If you want to explore the beauty of Lakeside, glamping is an excellent option. Glamping is not only a fun alternative to traditional tent camping, but also allows you to pack more or less gear as you see fit. The Dyrt makes it easy to find glamping for your Lakeside adventure.
Big Arm is located on Flathead Lake, the largest natural freshwater lake in the western United States. Twenty-eight miles long and 15 miles wide, Flathead Lake is renowned for its fishing.
Located on the lake's Big Arm Bay, its long pebble beach is popular with sunbathers and swimmers. Camping under a stand of mature ponderosa pine and juniper is a major attraction. The hiking trail provides excellent vistas of surrounding mountain ranges and high peaks with abundant watchable wildlife opportunities. Other opportunities include: fishing for lake trout, board sailing, boating, swimming, camping, picnicking, bicycling, hiking the 2.5 mile trail, wildlife viewing, scuba diving, and water-skiing.
This site is 2,953 feet in elevation and covers 240 acres. The campground has 41 campsites, including one wheelchair accessible site; one group campsite; and three yurts. Maximum RV/trailer length is 40 feet. Bear resistant storage lockers are available.
Yurts offer the latest in circular camping comfort. The Mission yurt is 20’ in diameter, Salish and Swan are 16’ in diameter, and the Swan yurt is ADA accessible. All yurts have furniture, electrical outlets, lights, and electric heat. Yurt sites includes a picnic table and a fire pit for cooking.
A tribal fishing license is needed for fishing at this park. Campers may stay only 14 days during a 30-day period. Pets are required to be on leashes.
Big Arm is a popular jumping-off point to Wild Horse Island, a 2,163-acre island in Flathead Lake State Park, located off the west shore of the lake. The island is home to bald eagles, bighorn sheep, yellow-pine chipmunks, and wild horses.
Pine-scented campsites here are a mere 2.5 miles from Glacier National Park's west entrance. A short drive of a few minutes brings you to the start of the famous Going-to-the-Sun Road that twists and climbs across the million-acre alpine preserve. Whitefish, Kalispell, and Flathead lake are within driving distance to explore for part of a day with plenty of time left to relax at this KOA. This KOA also offers a heated adult (18+) pool 2 adult (18+) hot tubs and a heated family (all ages) pool. Enjoy our Lazy Bear Breakfast or Dinner restaurants, as well as our Bearstream Bar and Bear Garden. You can treat yourself to huckleberry ice cream at Scoops Ice Cream Shop or head to the state's largest water park in nearby Columbia Falls.
Glacier Campground is located just one mile from the west entrance of Glacier National Park and is the closest privately owned campground to the park, known for “the way camping used to be!” Our heavily wooded 40 acre campground is surrounded by the Flathead National Forest. West Glacier Village provides many activities including golf, mini golf, shopping, rafting, horseback rides and helicopter tours. There are also many options for great local dining. Outdoor lovers will love staying at with us
$75 / night
$30 - $56 / night
$26 - $55 / night
Located 5.5 miles from Glacier National Park's West entrance. Mile marker 147.5 on Highway 2. 30/50amp Full Hookup RV sites, Big Rig friendly, Camping Cabins and Yurts.
$60 - $80 / night
A lakeside campground on the shores of Whitefish Lake.
$4 - $34 / night
Murray Bay Campground is located on the Hungry Horse Reservoir, high in the Rocky Mountains, less than 30 miles from the Continental Divide, surrounded by towering mountain peaks. Visitors can expect a variety of recreational activities, including, fishing, boating, swimming, hiking, exploring and big game hunting. Murray Bay Campground has 20 sites, 11 which are reservable and 9 that are for our walk up visitors. The stay limit is 16 consecutive days.
Boating is popular on the 27,750-acre reservoir, and a concrete boat ramp is accessible from within the campground. Swimming and fishing are also popular pastimes, and anglers can expect to catch a variety of fish, including cutthroat trout.
The campground is situated along the massive Hungry Horse Reservoir, which was dammed to provide hydroelectric power and flood control to the area. It is the 10th highest dam in the United States and provides a stunning backdrop.
Murray Bay Campground is approximately 31 miles southwest of the West Glacier entrance to Glacier National Park.
