Best Tent Camping near Ovando, MT

Recent Tent Reviews near Ovando, Montana

343 Reviews of 24 Ovando Campgrounds

• K

  Kenyon

  Guide

  

  Sep. 16, 2024

  Missoula KOA Holiday

  Only game in town

  The Missoula KOA appears to be the only game in town.  I guess that is why they can charge a premium price and leave you with two choices, take it or leave it.  Only problem is we could not find another place so we "took it".

  This is a big and busy campground.  Lots of good things about it.  For example, for a premium price, you can get a site with your own private dog run.  Two older but OKay hot tubs and a heated swimming pool.  Bicycle and other stuff rental.  Everything from tent sites, cabins, small full hook-up sites to large spacious premium sites.  Despite some of the bad reviews, the staff was very friendly to us and, because of no parking for our Tesla, they were able to move us to a better site.  WARNING:  You are not allowed to plug in any electric car.  We were warned that if we plugged in our Tesla, we would be fined and asked to leave the park immediately.  The Tesla supercharger was less than two miles away so no problem for us.  Wifi was great.  34 mbs.  AT&T was 2 bars 5G.

  The BAD:  Very busy.  Many days in summer they are 100 per cent booked.  Make reservations early and be specific what you need.  Be ready to pay a premium price, even for tent camping.  Camp is old but well kept.  Bathrooms are clean but very old style and shower stalls are very small and not handicapped friendly.  Surrounded by lots of older double-wide's.  Some well kept and some not so well kept.  Not friendly to electric cars (see warning above).  Several times during our stay they paused their golf cart in front of our Tesla,  I assume making sure we did not plug in.

• 

  Steve S.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 12, 2018

  Aspen Grove Group Use Area (helena-lewis and Clark Nf, Mt)

  Beautiful on Blackfoot river!

  Very well kept. Not just a group use area. Nice trailer or tent sites. Clean restrooms and fresh water. Wonderful camp hosts. Beautiful spot on Blackfoot river. Only 6 miles to Lincoln, Montana if you need anything.

• 

  Vanessa M.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 17, 2017

  Missoula KOA Holiday

  Nice spot

  The tent site was spacious and had outdoor lighting. Definitely had a lot more amenities than we are generally used to! Didn't get there in time to use the hot tub, but the people were really nice!

• 

  Abigail D.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 26, 2024

  Bernie & Sharons Riverfront RV Park

  Nice campground

  I called 30 minutes before our arrival for a tent camping spot and the host was easily able to accommodate us. Two men met us in a golf cart and drive us to our nice grassy site. The campground had coin showers with hot water and a family friendly rec room.

• 

  Amber T.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 17, 2023

  Harpers Lake

  Large campsites

  Only $12 a night if resident fishing license and $18 if not. Two lakes to swim or fish. And we had a decent size creek right by our campsite too. The majority of tent sites are literally huge. We had an amazing time staying here.

• 

  Debbie C.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 8, 2018

  Harpers Lake

  Great Campground for A Quick Trip

  Harper's Lake north of Missoula on Hwy 83 and Hwy 200 right along the Clearwater River.the campground sports two small lakes Blanchard Lake and Harper's Lake which are within walking distance to the campground. The sites are mostly for tent camping, but there are sites large enough for trailers. There is no water, electricity or sewer hook-ups.

• D

  Dyan L.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 18, 2021

  Missoula KOA Holiday

  My Kind of Campground

  It is inner city. Not for everyone, but I liked everything about it— except it is slightly noisy due to planes, trains, and autos. Next to a janky trailer park, but I am not a remote camper. My tent site next to the showers and bathroom was perfect.

• J

  Jess C.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 17, 2023

  Copper Creek Campground

  Great Spot!

  Overall, this is a great spot to camp. Tent camped one night, and had no issues. Bugs are very minimal for being right next to the creek. I will say the road up, has seen much much better days. The speed limit on this road is 45, and I didn’t catch myself going over 15mph. Heavy washboarding, and deep potholes. Drove a Transit van.

• 

  Angela G.

  Ranger

  

  May. 20, 2021

  Missoula KOA Holiday

  Busy location

  Enjoyed my stay but it is in a very busy location. You either access the campground through a busy downtown area or a narrow residential area. The campground itself is very large but crowded. The RV sites have some space between them but not a lot. The tent sites are nicely surrounded by trees. The laundry area is spacious and well stocked. I really appreciated that the bathrooms had individual stalls and showers. I enjoyed my stay but this could be an extremely busy and crowded campground during peak season. The Camp store was well stocked and reasonably priced.

• 

  Heidi C.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 30, 2020

  Salmon Lake State Park Campground

  Family friendly campground

  Well managed, clean, and pretty campground with views through the trees of Salmon Lake. Best access to the lake is from the day use and boat ramp area south of the campground. We enjoyed exploring all the trails leading down to and along the lake. The park manager was very friendly and helpful. We lucked out and got a site with water and electricity. The only down side was we could hear the highway during the day, but it quieted at night. The sites closer to the lake probably didn’t have that issue. The walk-in tent sites are really nice above the lake.

