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Best Tent Camping near Jackson, MT

267 Reviews

Tent campgrounds near Jackson, Montana provide access to the scenic landscapes of Beaverhead National Forest, with several primitive sites available during the summer months. Beaverhead National Forest South Van Houten Campground, located in Jackson, offers tent sites from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Just north of Jackson, Steel Creek Campground and Beaverhead National Forest Steel Creek Campground and Picnic Area provide additional tent camping options in more remote settings within the national forest.

Most tent camping areas feature basic amenities with dirt or gravel pads and primitive facilities. Many sites lack drinking water, requiring campers to bring their own supplies or filter from nearby streams. Vault toilets are available at some locations like Beaverhead National Forest Steel Creek Campground, though not at all primitive sites. Walk-in tent locations are limited but can be found at select sites like Pettengill Campground, which offers both drive-in and walk-in tent access. Weather conditions can change rapidly in this mountainous region, with campers reporting snow as early as Labor Day weekend at higher elevations.

Tent campers in this region experience considerable solitude due to the remote location and limited development. Sites are typically well-spaced with room for tents on natural surfaces, providing privacy even when campgrounds are moderately full. Areas near water sources like Grasshopper Creek offer pleasant background sounds that mask any limited traffic noise. The Pioneer Mountains provide a dramatic backdrop for primitive tent camping experiences with opportunities for hiking, fishing, and wildlife viewing. One camper noted, "Most spots are nicely spread out. The creek is one of the further reaches of the Missouri River. Walking distance to the rustic Elkhorn Hot Springs Resort where you can swim and get a bite to eat." Many backcountry tent sites remain uncrowded even during peak summer weekends, making them ideal for those seeking genuine wilderness experiences.

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Best Tent Sites Near Jackson, Montana (42)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Jackson, MT

10 Photos of 42 Jackson Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Jackson, MT

267 Reviews of 42 Jackson Campgrounds

  • Todd M.
    Oct. 10, 2020

    Grasshopper Campground and Picnic Area

    Grasshopper Campground Ko

    This is a nice smaller forest service campground adjacent to grasshopper creek. A great spot to stay if exploring the Pioneer Mountains.

    There are 7-8 spaces, most suitable for a trailer or van. We were tent camping as were others. There are vault toilets and the ubiquitous forest service green potable water pumps/drinking fountains.

    There are no dumpsters so have to pack trash out. There are campground hosts but they don’t have firewood for sale, so either need to bring or be prepared to do quite a bit of hunting for wood. The area around the campground is picked pretty clean of good firewood.

    This is bear country and there are food storage boxes located throughout the campground for shared use. I expect the presence of bears is also why they don’t have any dumpsters on site.

    The campground sits at approximately 7000 feet and by late summer gets near freezing temps overnight. Bring your fall/winter sleeping bag if tent camping here in late August or late Spring!

    Just a few minutes up the road from the campground is Elkhorn Hot Springs where you can pay a few bucks to use the rustic pool and hot springs.

  • Dexter I.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 8, 2020

    Salmon Fly

    Beautiful small campground on the Big Hole River

    Salmon Fly Fishing Access Site is a beautiful small campground along the Big Hole River. The site has six campsites all nice spread apart from each other, and a decent size day use area. Sites have gravel parking pads, metal fire rings and picnic tables, along with nice grass areas to set up a tent. The fishing access site is with in walking distance to the small town of Melrose. The site has one vault toilet. No water or trash service is available. The site has a concrete boat launch, but be warned that Montana FWP has posted that the water is shallow for larger boats. The campground is nice and quiet, far enough from the Interstate to not really hear the road traffic, there also is a lightly used rail line near by, but did not notice any train noise while at the site. Cost to camp is$12 with a valid MT fishing license,$18 with out, if you are over the age of 62 then those rates drop to$6 or$9 a night.

  • Annie C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 31, 2021

    Copper Creek Campground

    Peaceful with a friendly host

    This has to be one of the most peaceful campgrounds I’ve even been to. It’s 10 miles off the main road so there is no street noise to speak of. But watch out for the cows as you drive in, they aren’t too fond of sharing the road. Only 8 sites with a host at one of them, you don’t have many neighbors. I was not able to camp here as it was totally full and according to the host, was going to stay that way for the week. He said it stays quiet except when a family with kids show up. He also said the fishing was pretty good in Copper Creek. The vault toilet was clean (his least favorite job), he will split a log or two if you ask real nice like, and there are two bear boxes for the 8 sites to share (he said most don’t bother to use them). The water pump delivers good clean spring water from the well. Every site has a picnic table and a fire ring. If you want solitude and quiet, this is the place to camp!

