Best Tent Camping near Monarch, MT

Bumped in to this camping area while hunting recently. This Lewis and Clark National Forest designated camping location has one site, one site in that the location has one forest service concrete and wood picnic table and a rock fire ring. Stay limit is 16 days. The camping area is located where Whitetail Creek dumps into Spring Creek. The camping are is completely flat. Two additional rock fire rings are in the area. The area has plenty of room for your vehicle and tent at the picnic table site and the two additional fire rings, just no picnic tables for these two fire rings. If you camp here come prepared, this is a Trash-in Trash-out site, no water, no vault toilet. The road is a little rough in a few places on the way to this site, would recommend a high clearance vehicle to access this camping location.

Whitetail Camp Campground located 12 miles north of U.S. Hwy 12 on Spring Creek road in the Little Belt Mountains. The campground is part established campground and part disperse camping area. The campground is located on both sides of Spring Creek road. On the left side of the road is two sites with picnic tables and metal fire rings. On the right side the campground is an open meadow with a few designated sites and a lot of room for disperse camping. Noticed one campsite with picnic table and metal fire ring on the right side. The campground has a vault toilet but no water or trash service. Vault toilet was well stocked. This is a very popular campground during the hunting season. Their is no fee to stay at Whitetail Camp Campground, but you are limited to 16 day. This is a bear area so you will need to keep all your food items in your vehicle, bear lockers are not available

Hay Canyon Campground is a free six site (Forest service says 7) campsite in a narrow canyon among large mature trees.  This site is broken in to two sections with three sites each.  The first section is easy to find, the second is just around the bend on the main road on a road to the right which has three more sites.  The campground has picnic tables and metal fire rings at all the sites. A vault toilet serves the campground.  No water or trash service so come prepared.  The site nearest to the vault toilet is a amazingly large site, three picnic tables a large metal fire ring and the biggest BBQ grill I have ever seen in a campground.  Getting this site is just awesome even at the high price of nothing to camp here.  The second section of campsites do require a bit of a walk to get to the vault toilet but their is a faint trail short cutting the road walk.

The gate was closed and does not open until May 15. I was able to walk up about less than a quarter mile and find a flat ground where I was able to set up my shelter. I’m sure this gets busy in the summertime. Since it’s on a mountain, the amount of flat areas are limited so it’s first come first serve. I took my bike and rode the Road a little bit and found an opening with an amazing spot to put up a hammock. There are absolutely no amenities here and you’re required a shovel and bucket if you were camping pack everything out and leave no trace. You can identify a campsite by how flat the ground is and usually there is a fire pit already made. There are bullet holes everywhere in signs and remnants of shells everywhere to be honest the vibe was very off almost eerie and deadening silence. I did not really enjoy the vibe, but that was me personally I’m sure you’ll enjoy this very much.

Ackley Lake State Park campground has no camping fees for Montana residents, for nonresidents the cost is$24 per night. The campground has two vault toilets, but no running water or trash service. While visiting I counted 26 metal fire rings at the campground. Most of those fire rings had picnic tables, but not all of them. Their are 15 numbered campsites with metal fire rings with a cement picnic table with a lean-to to block the wind and provide a little shade. The numbered sites sit along the shore of the lake allowing you to fish from your campsite. The state park also has 2 boat ramps and a seasonal boat dock.

Spring Creek Campground is a small campground along spring creek in the Lewis and Clark National Forest. The campground sits is a small canyon making this a potentially good campground to avoid the summer heat, which also means a colder camp in the spring and fall. Spring Creek campground has 10 campsite sitting along the creek among mature fir and pine trees, all sites have picnic tables and metal fire rings. The campground has two vault toilets and one hand pump for water. A trailhead is located in the campground and is for a spur on a 15-mile multiple-use trail. Like bears, then your in luck, bears may frequent the area so a mandatory food storage order is in affect. You'll need to keep all food in approved containers or stored in your vehicle as no food lockers are available. It is reported that Brook Trout can be caught in the creek. Want a little more excitement, the campground is subject to flash flooding so keep tabs on the weather as heavy rains at the site or upstream can result in flash flooding. If the creek starts to suddenly rise be prepared to move.

A ranger review of Ethnotek Premji 20 Liter. Travel Day pack. This is an excellent day pack. Just the right size for a full day out on the trails. The Premji 20 Liter has plenty of room for all the gear you will need for a full day in the wilderness. One of the things I like best about the Premji 20 Liter is the side zipper which allows you to easily gain access to items at the bottom of the pack without having to take everything out. A small pocket at the top of the pack is great for holding granola bars or other small snacks or objects. Another small pocket on the back has holders for pens/pencils, your cell phone and other items such as a note book or maps. The pack has two external pockets, one which is a mesh pocket. Both of these will fit water bottles such as a Lifestraw Go, or Camelbak chute. Two sets of double side straps allow you to strap additional items like a jacket to the outside of the pack. The shoulder straps are comfortable even after a full day of hiking. The pack has plenty of padding which means no gear poking you in the back. The only thing I would add to this pack is a chest strap, but this is just because I like having chest straps on my packs. Overall a great pack for a day on the trail.

I was not impressed with Richardson Campground. This campground has three sites. Be sure to pay attend to the sign at the beginning of the campground "NO TURN AROUND" this sign is correct. Once you get past the second campsite their will not be room to turn around if you have a trailer. A signal vehicle can turn around a tree at the third campsite, but if someone is camped in the third site you may not be able to even do that. The three campsites sit along a small creek. The first site has a picnic table, metal fire ring and a BBQ grill. Sites 2 and 3 both have a picnic table and metal fire ring. The campground has a single Outhouse, not a vault toilet, this is a small wooden outhouse. At the entrance to the campground is a trailhead and a horse corral, an added bonus if you bring horses. Horses are not allowed in the campground. This campground is a "Pack-in, Pack-out" campground with no water.

Kings Hill campground in the Lewis and Clark National Forest sits at around 8000 feet in elevation.  This 18 site campground should be a five star but just couldn't give it the 5th on as the area was recently cleared of dead trees and still bears the scares from the process, most notably the charred remains of at least 3 large slash piles in the campground.  Not all the wood was burned and might site had a pile that would have last several days.  The site are nicely spread apart and you can still find sites with trees in place.  Some of the sites have stairs that lead up to or down to the campsite.  The campground has water and vault toilets but no trash service so be prepared to pack out everything you bring in.  Each site has a picnic table and metal fire rings as well as BBQ grills.  Campground is near highway 89 so their is some road noise.  Campground is next to the Showdown Ski Area.