Looking for an adventure where you can explore Mcleod and then fall asleep in your tent? Finding a place to camp in Montana with your tent has never been easier. Each tent site offers quick access to one or more of Mcleod, Montana's most popular destinations.
This campground does not use a reservation system, it is managed on a first-come, first-served basis. Be aware the campground may fill up on weekends & holidays during the summer months and you should arrive in the early afternoon to ensure there is a space available for the night. Accessible - yes (toilet as well)
This free campground is located on the West Fork Stillwater Road and is near the West Fork Stillwater Trail (#90). The campground is maintained from Memorial Day to Labor Day, but is opened the rest of the year without services. There is a 16 day stay limit for all Beartooth Ranger District campgrounds.For a road map of the area, which shows campground locations, please see our Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM)Camp sites: 6Host: NoMax Trailer Length: 20 ftAccessible Facilities: noneTrash Pickup:NoFirewood:NoReservationsNo Reservations. This campground does not use a reservation system, it is managed on a first-come, first-served basis. Be aware the campground may fill up on weekends & holidays during the summer months and you should arrive in the early afternoon to ensure there is a space available for the night. There is a 16 day stay limit. Some sites in campground have bear resistant food storage lockers. Individual camp sites vary in size, but the max trailer length is 20ft. Initial Creek Campground remains open year-round. However, in the off-season, the roads to the campground are not plowed and the campground is not maintained. There is no water and no services. Please pack out all of your trash.Directions from district office:Drive north on US Hwy 212 for 2.1 miles. Turn left (west) onto MT-78 and drive 30 miles. Turn left (west) onto MT-419 towards Fishtail. Drive through Nye and for a total of 25.9 miles. Immediately after the Stillwater Mine, turn right (west) onto the West Fork Stillwater Rd (FR 2846). Drive 7.8 miles to the trailhead.*The West Fork Stillwater Rd is a rough road. High clearance vehicles are advised.Information:Beartooth Ranger District Office6811 US Hwy 212Red Lodge, MT 59068(406) 446-2103
A campground in the west boulder area on the Yellowstone District. Open all year. Access is limited during the fall and winter due to snow. Access road not suitable for vehicles longer than 20'. This campground does not use a reservation system, it is managed on a first-come, first-served basis. Be aware the campground may fill up on weekends & holidays during the summer months and you should arrive in the early afternoon to ensure there is a space available for the night.
$12 / night
Closed until further notice:
Emergency Site Closure This fishing access site is closed due to flood damage leaving the site without a safe access road. These public safety risks caused by extremely high water levels, endangered and failing infrastructure, flooded and impassible access roads, and limited availability of search and rescue resources. Closures will be strictly enforced. Signs are posted at the highway and road entrance.
06/16/2022 -
Until further notice
Many people enjoy the solitude and primitive experience of camping away from developed campgrounds and other campers. Dispersed camping is the term used for camping anywhere in the National Forest OUTSIDE of a designated campground. Dispersed camping means no services (such as trash removal), and little or no facilities (such as tables and fire pits) are provided.
Rules for dispersed camping Groups over 75 people are not allowed. Dispersed camping is NOT allowed in the vicinity of developed recreation areas. You need to be self-contained. No amenities are provided; such as water, restrooms or trash cans. Please pack out all your trash. You may camp in a dispersed area for up to 16 days. After 16 days, you must move at least 5 road miles for camping in another dispersed area and you can not return to your original campsite for 7 days. Please use existing fire rings and avoid creating new fire rings. Contact your local district office for information on fire restrictions. It is your responsibility to know if fire restrictions are in effect before you go camping. Be bear aware and know the food storage regulations before camping. These regulations are strictly enforced. Where can I disperse camp? To find out where you are allowed to disperse camp, please refer to each district's Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM). These maps will show which roadways allow disperse camping and it tells you the distance you are allowed to drive off the road to camp. Please note that some roads have more limitations and restrictions than others. Please consult the Motor Vehicle Use Map or call the district office for more details. To see our Motor Vehicle Use Maps, click here.
Can I have a campfire? Please use existing sites and fire rings. Firewood permits are not needed if wood is used on the forest. If wood is transported home for personal use, you will need to purchase a firewood permit at the closest district office. This permit should be obtained prior to you gathering or transporting any wood.
Before you leave your campfire make sure is it completely out. You should be able to put your whole hand into the ashes without being burned; it should be cool to the touch. Stir the ashes to make sure all embers have cooled. This is very important! Many forest fires are caused by abandoned campfires that were not completely out.
The National Forest has wildfires each year. Many of these are human caused from escaped campfires in dispersed sites. Campfires are allowed unless there are fire restrictions in effect due to high fire danger conditions. It is your responsibility to know if fire restrictions are in effect before you go camping. You can learn about any fire restrictions by contacting the nearest Forest Service office.