_Cancellations made within the 4 Day Reservation Window will be "considered" for a refund, by the concessionaire, of Camping fees only and will automatically forfeit the first nights fee. Day of Arrival cancellations must be turned in by calling Cheryl at 406-752-PWAI (7924) or 406-404-4164 to get the information to the campground Host. All Considerations will be made after your original reservation dates have passed. *No shows have no chance of a refund.
$18 / night
Traveler
This is glamping. This is a resort with resort amenities and feels so vacation-y. I enjoyed the heck out of it. We stayed in a Deluxe Kamping lodge with a medium patio and full bath. Linens and bedding provided, partial kitchen (stocked), room for 6. KL3 is at the back of the campground away from the busy entrance and pools—feels nice and private. Beautiful grounds, two pools, and delicious steaks ($) for dinner at the Lazy Bear Cafe. Lots to do and 2.5 miles from the west entrance to GNP. Laundry available; showers and restrooms if you’re in a tent or RV. Busy, but everyone is chill. My kids think we’re in Disney and it’s nice to be able to relax a bit after a disastrous year. Note: Most amenities are outdoors, including the restaurant.
GuideSo, its a KOA which is awesome for some and not for others. I have only been to a handful but they are way too managed and the stereotypical "glamping" situation. Reason we booked was because we were headed from a nearby camp on Flathead lake and wanted to get closer to Glacier before walking in for a permit. This KOA is less than 20 minutes from the Apgar permit office... We booked a primitive cabin online before the trip, and then the night of our arrival, about 1 hour till their general store/office closed, we got a phone call saying that they made a mistake and they over booked. How did they handle it? They put us up in one of their luxury full cabins! Now, that is not the experience we were looking for, but for us this was merely a one nighter to get to Glacier. So we accepted. Campfire ring, picnic table, private parking, and our own little cabin complete with flat screen tv and surround speakers in the ceiling. 2 other bedrooms one with bunks that went unused, a kitchen with coffee maker and mini fridge, and a bathroom with toilet, sink, and shower... While not the experience we were looking for it sure made it easier to pack up and get into glacier for that walk in permit. Although there was some mistake with their booking they owned it and gave us what would be considered a huge upgrade, and we made it to the permit office early without needing to worry about deflating our sleeping pads. Thank you West Glacier KOA!
Guide
Stayed in a yurt for a week. Loved the vibe of the campground. Free coffee was a life safer for early rising to get into the park at 6am. Rented a ebike from rental place next door and was able to ride ebike to the park on a walking trail. Loved the yurt and stayed warm. They were very helpful to book us all side by side (2 yurts and a cabin)
Legend
The campground offers many lakeside campsites complete with picnic table and fire rings. There were 3 yurts for those interested. all vehicles, including camping vehicles, park alongside road; there are few, if any, pull-in sites. There is room for a tent or two in the sIte. Most of the lakeside sites also have a small amount of slope.
The camp hosts were absolutely fantastic! There is firewood and ice for sale at the park. Polson is about 20-30 mInutes away and has grocery stores, etc. If you go to Polson, check out The Cove Deli for some really great ice-cream.
The showers were really awkward, but did the job. They take $ coins (available from host if needed) and quarters.
If you aren’t bringing your own boat, Boat Rentals and Rides is only 2 miles down the road. We rented 2 glass bottom kayaks. Warning: lake conditions change suddenly and we saw the waves blow in 2 dIfferent directions durIng the 2 days we were there. There were no bear boxes at the sites, only one by the bathroom.
GuideYo mr the most amazing way to stay here is in a yurt! These circular traditional structures are an experience not soon forgotten buy kids or adults alike
Scout
We love going camping and fishing at Sylvan Lake, always wanted to try the Yurts but also book out, great place for family .
Guide
This small campground packs a tremendous punch! RVs (if I had to guess, accommodates 8-12 total), rustic cabins, two yurts, and pondside tent sites - there are no defined tent sites; anywhere along the pond perimeter is fair game.
