Best Tent Camping near Malmstrom AFB, MT

Tent campgrounds surrounding Malmstrom AFB in central Montana offer a range of primitive options for overnight stays. Sluice Boxes State Park provides walk-in tent camping with no designated sites but plenty of backcountry space for those willing to hike in their gear. Lowry Bridge Access Site, located about 4 miles off Route 200, offers 5-6 mostly level tent sites with minimal amenities but peaceful surroundings.

Most tent sites in this region lack basic amenities. Campers should bring adequate water supplies as drinking water is rarely available at primitive sites. Lowry Bridge provides picnic tables, fire rings, and pit toilets but no drinking water or trash service. Mountain Palace Fishing Access Site features three campsites with metal fire pits and picnic tables overlooking the Missouri River, plus a vault toilet. A review mentioned, "Lowry Bridge is quiet, clean with about 5 level sites. Monday night in July and there were 2 tenters and 2 rv/campers." Sites are typically set on gravel pads or natural surfaces.

The tent camping experience near Malmstrom AFB varies by location. Sluice Boxes State Park offers complete solitude for those willing to venture away from established trails. A visitor commented, "It's so quiet and peaceful and the views are amazing. There is a ton of spots to camp at as long as you walk off the trail a ways you won't even notice hikers during the day." For water-based activities, the Missouri River corridor provides primitive boat-in camping at spots like Black Bluff Rapids and Senieur's Reach, which feature cottonwood shade and river access. These sites require boat transportation and offer no facilities beyond occasional fire rings. Summer temperatures can be extreme, so tent campers should consider shade availability when selecting sites, particularly at exposed locations.

Best Tent Sites Near Malmstrom AFB, Montana (11)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Malmstrom AFB, MT

109 Reviews of 11 Malmstrom AFB Campgrounds


  • Dexter I.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 5, 2018

    Dearborn Fishing Access Site

    Tiny tucked away campsite

    Dearborn Fishing access site has one campsite tucked away in the corner of the fishing access area next to the ADA Vault Toilet. Site has a picnic table and metal fire ring. The area has very little room to park so those camping their will likely have the site to them selves. The river access is a step set of stairs dropping down to the river so you not be having fishing boats or canoes using the site to access the river, but you can access the site from the river. A private residence is next to the fishing access site but the placement of the campsite does not make it feel like your in someones yard. The advantage of the one campsite is once you have your vehicle parked your site including the picnic table and fire ring can't be seen by others visiting the area. The site has no water or trash service.

  • Alex K.
    Aug. 25, 2019

    Thain Creek

    Legit.

    This place is pretty neat. 12 permanent campsites each with a fire ring and picnic table. Potable water and vault toilets are also available on site. We stayed for a weekend and had the place to ourselves. Easy access to plenty of hiking and decent fishing. Definitely worth checking out.

  • Dexter I.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 9, 2021

    Many Pines Campground

    Awesome campground in the pines

    Many Pines campground lives up to its name, it sits in a area with many pines.  This makes for plenty of privacy in most spots.  Campsites are large and each has a picnic table and fire ring, a few have a BBQ grill  or extra picnic table as well.  Water is available.  Campground has several vault toilets.  Really like how some of the sites have stairs leading to your tent and campfire area.  This is the best campground along U.S. 89.  All the trees did a pretty good job of keeping the highway noise to a minimum.  Campground has 24 first come first served campsites, and cost only $15.  This is a Pack-In, Pack-out camp ground.

  • Dexter I.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 5, 2018

    Prewett Creek Fishing Access Site

    Small very busy campground

    Prewett Creek FAS has a small campground of seven sites. This is a nice campground on the Missouri River, but be warned, this is a busy campground. We float the Missouri River canyon numerous times per year, and every time we find this campground full. This is also a very popular take out point on the Missouri River. The site has limited parking for vehicles with boat trailers. The seven campsites all have picnic tables and metal fire rings. The site has one vault toilet. Site could be better as it does not have trash service or water. The campground does not have a store but their is one on the other side of recreation road that is open in the summer.

