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Best Tent Camping near Martin City, MT

1,165 Reviews

Dispersed tent camping in the mountains surrounding Martin City, Montana offers access to undeveloped sites along the Flathead River and Hungry Horse Reservoir. Blankenship Bridge provides free tent camping on rocky riverbanks, while Ryan Road Dispersed Camping features primitive walk-in tent sites in the Flathead National Forest. These locations serve as affordable alternatives to the established campgrounds within nearby Glacier National Park, where backcountry tent permits are required for wilderness sites.

Access roads to dispersed camping areas often feature rough terrain with significant potholes, particularly at Blankenship Bridge where high-clearance vehicles are recommended. Tent campers should bring all necessary supplies as these areas lack drinking water, garbage service, and formal campsite amenities. Most dispersed sites offer primitive conditions with occasional vault toilets or porta-potties but no other facilities. A review mentioned that "the road down to the river is a bit rough but once you're down it's so worth it," highlighting the trade-off between access difficulty and scenic rewards. The 3-day stay limit at Blankenship Bridge is strictly enforced, while other Forest Service lands typically allow up to 14 days of camping.

Tent sites at Blankenship Bridge provide direct river access with options to camp either on open rocky areas near the water or in more secluded spots among the trees. The terrain consists primarily of rocky surfaces along the riverbank, requiring careful tent placement. According to one visitor, "you can camp right next to the river (rocks) or there are camp spots in the wooded area in the back." Summer weekends bring increased crowds to these free camping areas, with many sites filling by evening. Morning views often reward tent campers with stunning sunrises over the water, while the proximity to Glacier National Park makes these sites convenient basecamps for day hikers seeking more primitive accommodations than the park's established campgrounds.

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Best Tent Sites Near Martin City, Montana (93)

    1. Blankenship Bridge - Dispersed Camping

    31 Reviews
    Coram, MT
    5 miles

    "Nice camping area with access to the river. Was a bit noisy during the day (stayed over the weekend) as the area is used by non-campers coming to fish, kayak, sightseeing, etc."

    "Only about 15 minutes away from Glacier National Park Westgate. I was able to stay here for multiple days. Each time was no trouble in finding a place to park."

    2. Ryan Road Dispersed Camping

    23 Reviews
    West Glacier, MT
    7 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 387-3800

    "Rolled in around 8pm and easily found a spot for a car and multiple tents toward the beginning of the road, before we reached the dropped pin."

    "Arrived August 1st...was hoping to find a spot close to Glacier NP with some privacy but I think I was asking for too much lol. However, I am happy to have a place close to the park free of charge!"

    3. Hungry Horse Reservoir Dispersed

    7 Reviews
    Martin City, MT
    1 mile
    Website
    +1 (406) 387-3800

    "The sites that I saw were nothing fancy, some with fire rings and some not."

    "Huge open space with a fire circle and everything! But we lost a set of keys while we were there… we were on the left hand side of the site.

    Here’s the coordinates of the site!"

    4. Dorris Creek Road

    2 Reviews
    Martin City, MT
    6 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 387-3800

    5. Bowman Lake Campground — Glacier National Park

    32 Reviews
    Polebridge, MT
    31 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 888-7800

    $10 - $15 / night

    "Be prepared for a dusty, bumpy, narrow, pot-holed drive in on the road."

    "Nice NPS campground within walking distance to Bowman Lake and several trailheads. This is a good spot to camp if you plan on hikeing or boating near/on the lake."

    6. North Lion Lake Campground

    1 Review
    Martin City, MT
    2 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 758-5208

    7. SpiritWorks Herb Farm Campground

    1 Review
    Whitefish, MT
    15 miles
    Website

    $30 - $60 / night

    "No food in the camping areas due to wildlife. Communal area for cooking, eating and campfire. Outside shower open to the Montana sky is awesome at sunset or under the stars."

    8. Sperry Wilderness Campsite — Glacier National Park

    3 Reviews
    Glacier National Park, MT
    18 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 888-7800

    "This is a backcountry site so reservations required."

    "It's a little over a 6 mile hike in (up).  Backcountry forest camping with no amenities except the beautiful Glacier landscape, wilderness and wildlife."