• 

  Bjorn S.

  Legend

  

  Jun. 11, 2020

  Indian Creek RV Campground

  Works as a Last (Last) Option

  I will say first off that this would work as a last resort for heavy sleepers. The two tent sites are small grassy areas right by the bathrooms (so very little privacy) right in the middle of a sea of RVs, which are mainly hemmed in by roads and freeways. Precious little greenery - it’s mainly all gravel. There was no electricity while I was there, no one was really out and it had sort of a depressing feel. Pluses are gorgeous mountain views to the east and a small walking trail somewhat near the tentsites. This is probably an affordable 2 or 3 star for an RV.

• A

  Alyssa L.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 20, 2022

  Missoula KOA Holiday

  Expensive

  We were stuck a night in Missoula waiting for a new tire, so booked this place in town. We have a nice self converted camper van and were told we couldn’t stay due to their “no sleeping in vehicles rule” our options were to go buy a tent or cancel our reservation without refund. After some back and forth, the manager finally agreed to let us stay home night in the van. We had a tent site for an unheard of $80. The site was decent, as far as KOAs go but I wouldn’t stay here if you have other options. They had a foot truck and a decent hot tub but be prepared for tons of screaming kids too

• 

  Dexter I.

  Legend

  

  Nov. 1, 2019

  Hooper Park

  Nice city campground walking distance to town

  Hooper Park is a nice city park on the east side of town which contains a camping area. The campground has RV sites with electric and water hookup and sites with out hookups for tent camping. Campsites sit in a nice flat grassy area under large ponderosa pines. Restroom facilities area available as well as trash bins. Camp sites prices are based on the type of camping you are doing, RV vs Tent and if you are using an electric site or not. The park has a large pavilion that comes in handy if it starts raining and you want to eat your meal while staying dry. The park/campground is on the east side of town and a short walk just about everything Lincoln has to offer. This is a good spot to stay if you are traveling and need an easy to find campsite with out having to travel miles down a forest se

• N

  Nancy

  Guide

  

  Feb. 12, 2022

  Salmon Lake State Park Campground

  Lake side campsites

  We stayed at Salmon Lake on 2 different occasions in June 2021.  We were lucky enough to score last minute reservation on the lower loop. The lower loop is right on the water and has only 2 campsites, #22 and #23. These two sites are farther down the hill so we did not hear the street noise that other campers complain about in the upper loop. We were tent camping when we stayed in site #22 and #23,  Site #22 has a very nice covered picnic table and is large enough to accommodate a large RV or trailer. This  lower loop only has pit toilet but the upper loop has flush toilets and  very clean showers.  We did appreciate that they sold firewood at the campground for $4. This campground also has very nice walk-in campsite for cyclist and hikers.  We enjoyed both of our stays and would highly recommend the lower loop since the sites were right on the water and you had more privacy.

• 

  Dave S.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 29, 2020

  Chief Looking Glass Campground

  A very nice, small riverside campground

  All the forest service campgrounds in the area were full and we happened across this place. We stayed 3 days & it was very peaceful. Each day a few sites opened up mid-day. There is a beautiful flat water river with two access points and locals tube and paddle here. There are tent sites, back-in sites, and pull through sites. Our site was on the river though separated by a thin strip of woods. At night we could hear coyotes. There are a lot of people who drive through looking around and kicking up dust, but that's the only negative. There are no hookups, only a central hand pump for water and no dump station. Prices are cheaper for residents and those with state fishing license (who have already contributed to the up keep).

• T

  Tom U.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 9, 2020

  Bitterroot Flat

  Small campground with well spaced sites near river

  A loop off the road in open evergreen forest with grass ground covering. Tent sites are well spaced, about 150ft, but the open forest means you can see several neighbors. The forest floor is generally shaded with some sun patches so most sites have good shade. Sites on the river side have trails down a 15ft bank to the river. Some trails are good and some steep. Because of the bank, you can’t see the river from camp. From sites on the road side you can access the the river between river side sites. Our site had only a small beach and we did not spend much time at the river. 

  There are 3-4 outhouses, mainly placed near the road. 

  The one water pump was locked up and marked as non-portable. 

  The road is near enough that you can see and hear passing traffic. 

  We arrived on a Wednesday in late July, about 4:00 pm, and found the campground about 75% full. Temperatures were upper 70’s to 80’s and we found the shade comfortable. Light bugs. Moderate mosquitoes in the evening. Generally it was pleasant to sit outdoors.