Dispersed camping means no bathrooms and no outhouses. That means extra care has to be taken in disposing of human waste. To dispose of feces, dig a hole six to eight (6-8) inches deep at least 200 feet away from any water source. When you are done, fill the hole with the dirt you dug up and take your toilet paper with you to dispose of in a proper waste container. Never defecate or leave toilet paper on top of the ground. Do not simply cover it with a rock. It could easily get into the local water source and contaminate it.
Traveler
We stayed for one night and camped in a tent. The river access was nice, as were the campsites. However, there were not many marked tent sites and there was dog poop everywhere. Other than that, it was very nice! They have 2 vault toilets.
Scout
Came in late in the rain…they had cabins available for not much more than a tent site. That was a blessing for us since we have been tent camping. Staff is very helpful and friendly!
Guide
This is your average family campground with RV park and grass closely packed tent campground (like literally right on top of one another split by single pine trees). Very much like a KOA (pool, shop, WiFi, showers, laundry etc.) but half the price ($26/night for basic tent site). No fire pits, there is a picnic table for each site.
Traveler
Tent camped here. Definitely bring bear spray as this is a remote campground in the woods.
Had great availability last minute. $34 for the night. Sites 1-13 are pretty grassy and good for the tent! Site 14 was tent friendly, but it was harder to find a flat surface with no tree roots. A 2 person tent was used at site 14 and we made it work. If you have a bigger tent I would definitely go for sites 1-13 first. Each campsite had a bear locker to put food in!
Traveler
Very clean RV/tent campground just outside of Billings with full hookups and a lovely area for tent camping. Laundry facilities, showers. We have stayed here a few times while visiting our daughter and the owners have been very kind to us. There is noise from the interstate, train, cows, etc but if you travel you should be used to that. Great stop on the way to Yellowstone, Red Lodge or another fun places nearby.
Guide
Currently rooftop tent camping all over Montana had stopped here for the night ran into a guy and was told this was the Last river that does not have dams and that the locals are fighting to keep it that way
TravelerAs mentioned in other reviews, trains were loud. There was also a child messing with our tent early in the morning and being super noisy. Tent camping is crowded and unorganized, but neighbors were super respectful. Something to mention with tent camping: you will NOT get a view like the plug in sites do. Nice showers and bathrooms. There is a pool that isn’t super crowded. Price was about $40/night which was high for a site with no view, and no privacy, but I understand the appeal of the pool and showers!
Traveler
Tent camped for 1 night. Campground was quiet and had very clean bathrooms/showers. Would definitely stay here again but pay the extra $10 for dry camp as it was pretty muddy
GuideGreat little KOA. Awesome views of the Absaroka range. Book early. Tent sites were great. Nice dog park, small though.
GuideNice camping close to Bozeman - which is home to Montana State and a couple good microbreweries. Really liked this campground - but didn’t get enough sleep. Tent camping is nice here, some trees for wind cover and flat ground with picnic benches. But the trains roll through the entire evening, with horns sounding their arrival. Made it pretty tough to sleep. Nice amenities with a pool, showers, water, etc.
Traveler
About 7 miles west of Absarokee, 2.5 of them gravel. Sign said tent camping only but I stayed one night in my Sprinter van with no problem. Did not use vault toilet so cannot speak to its condition. Some algae near the shore of river but waded out deeper for refreshing dip.
Traveler
The location and views were great and it’s hard to beat free. That said, this is not an ideal place for tent camping. The wind was brutal all night, one of the RVs ran their generator constantly so it was loud, and there were a lot of large rocks in the ground. It’s a great location in general, but just not ideal for a tent.
Scout
We upgraded from a tent site to a cabin because there was a storm coming through as we were driving. We enjoyed the cabin quite a bit, and we'll do it again. We love the campground, but the traffic noise and occasional trains were quite irritating
TravelerWe stayed her for 1 night on a road trip in one of the tent sites and it was perfect. There were several options to put our tent on our site including an area covered by trees and secluded from the rest of the park. It was right on the Yellowstone River. The staff was VERY friendly!
TravelerThis was our families first stay at a KOA. We really enjoyed our time. We tent camped. We had electric and water at our site, and we were just a short walk to an inflatable trampoline, a heated pool, the camp store, showers, restrooms, and laundry facilities. The staff were very helpful with anything we needed. Great campground to stay at!
Traveler
I really hated my time here. I gave 2 stars because the people are nice and the site and facilities are generally well kept. Maybe my problems were largely seasonal, I stayed in mid September. First of all the tent sites are very close to a highway which is busy with big rigs and traffic all night, there is also a train that goes off as it nears. While I was here next door was also construction that had vehicles beeping early in the morning. Sleeping here was rough, I woke up from noise at all hours. The other main issue for me was the bugs. They were on EVERYTHING (pictured), again, maybe a seasonal issue. The tent sites are also under these trees that drop sticky leaves all over the site and leave a sticky residue all over your car and tent. RV camping here is probably much better because it's quieter and not so close to the road. I would recommend, at least in this season, spending a little more and going to the hot springs campground.