  • Roger W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 9, 2024

    Great Falls KOA

    Wooded Area and Open Area and Fun

    KOA 8/24: The area we stayed in is for medium sized rigs or smaller. It was wooded and very nice for a KOA. The larger spaces are in a newer and less shady portion of the campground.
    FUN POOL PARK, PLAYGROUND, PETTING ZOO, SHORT TRAIL. GREAT ICE CREAM

    (72 yr olds in 27’ trailer.)

    Overall Rating: 4 Security: No locked gate Usage during visit: pretty full on weekends Visual Privacy Between Adjacent Sites: no Site Spacing: close Pad surface: blacktop Reservations: yes Campground Noise: Fairly quiet Outside Road Noise: no Through Traffic in campground: no Electric Hookup: yes Sewer Hookup: yes Dump Station: yes Potable Water Available: At site Bathroom: very nice Showers: yes / nice Pull Throughs: most all Cell Service (AT&T): fine Recent Weather: very hot Insects: none Host: staff Rig Size: large

  • Dexter I.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 8, 2018

    Mid-Canon Fishing Access Site

    Roomy and quiet Missouri River Campground

    Mid Canon FAS is a favorite stopping point for lunch while were paddling the Missouri River canyon. We can usually find site #1 empty for our lunch break, which is nice as the vault toilet is right next to the site. Mid Canon FAS along the Missouri River has five roomy spread apart campsites. In addition to the campground the Fishing Access site has a large parking area for those floating/paddling the Missouri. This location seems to get little use as a camp ground as we have never seen it full, and very few boat trailers are ever seen in the parking area. The site only has on vault toilet which is at the end of the campground, making for a long walk from two of the camp sites. Access to the river is from a gravel boat launch at the parking area. Easy access is also available at camp site #1 which is why we like having lunch at site #1. Each site has a metal fire ring and a picnic table. No trash service or water at the camp ground.

  • Dexter I.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 4, 2018

    Stickney Creek Fishing Access Site

    Small camp area next to Missouri River

    Stickney fishing access site has four campsites, with three being along the river. The campsites are along the edge of a large parking area for boat trailers. A Concrete boat ramp provides access to the Missouri River. Each camp site has a picnic table and metal fire ring. Two ADA vault toilets are found at the site. This an open campground with no trees and the sites are fairly close to each other. Site is right next the I-15, and a private resident is next to the fishing access site. The site is often busy during the summer season and the camping areas often fill up on the weekends.

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

    Freezout Lake - Dispersed Camping

    Flat open and free

    Freeze Out Lake Waterfowl Manage Area's campground it a free campground.  If you wish to camp here be prepared for more of a disperse camping experience.  While the site does have a vault toilet that is about it.  "sites" are not labeled and appear mainly to be by rows of brush.  Each site is a large flat grassy area.  A few of the spots do have picnic tables but most don't.  Fires are not allowed in the camping area.  This is a trash-in/Trash-out campground.   You will also need to bring your own water as no water is available.  If you enjoy bird watching then you are in luck, plenty can be found at the lake and ponds.  Only two others were at the campground on my visit.  Campground is next to the highway but traffic appeared light.  If the campground where to be busy and you didn't get a spot with a picnic table you could take advantage of the parking areas in the area, their are several a short distance from the campground which have plenty of picnic tables to have a meal at.

  • Dexter I.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 9, 2021

    Aspen Campground

    Nice small campground, but next to highway

    Aspen campground is a nice 6 site campground sitting among pine and aspen trees.  The campground has one vault toilet and water is available.  Was surprised to find no one else camping here on a weekend.  Sites have plenty of room and each has a metal fire ring, BBQ grill and picnic table.  The only bad thing about this campground is that it sits right along U.S. highway 89.


Guide to Malmstrom AFB

Tent camping opportunities near Malmstrom AFB, Montana range from primitive sites along rivers to more developed campgrounds in surrounding forests. The region sits at elevations between 3,300-4,000 feet with continental climate patterns creating hot, dry summers and cold winters. Most primitive campsites remain unoccupied on weekdays, even during peak summer months, providing solitude for campers willing to forego amenities.

