Best Tent Camping near Hilger, MT

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.

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!!

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.

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:

• Well kept/clean- this is something that seems to be rare now a days. We liked that the restrooms were clean, and toilet paper was stocked. There are dumpsters in the campground which make it easy to clean up after yourself.
• Awesome hiking! We hiked every day that we were here. The views are amazing!! We did one hike that was 8 miles round trip, 4 miles round trip, and 6 miles roundtrip. All were amazing!
• The rangers were great! They helped us find our spot, and then tell us where some great hiking was!
• Campsites were big. This is ALWAYS a plus!! Also, the campsites have a table and fire ring. We loved using the fire rings at night to make smores!!

We will definitely be coming back! :)

30 amp water sewer

Full hookups for $38. Sites are average size. I have a 38-ft travel trailer and I had to unhook to fit in the space. The sites are not incredibly level. But for an overnight stop it works great. Easy in and out

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!

Everything is booked, so this is great stop on mt200 trying to get to great falls & on to Glacier. Like a rest area !

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.

A rest stop where you can actually spend the night. No fire rings, but a park like atmosphere. Road noise disappears at night.

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.

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.

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 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.