's a very fun time, and an amazing spectacle. It is very busy at this time of year, so that's a bit of a bummer for camping. In mid-summer, before the elk come, there are a million-zillion mosquitoes and it's not fun. Come for the elk!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Hilger, MT?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Hilger, MT is Kiwanis Park with a 4-star rating from 12 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 3 glamping camping locations near Hilger, MT, with real photos and reviews from campers.