    9. Whitefish Bike Retreat

    3 Reviews
    Whitefish, MT
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 260-0274

    $50 / night

    "Nearby Whitefish, MT has a growing reputation for fantastic trails, hikes and mountain bike areas, and this full-service oasis takes advantage of all of it.  "

    "Bike trails for all abilities and ages. The owners are so rad. A family business and they make you fell part of the tribe. Very clean and maintained. And a lot of extra for mountain biking."

    10. Gunsight Lake Wilderness Campsite — Glacier National Park

    3 Reviews
    Siyeh Bend, MT
    21 miles
    Website
    +1 (406) 888-7800

    "Gunsight Lake is simply beautiful.

    It's a decent trek out to the lake, beginning with a quick descent, but it mellows out in the valley as you hike back in."

    "Hiked from Lake McDonald to Gunsight Lake in the September of 2016. Campsite is conveniently located just Northeast of the lake, about 7 miles away from the closest road."

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Martin City, MT

34 Photos of 93 Martin City Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Martin City, MT

1165 Reviews of 93 Martin City Campgrounds

  • Elizabeth N.
    Jul. 1, 2020

    Lid Creek Campground

    Great little spot, short walk to lake

    We ended up at Lid Creek after the first few campgrounds along the lake were full.

    Sites are on the small side, and most are not very flat. There is a good amount of distance between sites and lots of trees so privacy is good.

    There are 2 clean vault toilets and trash dumpsters.

    Bear boxes are spread throughout.

    Each site has a fire ring and picnic table.

    Host on site sells fire wood.

    Lake access is a just short walk down a trail. There is a great rock beach with plenty of room for kids to play and splash.

    We encountered 2 thunderstorms during our stay... Montana weather is always unpredictable.

    We had a deer walk through our site early morning, so wildlife is definitely near by.

  • GoWhereYouAreDraw N.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 28, 2019

    Bowman Lake Campground — Glacier National Park

    Another beautiful spot in Glacier!

    Be prepared for a dusty, bumpy, narrow, pot-holed drive in on the road. There's a sign at the beginning of the incline that indicates parking availability… pay attention to the sign, it will tell you if no parking is available. If the road is wet, it is treacherous! Remember to bring bug spray and bear spray, be aware of your surroundings. 

    You'll be a high elevation so be ready for cooler nights. I used my 0-degree sleeping bag, and that worked great. Limited campsites so get there early on the weekend. Several trails lead into the mountains, one leads along the lakeshore. There is drinking water, pit toilets, fire rings, picnic tables, plus some bear-proof storage boxes.Highly recommend taking the time to explore and camp at this location.

  • Emmett S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 18, 2024

    Stillwater River

    Beautiful Riverside Rustic

    Just about a mile from the highway, this site is right on the river with some nice deep pools. There are three separate fire rings with a vault toilet and picnic table. It's a short drive in but more suitable for truck camping, van, tent camping or very small trailer like 13' max due to narrow track and limited maneuvering area. High clearance required!

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

    Quartz Creek Campground — Glacier National Park

    Off the beaten path

    There are about 8 sites here, several miles down the road from the —- Glacier ranger station. It’s quiet, all you can hear is the creek and the wind in the trees. Sites 4 and 5 are the best as they are right on the creek with water access. There is one central bear box, one central water pump (currently NO water), and one clean vault toilet. You are close to a couple of trailheads as well.

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

    Bowman Lake Campground — Glacier National Park

    Less visited part of Glacier

    Nice NPS campground within walking distance to Bowman Lake and several trailheads. This is a good spot to camp if you plan on hikeing or boating near/on the lake. Super clean, lots of shade and hammock trees, vault toilet, first come. I was surprised there was only one bear box for the whole campground to share instead of one at each site. Especially after seeing a leather deposit of bear scat on the Bowman Lake trail. No showers here but you can pay for a shower down at Polebridge Market Place, which you want to visitor anyway for their amazing baked goods (pizza after 3 pm too!). There was a ranger hanging out in the parking lot of the trail head area if you have any questions (though her job looked to be more traffic management than anything else).

  • J
    Jul. 22, 2023

    Many Glacier Campground — Glacier National Park

    Fantastic experience!

