Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Malta, MT

Edgewater Inn And RV Park offers pets-allowed camping with full hookups for both tent and RV campers. The spacious, grassy tent sites include picnic tables and grills, though no fire rings are provided. Dogs must be leashed throughout the campground. Trafton City Park, just 0.5 miles from Highway 2, provides a more budget-friendly option at $5 per night with pets allowed, though it lacks electrical hookups and has no designated camping spots. Sleeping Buffalo Hot Springs accommodates pets in its RV sites, tent areas, and select cabins, offering a unique amenity with its mineral hot springs pools nearby. The campground features wide, easy-to-access RV sites with perfectly placed hookups, though guests should note the mosquitoes can be fierce, especially at dusk.

Nelson Reservoir camping area permits pets in its free, primitive camping spots situated along the waterfront. The reservoir sites provide fire rings and picnic tables with sunset views over the water, though no water sources or dump stations are available on site. Visitors frequently note the mosquito population can be overwhelming during warmer months. Pet owners should bring ample supplies as the nearest pet stores and veterinary services are in Malta, approximately 12 miles away. Free-range chickens roam around Sleeping Buffalo Hot Springs campground, providing entertainment for children and pets alike. Most campgrounds in the area require pets to be leashed at all times, properly supervised, and waste properly disposed of. Weather conditions can change rapidly in this region, with temperatures ranging from 28°F in early mornings to hot summer days, requiring pet owners to plan accordingly.

Best Dog-Friendly Sites Near Malta, Montana (9)

    1. Edgewater Inn And RV Park

    4 Reviews
    Malta, MT
    0 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 654-1302

    "Lake right across the street. Cleanest bathrooms! Delicious restaurant also right across the Highway. Love being off season it was not crowded. I imagine during season this would be high demand."

    "Pulled off highway 2 and had a lovely night at this campsite. A nice grass area for tent camping. The highlight for us was spending the evening in the pool and hot tub."

    2. Trafton City Park

    3 Reviews
    Malta, MT
    1 mile
    Website
    +1 (406) 654-1251

    $5 / night

    "Very nice of the city of Malta to allow overnight campers to stay in the park for $5. It’s just that though, a city park."

    3. Sleeping Buffalo Hot Springs

    12 Reviews
    Malta, MT
    18 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 527-3320

    "Also, the Phillips County Pioneer Museum in Malta is well worth a visit. Awesome local history and super collection of actual dinosaur fossils, but not just casts."

    "There’s a basketball court for the kids, and while it’s not packed with amenities for families, our kids still had fun and loved seeing the free-range chickens strutting around like they"

    4. Nelson Reservoir - USBR

    7 Reviews
    Malta, MT
    18 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 759-5077

    "It was dark when we pulled in, hard to see the landscape/campground sites, but we found one right on the edge of the reservoir."

    "About a mile away from Sleeping Buffalo Hot Springs."

    5. Heritage Hills Farm Camp and RV Sites

    1 Review
    Malta, MT
    27 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 220-2656

    $30 / night

    "I camped on an overlook and went to sleep to an amazing sky full of stars (not a lot of excess light nearby) and woke up to a beautiful sunrise and a herd of deer on the opposite ridge looking at me."

    6. Cole Ponds

    Be the first to review!
    Malta, MT
    22 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 444-2535

    7. Buckhorn Store, Cabins & RV Park

    1 Review
    Zortman, MT
    43 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 673-3162

    "Great little-known Gas & Grocery store with easy access to the Little Rockies mountains of North Central Montana.  "

    8. Buffalo Camp

    1 Review
    Fort Peck Project, MT
    41 miles
    Website

    $10 - $15 / night

    "Near the campground, there is a research HQ for the reserve which is not open to the public and otherwise we didn't see anyone else the entire time.  "

    9. Zortman RV Park & Campground

    Be the first to review!
    Zortman, MT
    43 miles
    +1 (406) 673-3160
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Recent Dog-Friendly Camping Photos near Malta, MT

1 Photos of 9 Malta Campgrounds


Dog-Friendly Camping Reviews near Malta, MT

43 Reviews of 9 Malta Campgrounds


  • Melani T.
    Aug. 29, 2018

    Montana Gulch

    Such a beautiful place!