We stayed just one night in one of the yurts ($35 summer 2021), which is equipped with two cots and a battery-operated lantern. After checking in with the camp hosts (who are lovely!), we got a key to the showers, bathrooms, and laundry room. The hosts keep these areas immaculate, cleaning often. There's also very limited wifi on the porch just outside the bathrooms/showers.
The campground has a great vibe and everyone is very friendly. Between the pond and Swan Lake just across the street, it is buggy, but you cannot beat the location!
The general store is still closed due to flooding last summer, but new construction is well underway.
GuideThere are a few yurts here, which is where we stayed since some are ADA accessible. Campsites are among the trees and at least half of them are right along the lake. There are showers but overall a nice simple campground. There are some hiking trails here, great wildlife, but boating is the main attraction. WIld Horse island in Flathead Lake is incredible, absolutely worth the trip (by boat only).
LegendFor full disclosure we were compensated for this trip for testing the Dyrt's reservation system.
Our trip to Swan Lake Trading Post & Campground started out by reserving the campground through The Dyrts's new reservation system. Reserving the site was extremely easy and fast to use, way better than other systems we have used before. We had a confirmation from the campground with in a few hours of using the reservation system.
Now for the campground. We were highly impressed by this small campground. The tent camping area was located around a small pond/lake. The site has picnic tables and fire rings as well as plenty of chairs available for siting around the fire or along the little lake. The campground has 8 RV sites, 3 cabins and 3 yurts (the yurts had not been set up for the season during our visit). The trading post has all your basic camping needs and anything you need if you forget something, they even have Ice Cream. If you don't want to cook breakfast the trading post will take care of that for you by cooking up a breakfast sandwich for you. The campground provides clean restrooms and showers. Tent sites were very reasonable at $20, just two more dollars than the Forest Service campground down the road which does not have flush toilets or showers. The camp host are very friendly. We were provided with the camps wifi password, but you do have to be on the trading post back porch to use it. The porch has plenty of table an chairs for sitting at. They also have games you can use to pass the time, we didn't use them but was nice to know they were available. It was nice and quiet at night with very little traffic on the highway, plus the creek running by really muffled any noise from vehicles driving by. This campground will definitely be on our list to stay at the next time we visit the Swan Valley and Swan Lake.
Ranger
My family and I recently stayed at Rollings RV Park on Flathead Lake in Montana, and we loved it! Although it's all back-in sites for RVs and there's not a lot of room, we found that the park was beautiful and quiet, and the staff was very friendly. They have some tent sites and cabins available as well.
There's a restaurant on-site, but it has limited days and hours. The food was excellent, but it's like being in the UK, where you order everything yourself.
The park is clean, and the sites have a decent amount of space. You're close to Polson and Lakeside, where there are great beaches. The campground has its beach, but you have to drive to it.
One of the best things about the park is the great playground for kids. Our kids loved it!
The only thing we didn't love was the parking situation for guests or extra vehicles, but since it's a small place, we understand that it can be limited.
Overall, we will 100% stay at Rollings RV Park on Flathead Lake again and again. It's an awesome place, and we highly recommend it.
GuideI meant to crash here one night on my way from Glacier to Yellowstone but it was so beautiful I stayed an extra day.
Most of the sites are along the water, but seem a little close to one another. Fortunately, the woman at the gate told me about sites T1 and T3. They are both walk-in sites at the end of the campground (50ft to T1 and maybe 300ft to T3) and are SO worth it. I stayed at T3 and could not recommend it more. It’s large, you get nearly 100ft of private lakeside, plenty of sun but also enough trees to provide shade. It’s just spectacular. The only draw back is that the tent site is a bit sloped, but that’s it. Everything else is magnificent. I set my hammock up over the edge of the water and just read all day with a couple dips in the lake here and there.
Truly one of the best campsites I’ve ever had.
Scout
Awesome location. Quiet. Montana views ...
Ranger
The location of the campground is great, very close to the mountain town of Whitefish Montana and right along Whitefish Lake. The sites are small and the road is narrow but it is beautiful. I would be cautious about bringing any large campers to this area but the tent sites are nice. Be aware of ticks. Some sites are nice and level but others have a heavy slope.