    I was in site 88 which was quite lovely with the stream behind it. I fly fished there and caught some trout! It's shallow so not for swimming but nice to stick your feet in to cool off. There was plenty of room to put my 4 person tent with an awning, though the awning was slightly outside the wooden tent pad markers. There was various shade throughout the day. I did have to pack up my tent and sleep in my car as there was grizzly activity after some folks weren't thinking and left some food unattended! The game wardens WILL fine you if you leave either food and/or fires unattended. If you're solo, like I was, you really need to think ahead before you prepare food or start a fire."I had to use the restroom" won't fly with the wardens! Grizzlies don't care and that fire could start a wild fire! 

    The biggest drawback was that the dumpster was right in front of my site but mostly people were extra careful not to let the spring-loaded access door slam. There's plenty of space between sites so I didn't feel like I was crammed in there. I could barely see my neighbors through the trees/bushes. I assume they'd be easy to see in spring or late fall with little vegetation. If you need to be right next to a bathroom, this isn't the site for you. It was across the road, down a path. There isn't a bear box for food storage directly ON this site but there's one nearby to share with another site. This site was in the no-generator loop, yay! Camp host, Jane, was ridiculously wonderful! She keeps a lending library outside her RV and encourages children to go out and find "exciting things" to display on her table for all passersby to view. FUN!

    From this site, you can walk to the Swiftcurrent Inn/deli/store which has basic necessities, a lot of junk food(very little produce in the park at all!), sandwiches, cold drinks, gift type things and where you get the tokens for showers. For those who are flying and can't bring bear spray, they have it there in the store. The Swiftcurrent Inn is also the parking lot for many of the trailheads nearby. TIP: seek out Fishercap Lake, just about a 10-minute easy walk from the parking lot. Moose are almost always seen there in the early mornings and early evenings.

     If I get lucky enough to go back, I will absolutely try and get this campsite (and just about anywhere in the campground) again! I far preferred the east side to the west. I stayed at the Sprague Creek campground on the west side which was a totally different experience. I'll write a review for that one too.

  • Morgan M.
    Jul. 1, 2020

    Fish Creek Campground — Glacier National Park

    Site D173 along Lake McDonald

    Situated along the southwest side of Glacier National Park's Fish Creek Campground, I snagged two nights at site D173 - right on the lake! 

    Follow the paved road to Loop D, and it's one of the last sites you come to. The site was extremely spacious and very clean (many of the sites at Fish Creek Campground are very small). It contained a fire pit, picnic table and outline for tent location. Plenty of close trees for hammocks. 

    Just a short walk down the hill from the site and you're on the lake! Because of the trees, there's not a great view of the lake from the site. Site D174 has fewer trees with clearer views of the lake. 

    The site was extremely close to the dumpsters (but not too close!), the bear vault was across the road and the bathrooms were maybe 100ft away (M/W - two stalls with flushing toilets and two sinks with a hand dryer). 

    I'm not much of a campground person (I prefer backpacking to avoid screaming kids and the sounds of generators), but this was sufficed for my time exploring Glacier National Park. 

    You'll see I had a tent/tarp set up the first night (I refused to be wet in my tent!), but the second night I slept in my car since I knew it would be pouring rain the next morning and I didn't want to break down camp in the rain. 

    Beware! You cannot collect sticks from the area for your fire. You must purchase firewood at Apgar Village (around $6/bundle) or collect dead branches/wood from the road to Bowman or Kintla Lakes. 

    The site host was at the start of Loop D, so she was close by for any issues (she's super nice!).

    The campground is dog friendly (I had mine with me), but know that there are NO dog-friendly trails in Glacier NP.

  • Taryn S.
    Jul. 27, 2024

    Bowman Lake Campground — Glacier National Park

    Best National Park Campground in the US!

    We've camped all over...all over Glacier and all over the country, and this is hands-down one of our favorite campgrounds. 100% our fave national park campground! An authentic unplugged, quiet camping experience.

    The remote location is amazing, and the campsites are nicely spread out in a moody, dark forested area with near full shade. There are a couple of paths directly to the lake, literally a 2-3 minute walk from anywhere in camp. Sites have fire rings and picnic tables, and there are a few vault toilets and several trash bins and potable water spigots. No showers or sinks. Deer galore! The visitor tent is pretty cool, especially for families with kids. It has activities and games like scavenger hunts, books/tools for identifying wildflowers/plants/scat etc. And there's a camp host onsite seasonally, also.