    Montana Gulch is such a great place to visit and stay if you are ever in the area. Being from Montana, I have had the pleasure of staying at quite a few places and this one is probably one of my favorites. I love that the campground is surrounded be the beautiful mountains, and there are so many great hikes you can go on. Whenever we decide where we are going to stay, we make sure that there are amazing hikes nearby. I would definitely look up hikes nearby before you go, that way you get a feel for what is around you, the length of the hike, and elevation gain. I would also caution that there is a lot of wild life in Montana. We saw a bear and her cubs in the distance on one of the hikes we went on. It was incredible to see, but we were definitely pretty cautious. The campground is great, clean, and well kept. There are quite a few spaces available, but definitely fill up fast in the summertime. We went in the peak of summer and all of the spaces were taken. Luckily we made our reservation online ahead of time. This campground was only for tents, and there was only 1 bathroom which was the only downside. No water onsite, so make sure to bring plenty of your own. There wasn't any picnic tables in the campsites, but there were tables throughout the campground. Pets are allowed, so we brought our dog.

  • Laura M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 13, 2024

    Trafton City Park

    MOSQUITOES

    Very nice of the city of Malta to allow overnight campers to stay in the park for $5. It’s just that though, a city park. It’s not a campground, so there are no signs or designated spots to park for the night. We drove around the loop and found a little gravel driveway type thing by the soccer field, so we didn’t have to pull up on to the grass for the night. A cool skoolie pulled in after us and parked along the row next to us on the grass. 

    The setup is just weird and you’ll have to find a spot to squeeze into where you’ll feel comfortable. I can’t imagine parking next to the playground structures, but along the edges of the park are a decent option. You pay with cash at a drop box at the entrance. Good cell reception for ATT and Verizon. Trash bins here, and gendered accessible pit toilets. And lots and lots of play options for kids. 

    But the star of the show here were the mosquitoes. I had to put on long pants, thick socks, and long sleeve hoodie every time I had to take the dogs out. I also carried a little hand held fan with me to keep them off the dogs. Occasionally a little breeze picked up and gave us a little break, but mostly the air was heavy and hot and still when we were here in late July and the mosquitoes were vicious.

  • James D.
    Sep. 29, 2016

    Montana Gulch

    My first time camping at a BLM site!

    There are no reservations available and only 10 spots, so I felt like I got lucky there was something available for me that night. By the time the sun went down there were only 3 other sites filled, so plenty of space. There is no potable water so come prepared. The cost was minimal, $8 or $9 each night if I remember correctly. The sites have campfire rings, tables but not grills. There is a restroom for the camp. There are some trails to explore which were well maintained but I believe backpacking through Glacier spoiled me. Pets were allowed but must be on a leash. It was a peaceful and quiet place to stay.

  • M
    Jun. 21, 2022

    Sleeping Buffalo Hot Springs

    Clean, Beautiful Pools

    The pool area is first rate! The campground is OK, no great shakes. Sites are fairly close together. Expensive considering they only give you $2 of at the pool from the $15 fee to use the pools. Bathhouse is clean and well kept.

    If you stay in site 12, know that even though it looks like a back in site, you actually have to pull through over the grass to get your rig in with the hook ups on the correct side.

    Also, the Phillips County Pioneer Museum in Malta is well worth a visit. Awesome local history and super collection of actual dinosaur fossils, but not just casts.

  • S
    Feb. 11, 2021

    Buckhorn Store, Cabins & RV Park

    Best place in town

    Great little-known Gas & Grocery store with easy access to the Little Rockies mountains of North Central Montana.  

    The mountain area provides miles of multi-use trails for hiking, biking, atv & horse back.  

    Friendly little town with rich history of gold, outlaws, fables and lore.

  • Skylar M.
    Oct. 9, 2018

    Montana Gulch

    Love Montana!

    Montana is hands down one of my favorite places to visit to be outdoors. I am from Washington where there is TONS of places to camp and hike, and Montana definitely is a close tie to Washington and the incredible outdoors. One thing I love about Montana Gulch is the vast views of the mountains. The mountains surround you everywhere you look. The hiking here is incredible, so I highly recommend coming here to hike. Here are a few things we liked about this spot:

    1. Great hikes! As I mentioned above, there are some amazing hikes nearby. The farthest we drove for a hike was 1hr past the campground, but we really wanted to do this particular hike so we thought the drive was definitely worth it. It was a little rainy when we went, but that didn't stop us.
    2. Bigger campsite spaces. This is something that we really like about some campgrounds- is when the campsite spaces are "bigger" than normal. We were able to fit our car and 2 tents in the site. Also, each campsite was separated by trees and shrubs which gave you a little more privacy.
    3. Easy to find. We appreciated that there were signs on the road that directed us right to the campground. I like to trust my phone, but sometimes it doesn't lead you in the right direction. Thankfully their signage was great.
    4. Helpful rangers. They were super nice, and directed us to our campsite as well as give us some insight on great hikes nearby.

