Best Tent Camping near Lima, MT

Coordinartes: 44.16547,-112.90392. Beautiful views. Large dirt and gravel site, right along side to Skull Canyon Road, about a mile from ID Hwy 28. Canyon walls on each side. Rough narrow rocky track to the site from the highway; recommend high clearance. High humps on this track. Small rock fire ring. Grass and sagebrush all around site. Some leveling may be required. Tent camping possible. Very peaceful; can hardly hear road noise from highway. The only vehicle that drove by was a national forest truck. No cell service. There are several boondocking sites, some with vault toilets nearby, along Hwy 28 in the Birch Creek Recreation Area.

A beautiful combination of the mountains and Big Sky of Montana!  This reservoir is quite large and even has a cool little island in the middle of it that you can cliff dive from when the waters are high enough!  There are boat docks, day-use areas, and campgrounds spread all around the reservoir.  The campground we featured in this review was an RV only site (because why would you tent camp there) that was right next to the Lewis & Clark Day-use area that has a giant canoe and flag pole.  It is an extended stay RV site with the option for paying for weeks if you plan on spending a good chunk of your summer here.  

Right along the road on the dam there is a sign showing you that you're halfway between the equator and the north pole!  Also nearby is the cute, cozy town of Dillon, where you can venture into the 1st Patagonia and Great Harvest stores in the world!  If you're here around Labor Day they also have a great rodeo and parade and the Patagonia Store has HUGE discounts!

Just a few miles out of the small town Lima Montana, this campground sits nestled in the mountains with a beautiful view and very few visitors.

There is a gravel road, which was well kept when we went. We made it fine in our sedan.

The are supposedly 4 sites, but we only noticed 3. We aren't a Friday night up there and we the only ones at the campsite.

There are 2 vault toilets. It looks like there was a pump for water, but it was either broken, or I just don't know how to use it. Be sure to bring water.

The picnic tables are solid and nice. The camp fire rings also come with grills.

Overall, even without running water, we were prepared and had a great, quite, and beautiful stay at East Creek.

If you like history, ghost towns and camping then Bannack State Park is for you. Bannack Montana was the 1st Territorial Capital of Montana. The Ghost town allows you a look at how settlers and miners leaved in the early day of Montana. See the 1st Territorial Governors Manson (ok, small cabin). Almost all of building you can enter. The best times to visit is when reenactments are happening at the park. The state park has two small campgrounds, Vigilante Campground with 15 sites and one Tipi site. One of the sites at the Vigilante site is only for bikers. Vigilante campsites can be reserved. The other campground is Road Agent Campground. Road Agent has 8 sites. Both sites have Vault Toilets, water and trash bins.

Camp at Bannack State Park, site of Montana's 1st Territorial Capital. Road Agent Campground is one of two campground at Bannack State Park. Bannack state park is a nice state park, see how the early settlers lived in this old mining town and former Montana Capital. Road Agent Campground has eight campsites with one vault toilet. Campsite sits among mature cottonwoods. Prices are a little steep, $18 for residents, $28 for non-residents.

Bannack lies in a remote corner of Montana, but there is much to see and do at the Bannack State Park. The Bannack ghost town is extensive and well-preserved. They offer tours, gold panning and more. Great family stop on a road trip. Very interesting.

Right off the interstate is the Montana equivalent of a rest area.  This rest area includes a picnic area a bridge over a stream where you canfly fish, and zone short sport climbing routes to have fun on!  It is close to Dillon home of the first Patagonia store and Great Harvest Bakery.  If you're around here for Labor Day definitely check out the Patagonia Outlet for amazing deals!!!

Bannack is a ghost town that has been designated as a MT State Park. The 1860s mining town's buildings have been stabilized but not restored. It's fascinating. The adjacent campground would be handy but is $28 for those who are not Montana residents. The sites are closely spaced but do offer a few large cottonwoods for shade. A creek runs through the campground, and all was well maintained.

Vigilante campground at Bannack State Park is perfect for those who like ghost towns. The Campground has 16 sites, one site is just for those arriving by bike. A tipi is available for $30 a night for Montana residents or $42 for non-residents. Sites are a little pricey starting at $18 for residents $28 for non-residents. Kids visiting the park can work on a Jr. Ranger program. Great time to visit is when they have volunteers dressed in period clothing. You can go in to and check out just about every building in the town. The state park has a second campground, Road Agent, near this one.

We've stopped here in the past but this was the first time we've seen the area so green!  It is a great pit stop or last minute spot right along the interstate going towards Dillon, MT.  There are plenty of spaces to pull up your RV or to toss a tent into the big open grass yard.  The north side isnt very shaded but close to the amenities and the south side has plenty of cottonwood trees to hang out under.  Nearby is a great river to fish in and the Native American site known as Rattlesnake Rock that looms over the river and park to the east.  There are some good albeit "spicy" sport and trad routes on the rock but as the name implies keep an eye out for snakes!  Nearby is the large Clark Canyon Reservoir where you can cool off and do some exhilarating cliff diving as long as the reservoir pool is high.

We arrived here kind of late at night. This campground is pay site but down the street a little further is free more primitive camping. We had a great time although the water as turned off because it was mid october and the water needs to be turned off before it freezes.

They had just cleaned a bunch of trees so we had plenty of wood to burn. The only problem which was more hilarious than anything were these 2 duches blasting country music all night. What ever, to each his or her own. Beautiful down on Stoddard creek.

This campground was an amazing find after 10+ hours of driving. Sometimes adding another hour or more navigating back roads to find camping is just not in the cards. The campground only had one other visitor when we visited so it was very quiet, and it is also tucked away in the trees so there is minimal road noise. This spot is actually free until memorial day (the camp host was actually there doing maintenance and said that it only charges a fee memorial - labor day). Although be warned, only one bathroom was open and we had to go on a hunt to find it. Sites all seemed spacious and lots of trees!