Legend
Our friend's family has a campout here every year on Labor Day. The sites are large, and loop B has the most sites on the water. There is a boat launch and a dock, perfect for fishing. The bathrooms are SUPER clean and heated when it's chilly out. $18 for a Montana resident and $26 for out of staters. No cell service!!
Legend
While there’s nothing stand-outish about the tent area, at least it’s furthest from the highway, tree-lined and secluded from the RVs. It would be relaxing if there were, at most, only a couple of other tent campers, because it's just an open area. There's decent open space within and especially outside the RV park. You have a lot of uncluttered valley and mountain views. The international airport is about a mile away. It’s a bonus if you like that sort of thing. One of the most gorgeous Montana sunsets happened while I was here. Big Sky Country at its very best.
Legend9/13/19 West Glacier, Montana
West Glacier KOA Resort
Most beautiful location of the KOAs I've stayed at. Nestled against the mountains and less than 3 miles to Glacier National Park.
Lots of sites to choose from. Ours was a pull thru with nice vegetation between. Fire pit with benches and picnic table. Some sites are close together with no privacy. Some have gas grills and patio furniture. There are cabins and tent sites as well. Bathhouse was average. The cafe was open for breakfast and dinner.Ice cream shop closed for the season. Amazing pool! Nice play area, dog parks. Really nice camp store, firewood available. KOA Workshop on site. RV wash and dog grooming by appointment.
Guide
Montana is absolutely gorgeous! I may be biased because I go to college in Montana, but there is so many great outdoor activities. The mountains and scenery are my favorite. Some college friends and I have done a lot of camping over the years together, and Glacier Campground was one of my favorites. The campground is awesome, and is a few exits down from the Glacier National Park. Trees surround you within the campground, which was great because my friends and I had hammocks so those were easy to hook up with all the trees! One thing we really enjoyed doing was we did some horse back riding! There is a place nearby where you can go and do this. We had a blast!! There are many lakes and rivers too that are great. We enjoyed swimming in the lake, and also rented some kayaks at a local shop a few miles away. The campground does offer spots for tents, RVs and they also have cabins. We chose to tent because we are poor college students :). Maybe at some point we would try renting a cabin because they looked pretty fun. We didn't reserve our spot ahead of time, but we were able to get a spot still. It was in the spring time, so I'm sure if it was in the summer months you might want to call and make a reservation. Each campsite does have a table and fire pit which came in handy for us. We only stayed for the weekend, but wish we could have stayed longer to do some hiking. Because Glacier National Park is right around the corner, I know they have great hikes. If you are into hiking, I would definitely research hikes in that area. I can't wait to come back!!
Guide
Sylvia Lake is tucked back into the Flathead Forest. Wild fires have burned through this area leaving a path of dead tree stand as a reminder of mother nature’s fury. It’s oddly beautiful as the new growth is finding its resilient way back.
The road to the lake is long, winding, often rutted and dusty, BUT the lake beckons to be explored. There is designated camping as well as a few dispersed spots that have been created over time. You will find no amenities and you are quite a distance from any sort of cell service or stores, so come prepared.
The sketchy rope swing was left untried but the crawdads were plentiful! If you want to disconnect and want something other than the typical Montana camp, Sylvia is just right.
GuideWe stayed here for 4 nights. Only 5 minutes away from West Glacier Park entrance. Close by is a zip line attraction with a blow up slide in water for the little ones and bounce house obstacle with a slide. Also an adventure park that has go karts, bumper cars, lazy river etc. Great location with so much to do outside the park. We had a corner spot which I really liked for some privacy. Each site has its own fire pit which was nice. Wi-Fi in my opinion worked great. Has a dog park and a little playground for kids. Laundry room and bath houses were very clean. Also has an arcade and loved how they use honesty policy during closed hours where you can pick up firewood or ice and pay the next morning:) I definitely recommend and will come back for another Montana adventure.
LegendThis is both a campsite review and a Dyrt Ranger product review.