    The only thing we didn't like about the campground was that there was only 1 bathroom (that we could find), and it was pretty far from our campsite.

    Overall, I highly recommend coming here! Great place to stay with beautiful views.

  • SThe Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 14, 2019

    Buffalo Camp

    Have the prairie to yourself!

    This is a primitive campground in the American Prairie Reserve.  It seems to be a relatively unknown place and we were the only people in the campground for the night (there are 6 tent sites and 7 RV).  It was about 40 miles of high-quality gravel road to get here.  Near the campground, there is a research HQ for the reserve which is not open to the public and otherwise we didn't see anyone else the entire time.  

    Tent sites are walk-in and and on platforms, which you are required to use.  This means if you have two tents like us, you'll need two sites.  You tie the tents down to lashing points on on the side of the platform.  Each site has a fire pit, picnic table and there is a community covered picnic area and fire pit as well.  Free firewood is available next to the toilets.  There are vault toilets and non-potable water sources in the loop.  The walk-in is only about 15-50 yards, depending on the site.  From the campground, there is a small auditorium and nature trail available.  Bugs were pretty bad the night we were there, so we didn't try much of the nature trail.  

    Everything felt new and almost unused, like the campground had just opened.  The toilets were only okay in cleanliness, the main reason I took off a star.  It was a fantastic experience for the kids.  A buffalo herd roamed the area and even through the campground at night and in the morning.  Prairie dog towns were all over.  It was one of our most memorable camping experiences but definitely come prepared since nothing is available on site or nearby.  Many of the roads in the preserve are in pretty primitive shape so 4WD is recommended to get around the preserve, but you won’t need it to access the camp site.  We had a big windstorm come through during the night, so lash down carefully!

  • Adeline T.
    Oct. 22, 2018

    Montana Gulch

    Great place!

    Montana is definitely one of my all time favorite places to visit. Being from Washington, there is so many hikes there, and Montana definitely reminds me a little of Washington- except the mountains are EVERYWHERE!! The hiking here is amazing, and Montana Gulch Campground is the best. The campground was really clean, and actually the bathrooms were clean as well and stocked with toilet paper when we were there. Which is shocking because most campgrounds have nasty bathrooms. The campsite spaces were fairly big, with enough room to pitch 2 tents and have our car in front too. There is a table and fire pit within your campsite. There is also some areas under cover with extra tables. The campground is easy to find, and the road was pretty good. I've been to a few places where the road leading to the campground is crappy. The hiking around here was amazing, recommend!! The staff was super friendly and helped us pick out a few hikes. The views were incredible. Wish I would have taken more pictures, but that just means we have to come back!

  • RThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 11, 2022

    Trafton City Park

    Hot and dry

    We just needed a quick and inexpensive place for one night. This fit the bill. It was Labor Day. We thought we would grab a bite to eat at the DQ. It was closed. As was every other restaurant in town. We had corn dogs at the Cenex. We were one of two trailers camping there. We found a water spigot and camped beside it. No electricity. It's .5 miles from the highway.


Guide to Malta

The area around Malta, Montana sits at approximately 2,250 feet elevation in north-central Montana's high plains region, characterized by semi-arid conditions and dramatic temperature fluctuations. Summer daytime temperatures often exceed 90°F while dropping significantly at night, requiring campers to prepare for both heat and potential cold. The region features several water-based camping options with Nelson Reservoir and numerous fishing access points providing alternatives to traditional campgrounds.

What to do

Mineral hot springs access: At Sleeping Buffalo Hot Springs, campers can enjoy unique mineral pools of varying temperatures. "The hot springs were incredible—clean, relaxing, and just what we needed to recharge," notes one camper, while another mentions "There are indoor and outdoor pools, 3 temperatures and spacious. Also, sauna is huge...very nice facilities."

Basketball for older children: Families with energetic kids can take advantage of the basketball court at Sleeping Buffalo. "The boys loved basketball court," shares one reviewer, while another camper confirms "There's a basketball court for the kids, and while it's not packed with amenities for families, our kids still had fun."