Guide
Only a few tent sites, none very big. Camping is more along the irrigation ditch but you could wade to the Stillwater River to fish. Would not recommend for trailers or campers, even a small teardrop would be tough to maneuver. Really feels like you're camping in the backyard of the ranch you drive thru to reach the site. Fire pits were nice.
ScoutBeautiful sunsets, clean bathrooms and laundry room. We tent camped and the grounds are beautiful. Fun little hike behind the campground to see the hills and valley. Pool is great, does get busy in the middle of the day. It does have a lot of road noise and trains but I love the train sounds so it isn’t an issue for us. Friendly and kind staff, overall wonderful campground if you want to be close to Bozeman.
Scout
It's $20 bucks a night for tent camping, and has a bathroom with showers. The bathroom stalls are funny. If you sit on the toilet seat, your knees hit the stall door. The shower floors are not nice, but it's still a shower. There is Wi-Fi as well. The guy who runs the campground is very chill. We didn't have to reserve a spot, which was really nice. Overall I liked it. It's only an hour away from the north end of Yellowstone. I would go back.
LegendAs of April of 2020, the name has changed from Sunrise Campground to Bozeman Trail Campground (bozemantrailcampground.com). Although bordered on two sides by busy roads, this is a compact, friendly and tall-tree lined break spot. Low key and welcoming, plus it's by both trail/open spaces (like the Drinking Horse and Sourdough trails) and nearby shopping and travel fill-up locations. $30-35 for tent sites, which are in more open space and close to the freeway.
GuideBeautiful CG spot for fishing access. Drift Boat ramp and 6 to 8 designated camp sites. Plus overflow. 2 or 3 tent sites. Reviews about noise, no water and dog poop are justified but hey its a fish camp. People are great. Dogs are friendly. Will always be crowded on weekends. AT&T 5 bars even picked up 30 digital access TV channels Update June 2022. CG closed due to Yellowstone river flooding. Check with MT Fish, wildlife and parks for updates
Guide
Arrive at around 11pm on a Saturday night. The good spots were taken but still plenty of room for our 4Runner + RTT. We used as a single night stop over driving up to Glacier. Some of the grass is well kept and mowed and other spots unmanaged. A lot of tent sites toward the back in a quieter dark area. Overall for a free site it was really nice. There were definitely some very sweet spots right on the Yellowstone river.
LegendI stayed for one night and it was great. There’s 4 pull in spots with fire rings and then 3/4 tent sites with rings. Some people parked in the field to camp so I guess that works too. No amenities other than a vault toilet which was clean & stocked. It’s right along the Yellowstone river and so beautiful! Surrounded my mountains and peace and quiet. Arrived Friday late afternoon and they were half full. By the morning time, 4 other campers arrived. Everyone was kind and respectful. Definitely would stay again!
ScoutThis is a beautiful place! If you get a spot next to the river they the sound of the water is phenomenal! They also stock the ponds with trout so that for dinner you can eat fish. They also clean the fish for you. The cabins that they have are clean and cozy. The tent camping sites are the best though. The showers and bathrooms are clean and have the best decor! They even have a laundry room for you to wash clothes. Right down the road to Big Timber is a small drug store with the best shakes that brings a perfect end to the day.
Guide
My wife and I were able to stay here for 3 nights. The grounds feature vault toilets, campfire rings, food storage lockers, and even a hand pump for water. There is someone who sells firewood at the camp which makes things easy on everyone. The tent site was level and large. There are some good hiking trails but they are open to mountain bikers so heads up! They may get pretty muddy. The kayaking was peaceful. I didn't catch much fishing but that's my fault not the campsites! We were on the Wild Bill Lake.
Legend
Site: 2
RESERVATIONS NO
FCFS
FEES: NONE
Open all year
No water Picnic table, fire ring, pit toilet
This campground is located right off East Boulder Road. It could be tent sites or very small RV, van, trailer. One site is right along side the creek which is the best site. The second site has a path to the creek. The toilet is located between the two sites. Needed fly spray for the toilet. Toilet didn't smell the flies were just so BAD. The site next to the creek is totally open, great for solar. The other site is wooded and shady. With so many of the sites in Montana you will have amazing mountain views.
Directions: 19 miles S of Big Timber on US 298, then 6 miles East on East Boulder Road County R 205.
GuideWe came into this campground on a Wednesday and picked the best of three open sites. There were a lot of reserved sites, but they were mostly coming in on Friday.
The site was beautiful and very close to the river (the sound was great). The vault toilets were very clean. The water was available through a easy to use hand pump. The camp hosts had firewood for $5.00 per bundle.
We were tent camping and the site had a large pad, a place for my hammock, a nice wooden picnic table, and a GREAT fire ring. The sites were all very far apart from each other.
Nestled in the heart of Montana, Mcleod offers a variety of tent camping options that cater to outdoor enthusiasts looking for a serene escape into nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Mcleod, MT is East Boulder Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 9 reviews.
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