CAMPSITE REVIEW: We almost cancelled our trip to Glacier due to the current forest fires that have closed some of the park. We decided to take a chance on it though, and stayed just outside the west entrance of the park, at the privately owned Glacier Campground. We decided, given possible problems with smoke and haze, to rent one of their camper cabins instead of tent camping. Their camper cabins here are cozy and really nice, and much more reasonably priced than any others in or near the park! There were a lot of nice tent and RV spots for camping too, the whole place was like an upscale state park with many large, secluded shady campsites tucked into beautiful mature forest. There is a terrific indoor-outdoor cafe on site, and a central gathering area with playground and group picnic shelters. There are hot showers and regular bathrooms too. The campground is 1/2 mile to the entrance to Glacier National park, but 1/2 mile in the other direction is the new “Crown of the Continent” Geotourism and Education Center sponsored by the state of Montana and National Geographic. The folks at the campground can shuttle you over here to view the high quality environmental and geography education exhibits on display, to sample local foods and crafts, or to sign up for outdoor adventures like horseback riding, fly fishing, llama trekking and more. The campground itself is pet friendly, they even allowed our dog to stay in a camper cabin with us, which many dont. To our dismay, we discovered that dogs arent allowed on hiking trails within Glacier National Park itself, but we got advice at both the campground and at the Geotourism Center about National Forest trails in the area that dogs ARE welcome to hike on. So this a fabulous place to stay, with something for everyone, and an especially good homebase for dog families who want to get out on area hikes. Note: there is also an Amtrak train stop near this campground, and they have a shuttle to pick you up if you arrive by train!
PRODUCT REVIEW (note: I made a video review that is in the photo gallery for this written review, but it seems to have uploaded in low-res format. For the high-def version, check this link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1RSpe9dDicR0ICEPaS_JBpTlKqszY9kWa
As a Ranger for the Dyrt, sometimes I get to test new products. This is a review for the OOmg women's low-rise sport shoe made by OOFOS. I was interested to try them out because they are billed as supportive "recovery shoes" for hikers or runners after a long trek. As I have plantar fasciitis and am also a few months post-recovery from a broken metatarsal, I wanted to try something that might help on an upcoming hiking and camping trip. After the shoes arrived, I thought I should break them in a bit so I wore them around the house and on dog walks around the neighborhood--so comfortable from the start that no breaking in was needed, but I also didn't want to take them off! Really comfortable and really supportive. I was really impressed--so impressed that once we started on our trip, I wore them on short easy hikes rather than just wearing them after hikes, and they held up well. In fact, they were more comfortable than my actual hiking shoes, so I ended up wearing them on all my hikes over the next week, more than 40 miles of action. They may not have the deep tread or the ankle support needed for really rugged or really steep and slippery mountain trails, but I tried them on easy to moderate trails in all kinds of conditions and they held up great, and so did my feet in them. I was really really impressed, more than I thought I would be. Through all the days of hiking, no pain, no arthritis, no trouble walking, these are not just great recovery shoes, but great overall walking shoes.
One other aspect that really impressed me was this: prior to my trip, I discovered a crack in the sole of the shoe, about an inch long, which appeared just a few days after I got them while I was just doing casual walking around the neighborhood. Perhaps I somehow stepped on something sharp that cut into the sole but I didn't know it because the soles are so thick and comfortable? I was disappointed about that and mentioned it to customer service when they emailed to see how I liked the shoes. They informed me that they guarantee their shoes, that if there is a problem in the first six months they can be returned for replacement. That seemed like a good plan, so I thought I would see how they held out during the hiking trip and maybe return them when I got home. However, part way through the trip, I checked the sole and the crack appeared to be smaller, only a half inch instead of an inch. At the end of the trip, I checked again--no crack at all! It seems the sole is made out of some kind of self-healing material. Walking on it had therefore made the crack better, not worse. Wow! Amazing! Needless to say, I won't be returning this pair, and will surely buy more in the future. I can't say enough good things about these shoes! In sum:
Pros:
These shoes have great arch support. They would be supportive for anyone, but I need especially good arch support with my plantar fasciitis, and these are more supportive than any other shoes or orthotics I have.
Good overall support. These shoes really cradle your whole foot with both support and shock absorption. I broke a metatarsal in my foot a few months ago, and wanted to go hiking anyway despite residual arthritis from it, but I found I had no pain at all when wearing these shoes, even on the one day when we hiked a fairly steep trail over 8 miles.