Stargazing opportunities: Clear nights offer exceptional viewing at Heritage Hills Farm Camp. "I camped on an overlook and went to sleep to an amazing sky full of stars (not a lot of excess light nearby)," writes one visitor, adding they "woke up to a beautiful sunrise and a herd of deer on the opposite ridge."

Fishing access: Multiple water access points allow for excellent fishing opportunities near Malta. Nelson Reservoir offers waterfront camping with "Nice launch for boats" according to one reviewer, while another noted they "Saw kayakers and a duck family on the water."

What campers like

Affordable options: Budget-conscious travelers appreciate the range of price points. Trafton City Park offers basic camping at minimal cost, with one camper noting "This place isn't fancy but it's only $5 to camp for the night." Another camper confirms its value: "Very nice of the city of Malta to allow overnight campers to stay in the park for $5."

Clean facilities: Many pet-friendly campgrounds near Malta maintain good standards. One visitor to Edgewater Inn And RV Park reported, "The grounds/bathhouse was clean and well maintained," while another noted it had the "Cleanest bathrooms!"

Evening pool access: After hot days, cooling off is highly valued. "The highlight for us was spending the evening in the pool and hot tub," shares one Edgewater visitor, while another mentioned "A nice grass area for tent camping."

Waterfront views: Nelson Reservoir campsites offer prime sunset views. A camper described, "Spaces right on the water with sunset over the water," and another mentioned, "Nice spot. Had the place mostly to ourselves."

What you should know

Mosquito preparation essential: Nearly every campground in the Malta area reports significant mosquito presence. At Nelson Reservoir, one camper warned "The mosquitoes were unbearable when we stopped to look for a spot," while another noted, "I suspect the bug this is real, though the wind kept us from dealing with them."

Train noise at certain locations: Light sleepers should consider campground placement. At Edgewater, a camper reported, "There is a train track on south side of campground but it doesn't blow horn as it goes by so it's not as noisy as you would think," though another noted "Every time the train passed at night it would wake both of us up."

Weather extremes: Be prepared for significant temperature variations. One Nelson Reservoir visitor experienced "REALLY windy when we arrived" and "it was also really cold (28 degrees when I woke at 5 am)."

Limited services: Buffalo Camp exemplifies the remote nature of many sites: "Definitely come prepared since nothing is available on site or nearby." Another camper notes, "No water at all on site, so fill up your tank before you go. No dump station."

Tips for camping with families

Prairie wildlife viewing: Children often enjoy the unique wildlife encounters. "Prairie dog towns were all over," reports a Buffalo Camp visitor, while at Trafton Park a camper noted "lots of playground equipment here that kids would enjoy and lots of horses next door at the rodeo grounds."

Playground access: Trafton City Park provides multiple play structures. "And lots and lots of play options for kids," shares one visitor, making it one of the more dog-friendly campgrounds near Malta with space for both pets and children.

Nature trails: Some campgrounds offer educational opportunities. "From the campground, there is a small auditorium and nature trail available," notes a Buffalo Camp visitor, though they caution "Bugs were pretty bad the night we were there, so we didn't try much of the nature trail."

Wildlife safety: Children should be supervised around wildlife. "There are lots of prairie dog holes in the ground here so don't turn your ankle," warns a Trafton City Park visitor.

Tips from RVers

Site width considerations: Buckhorn Store, Cabins & RV Park provides "Great little-known Gas & Grocery store with easy access" according to one camper, making it convenient for restocking supplies.

Level sites available: Multiple campgrounds offer level parking. At Sleeping Buffalo Hot Springs, a camper reported, "Nice level pull through spots, gravel...room to enjoy picnic table and fire ring."

Hookup placement: RV campers appreciate thoughtfully designed sites. One Sleeping Buffalo visitor noted, "Our RV site was wide and easy to pull into, with perfectly placed hookups. It felt like the campground was actually designed with RVers in mind."

Road quality awareness: Access roads can be challenging. "It was about 40 miles of high-quality gravel road to get here," notes a Buffalo Camp visitor, while another advises "Many of the roads in the preserve are in pretty primitive shape so 4WD is recommended."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Malta, MT?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Malta, MT is Edgewater Inn And RV Park with a 4.5-star rating from 4 reviews.

What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Malta, MT?

TheDyrt.com has all 9 dog-friendly camping locations near Malta, MT, with real photos and reviews from campers.