  • Dexter I.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 23, 2020

    East Bank Rec Site

    Camp, Fish and boat on Big Hole River at this small campground

    The BLM's East Bank campground is a small campground on the Big Hole river that has seen better days. Most of the trees in the campground have been removed due to beetle kill so sites are more in the open. The sites are well spread out and a few still have large trees. Each site has a gravel parking pad, picnic table and metal fire ring. The boat launch area is still nice with large trees along the river, a few picnic tables with fire rings are in this area which look like they could be used as a camping site but are small in size. The boat ramp is dirt, but the area has a large parking area. The recreation area and campground has vault toilets(handicapped accessible), but no water or trash service so come prepared. Their is no fee for this site.

  • Dexter I.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 10, 2020

    Brownes Bridge Fishing Access Site

    Nice little campground on the Big Hole River

    Brownes Island Fishing Access Site is located 6 miles south of Melrose on the Big Hole River. This nice little Fishing Access/Campground has five campsite sitting under large cottonwood trees. The campsite all have dirt parking pads, metal fire rings, picnic tables with a decent amount of room for tents. The campsites are nicely spread apart from each other. The camping area has one ADA accessible vault toilet. The FAS has a dirt boat ramp just down stream from Brownes Bridge. No water or trash service at this campground, but the price to camp can't be beat, the site is free. While this site is near the Interstate and a railroad the campground was still fairly quiet thanks to all the large cottonwood trees.

  • Laura B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 1, 2025

    Maiden Rock Dispersed

    Favorite spot so far

    This place is amazingly beautiful! We stopped by twice over three weeks- both times only one other site occupied. Sites are spaced nicely, brand new looking picnic tables, bear boxes, and fire rings. Put toilet right outside of camp. We walked down the road to the angler parking and took a dip in the evening :)

  • m
    Jul. 11, 2018

    Twin Lakes

    Beautiful, Serene, Off the beaten path

    It is a very off the beaten path, tucked away in the woods, true getaway from the busy city life. Travel south on 278 from Wisdom, MT and take the chance on an 18 mile gravel road to find a place only you see in pictures and read about in magazines. Drive through open cattle ranges and find a beautiful campground nestled up to 2 small lakes connected by a shallow channel. Clear water to see the bottom where it's shallow enough. No motorized boats allowed, so bring your own kayak or canoe and a fishing pole or two to enjoy the refreshing waters at the bottom of the mountains. Even in July, you can see snow atop the mountains on the Montana-Idaho border.

    • Large, open water front spaces to set up "shop"
    • Site 10 had room for 3 tents, 3 SUVs, 1 picnic table + extra side table, fire ring/grill, canoe, chairs around fire and shoreline, laundry lines
    • Not crowded (maybe 5 sites taken when we were there)
    • Bathrooms are clean (but no locks or hand sanitzer...at least the one I used)
    • Water available
    • One bear storage container at front entrance
    • Must pack up and take out your own trash (no bear proof trash cans)
    • Fire rings with grills available
  • Dexter I.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 21, 2020

    Dickie Bridge

    Pleasent small BLM Campground on Big Hole river

    Dicky Bridge Campground is a small BLM campground located near the Big Hole River, just off of Montana Highway 43. This 10 site campground is well shaded by large pine trees. None of the site sit on the river as a forest service road runs between the campground and the river. The site does have a dirt boat ramp and a larger parking area for vehicles and their boat trailers. All sites have level gravel parking pads, picnic tables and fire rings. Campground has pit toilets. No water or trash service at this campground, but the price is great at$0.00.

  • Dexter I.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 16, 2021

    Shoup Bridge Campground — Salmon Field Office (Blm)

    Small campgound on Salmon river and highway

    Shoup Bridge  Campground is a small Campground surrounding cottonwood trees along the banks of the Salmon River. It is also right along the Highway.  We found this a pleasant campground to stay in, plenty of flat ground for our tents and only $5 a night.  A few sites are quite small, but still room for a tent. This was our Scouts jumping off point for a backpacking trip the next day.  While next to the highway we expected a lot of noise during the night, but that was not our experience, the only real road noise we had was in the early morning with worked out as it helped wake us up.  Each site has a picnic table and metal fire ring.  Water is available and the area has a vault toilet and trash cans.  Campground has a boat launch.

Guide to Jackson

Jackson, Montana, offers a fantastic backdrop for tent camping enthusiasts, with a variety of campgrounds that cater to different preferences and needs.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Jackson, MT?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Jackson, MT is Beaverhead National Forest Grasshopper Campground and Picnic Area with a 5-star rating from 2 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Jackson, MT?

TheDyrt.com has all 42 tent camping locations near Jackson, MT, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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