Self healing material in sole. There was a pretty good sized crack in the sole before we left for our trip, it slowly closed during the trip and was "healed" by the end of the trip ten days later. Impressive!
These shoes fit well right out of box, there was no need to break them in, the uppers are flexible and well fitting so they stay on nicely without laces, they also retain their shape without stretching out even while conforming to your foot. The order info recommends ordering a half size up as they run a little small, so I did that; I usually wear an 8 1/2 so ordered a women's size 9 and they fit perfectely.
Despite the snug fit, I never developed any blisters even after more than 40 miles of walking in them. I also didn't get sweaty feet when wearing them without socks, so the uppers are breathable, but they are also comfortable with peddies or regular socks
These are supposed to be recovery shoes for the end of the trail, after you have been hiking, but I found they were good ON the trail for both regular walking and fairly challenging hiking, and I tested them in a variety of conditions, in sun, rain, mud, on rocks, in forest shade and in the open, wading in water and sand, and they held up well through all of it. They seem to have good grip and traction on damp trails, though I am not sure about really steep or slippery trails
Not waterproof, but they dry quickly when they get wet
You can wash them if they do get dirty, I hand washed them with dish soap and so they look almost like new and dont lose their shape when they get really wet.
Cons:
These shoes aren't cheap, and some folks might be put off by the price. However, I would like to point out that I have paid more for supportive official orthopedic-type walking shoes, but these feel better and work better for me, so they would be worth every penny!
These are great casual outdoor shoes and I wouldn't hesitate to buy more in other colors! They are such good shoes, though, that I wish I had some like them to wear for work or formal occasions; but they don't really have a supportive shoe like this one in a nice dressy style. Maybe that will change, if they do come up with any I would buy them.
So, overall, wonderful shoes! Highly recommended!
TravelerWe enjoyed our stay so much that we ended up asking if they could extend their service past October 1st and they said YES! They will take care of you, they have everything you will need. The wifi is really really good, can even watch football on Sundays. If you are looking to stay in this are to visit or to stay awhile it is absolutely perfect and in a very central location.
ScoutPlan to return!
TravelerOur first time to Flathead lake. Spots were booking up quick around the lake. Found this gem, got a spot reserved for Labor Day weekend. The park is very clean and well maintained. They will pick up your trash daily. Very quiet. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 was because they told us there is excellent WIFI throughout the park but the site we were in (spot #14) was too far away from The repeater. So I had to walk over to the park to send a work email. But do we really need WIFI camping?? You can’t have a fire in your own spot but they have several community fire pits stocked with wood that you can use. Nice park for the kids to play. The restaurant had amazing food. The spot across the highway for the lake was also well maintained. Incredibly clear and gorgeous water. We rented a pontoon boat from the rv oark and explored the lake. The boat rental for a whole day is equivalent to a 4 hour rental near Spokane. Great prices. Will be going back yearly.
LegendSo nice... everything feels right, like the game room, the large patio areas for conversation, the stadium layout of sites and heck yeah - put those tent sites at the top for the best views. It's by a fun meat shop (think deer meat, buffalo jerky, etc... if you like that sort of thing...) with overpriced post cards. This whole place has a swanky feel. It's off a busy road - that's pretty much the main drawback. But the view... yet another high-end feature.
GuideI have nothing negative to say about this beautiful park. We tent camped 3 nights, had our pick of sites in late September, right on the water. The camp hosts here were so friendly and welcoming. They made us feel right at home. Gorgeous view of Wild Horse Island. There are bear lockers, but not at each site. Just kind of scattered here and there. Fire pit, picnic table. We pretty much just hung out at the park, it was so peaceful and relaxing. Crystal clear water. Highly recommended, but I’m guessing it gets pretty crowded in summer.
TravelerQuiet, beautiful, perfect.
TravelerMy daughter and I spent 2 nights in this campground in August 2017. Our site was right on the lake. We enjoyed a very lazy day hanging out, reading and swiming.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Lakeside, MT?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Lakeside, MT is Big Arm State Unit — Flathead Lake State Park with a 4.6-star rating from 21 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Lakeside, MT?
TheDyrt.com has all 27 glamping camping locations near Lakeside, MT, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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