What to do

River fishing access: Mountain Palace Fishing Access Site offers three designated sites overlooking the Missouri River. "Mountain Palace FAS is a popular take out location for fishing float boats on the Missouri River. The FAS has three campsites, sites 1 & 2 sit above the Missouri river and are quite nice with great views of the Missouri river, the third one sits next to Recreation Road," notes reviewer Dexter I.

Winter camping: Camp Rotary provides opportunities for cold-weather camping with heated facilities. "In the winter it can be fun but to climb some hills. Each campground has cabins which hold about 11 people and tent spaces outside. The cabin do have semi-decent heating, but not AC. The bathrooms are really big and well developed (and super warm for the winter)," shares Sterling C.

Primitive boat camping: Senieur's Reach Primitive Boat Camp offers river access for paddlers. "Site had one fire ring that would be safe to make a fire at as the area around the ring is free of vegetation. Nice camp locations under the cotton woods. No outhouse or tables. A bonus is the swim someone has made in a large cottonwood," according to Dexter I.

What campers like

Backcountry privacy: At Sluice Boxes State Park, campers appreciate the secluded atmosphere. "My husband and I started hiking up here long before we ever camped. We found out just this year you could camp into the park and we love it. If your up for hauling in your stuff and back out and don't mind not having access to a bathroom or a fire pit and as we did sleeping under the stars it's a perfect place to try," writes Chloe B.

Reliable availability: Lowry Bridge Access Site typically has open sites even during peak season. "Nice, quiet, clean campground. About 5 level sites. Good for small rv's. Road to the campground is decent. Monday night in July and there were 2 tenters and 2 rv/campers," reports Susan A.

Riverside shade: Black Bluff Rapids Primitive Boat Camp provides natural protection from summer heat. "Site is located just upriver from the Wood Bottom Developed site and is a nice camp site, nicer than the sites at Wood Bottom. Located along the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument in a stretch of cottonwoods at river mile 19.4," states Dexter I.

What you should know

Access considerations: Several campgrounds require significant travel from main roads. Lowry Bridge Access Site requires planning: "4 miles off route 200, Left on MT-21, Right on Lowry Road, over bridge," explains Marilyn K.

Facility limitations: Most primitive sites lack basic services. Mountain Palace has "one vault toilet and a concrete boat ramp. This is a busy site during the summer months. The site has no trash service or water. Large parking area for boat trailers," according to Dexter I.

Variable site quality: Not all primitive boat camps meet basic camping needs. Evans Bend Primitive Boat Camp has challenges: "Would not spend the night here. The site is listed as having 2 fire rings, but we could not find them due to the 3 foot plus high vegetation. If you did find them you would start a wild fire with all the high vegetation," warns Dexter I.

Tips for camping with families

Consider developed options: Camp Rotary offers amenities suitable for groups with children. "The bathrooms are really big and well developed (and super warm for the winter). There is also a big 'roof building' with picknick tables to eat food," notes Sterling C.

Pack adequate supplies: No drinking water exists at most primitive sites near Malmstrom AFB. Lowry Bridge provides "Picnic table, fire ring, pit toilet, gravel pad. 5-6 sites mostly level. BLM land free," but no running water, according to Marilyn K.

Check seasonal vegetation: Summer growth can limit usable tent space at river sites. At Evans Bend, one camper noted "couldn't locate a place that we would want place a tent" due to "3 foot plus high vegetation" that created both space and fire safety concerns.

Tips from RVers

Size limitations: Most sites accommodate only smaller recreational vehicles. Lowry Bridge Access Site works for "small rv's" according to Susan A., but access roads and turning radii are not suitable for larger rigs.

Limited hookups: No full-service RV sites exist in the immediate vicinity of Malmstrom AFB. Even at developed sites, RVers should prepare for dry camping with no water, electric or sewer connections at most locations.

Gravel pads available: Some sites offer improved parking surfaces. Lowry Bridge provides "gravel pad" sites that remain usable even during wet conditions, making it more suitable for small trailers or campervans than completely undeveloped areas.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Malmstrom AFB, MT?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Malmstrom AFB, MT is Sluice Boxes State Park Campground with a 5-star rating from 1 review.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 11 tent camping locations near Malmstrom AFB, MT, with real photos and reviews from campers.