    Note that all sites are FCFS. Rangers at the entrance usually have a fair idea of whether you'll get a spot.

    Even though the park has gotten much busier in the past few years, Bowman still remains a quietER gem. The long road keeps people away, I guess - although some 2023-24 construction/improvements has made it quite a bit better.

  • Angela G.
    May. 15, 2021

    Apgar Campground — Glacier National Park

    Great location!

    Really excellent location right inside Glacier National Park limits and walking distance to Lake McDonald. I had very limited cell phone service with Verizon at the campground but I had 4G at the lake. The sites were spacious enough. Most sites had a semi circle type parking so easy to get in and out for trailers. Bathroom was ok but there was no soap. No wifi. Trash receptacles were available. The showers were not great. Deer frequented the sites. Proper food storage is very important. It was nice and quiet while I was there but during peak summer months would likely be very busy and crowded.

Guide to Martin City

Dispersed tent camping near Martin City, Montana provides proximity to the North Fork of the Flathead River and surrounding wilderness areas. Located at approximately 3,100 feet elevation, the area experiences summer temperatures averaging 75-85°F during day and dropping to 40-50°F at night. Seasonal closures affect some dispersed sites, particularly during logging operations or extreme fire danger periods.

What to do

Hiking on nearby trails: Several sites offer access to hiking trails with varying difficulty levels. At Ryan Road Dispersed Camping, "Located close to the west entrance, this dispersed camping location is quiet and easily accessible to most vehicles. It did fill up, so get there early. Mosquitos were pretty bad." The area serves as a convenient basecamp for day hikes into Glacier National Park.

Kayaking and paddleboarding: Water activities are popular on Hungry Horse Reservoir. One camper at Hungry Horse Reservoir Dispersed noted, "37 miles from Hungry Horse to this location, almost 25 of the unpaved and some of the road is really rough and extremely narrow, much of it along steep Cliffs but when you take 895 around the reservoir once you pass the really small bridge with a 10 mph sign, go approximately two and a half miles to 895J and it will lead you directly down to numerous spots along the lake including an open meadow and several areas where you can launch a boat or kayaks."

Wildlife viewing: Early mornings offer opportunities to see deer and other wildlife. A visitor to Blankenship Bridge mentioned, "The perfect spot fo dogs! This spot is it! Right on a clear river, came in on Tuesday at 6pm. Still river spots available. Dog friendly and safe, I'm a female traveling on my own with my dog."

What campers like

Easy access to Glacier National Park: Tent camping in Martin City provides affordable alternatives to park lodging. At Dorris Creek Road, campers appreciate the proximity: "We didn't set reservations and all the campgrounds were full, so we opted to 'dirt bag' it and take advantage of some free national forest camping off the road up a ways along Hungry Horse Reservoir near Doris Creek. There are a few places up the gravel road along the lake where you can pull off to camp away from the road."

Cost savings: Free dispersed camping allows budget travelers to extend their stays. According to one Ryan Road camper, "Not sure where we were going to spend the night, but discovered this great campsite through the Dyrt! Large campsites but was pretty full for the night. We were able to get a space for our Mercedes Sprinter next to another van. Score!"

River and lake proximity: Many dispersed sites offer direct water access. A Blankenship Bridge camper said, "I loved this spot! I was able to get a spot back in the trees and shade a bit, but could still just walk down to the river. When I was there they also had porta potties available, because it's illegal to even bury waste in this location. Super convenient and free spot for anyone traveling to Glacier National Park!"

What you should know

Seasonal closures: Check current status before traveling. For Ryan Road, recent reports indicate: "Closed for Logging, the signs say closed for logging so I assume that's also for walking up to the site." Another visitor confirmed, "I showed up to the Ryan road turn off from highway 2 and there was a bunch of signage that said temporarily closed to public access due to logging work going on."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Martin City, MT?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Martin City, MT is Blankenship Bridge - Dispersed Camping with a 4.3-star rating from 31 reviews.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 93 tent camping locations near Martin City, MT, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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