• 

  Jennifer M.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 13, 2023

  Camp Paxson

  Camp Paxson Preservation Project

  https://www.camppaxson.org/app/

  *Must rent entire facility*

  "Camp Paxson sits on the shores of Seeley Lake, one of a chain of five lakes nestled between the Swan Mountain Range and the Mission Mountain Range in Western Montana. It is a 15-acre peninsula of land that Salish, Blackfeet, and Crow tribes cared for, hunted, and fished for centuries prior to European colonization and we recognize their time-honored traditions and connections rooted in the earth. While the history of the land reaches centuries back, the buildings on this Forest Service landmark are just 80 years old. Camp Paxson originally consisted of a tent camp with six small frame structures. By the 1930s, a larger facility was needed. The Depression-era Works Progress Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps began building the current facility in 1939, and the bathhouses and cabins were completed in 1940. Because of its unique architecture and as an example of the contributions of the WPA and CCC during the Depression years, Camp Paxson was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. The camp was originally used by a variety of groups including the Boy Scouts and the Forest Service for their Smokejumper training housing. Camp Paxson is a Lolo National Forest Service site administered by the Camp Paxson Preservation Project, a non-profit organization that operates with the mission to preserve and improve historic Camp Paxson and to advance the public’s appreciation of this cultural and natural resource both locally and regionally through expanded appropriate use. The facility is used by schools, churches, weddings, family reunions, and other gatherings of large groups.

• 

  Dexter I.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 20, 2019

  Big Nelson Complex

  Big Nelson not big no no no it is small very small.

  Big Nelson Campground is anything but big. This is a tiny cramped campground. I found 6 campsites, but the Forest Service website list this campground as having four. With the exception of site three, all the other sites require you to park in a parking area. Site 3 was the first site I noticed on arriving at the campground and was located to the left of the parking area. Sites 4, 5 and 6 require parking in the parking area and walking down a set of stairs to access. Sites 4, 5, and 6 can only be accessed from the stairs, driving down the road to the boat launch will only get you to the boat launch. Site 4 is on the left at the bottom of the stairs. Site 4 is tiny, it is a picnic table next to a metal fire ring, if you want to pitch a tent at site four you would need to do it next to the fire ring and skip making a fire or pitch it in a small flat area above the picnic table near the parking area on the opposite side of the fence. Site four really doesn't have much room for a tent. Sites 5 and 6 are fairly roomy, especially when compared to site 4. Site 5 is on the right side of the stairs, plenty of room for a tent, nice view of the lake and has a metal fire ring and picnic table. Site 6 can be reached by walking through site 5 or from the boat launch road. You could unload your gear at site 6 right from your car, but would can not park next to site 6, you will need to drive back up to the camping area. Site 6 has plenty of room for a tent and also has a picnic table and metal fire ring. The campground has one small vault toilet and is at the beginning of the road to the boat ramp. The boat ramp isn't really a ramp, but the shore of the lake with a gradual entrance in to the water. Campsite 2 I found as I was leaving the area, it is just past the vault toilet as you leave. Campsite 2 requires a walk down a few stairs. It is a tight campsite with just enough room for a small tent next to the picnic table. A metal fire ring is on the opposite side of the picnic table. What I guess would be campsite 1 is further down the road and down below the road, I would not suggest using this site as it is a bit of a walk from the parking area, the road is two narrow to park here. Site 1 does not have a picnic table but does have a fire ring, odds are you won't even notice the site coming in or out. During my stay the campground did not have a fee, but the information sign indicates a fee may be coming next year. This is a dry campground, your only source of water is the lake so come prepared, this is also a trash-in trash-out site.

• 

  Brooke M.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 22, 2016

  Russell Gates Memorial

  Serene River Camping

  Golden leaves on popping trees, glints and shimmers of silver and gold bouncing off of the Blackfoot River. Camping a la riverfront. Tent pitched. Fire stoked. Flies tied on the pole. This charming campsite East of the small and charming town of Ovando, Montana, is more than a boat launch, it's a camping way of life.

• C

  Craig L.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 13, 2020

  Missoula KOA Holiday

  New Favorite . . .

  This place is on my shortlist for favorites for my week long getaway with my daughter who is 5. To be honest I was a bit concerned after reading a couple reviews describing the place. But hey, we all have bad days, and if I can read 90% positive vibe from a review I will check it out. I will say This place is an oasis that is in a manufactured home area that is very nice. Once you are in, it is a pure KOA experience. So far no company consistently does better than OK always across the board.

  Could not be happier with the customer service, and the staff that work here. Just simply top notch. They represent the true spirit of the KOA campgrounds. they lead you to your campsite, they will deliver wood for you, they monitor the pool at all times, make it easy to rent a little bike, and Wednesday through Saturday they have ice cream socials.

  I was a bit surprised that I did not see more children here. They have all the amenities that they have in Billings. I think some of the other reviews do not paint a quality picture of this place from a child’s eye. This is my daughters favorite place. From the bike rental to the playground, putt putt golf, swimming pool (2 Adult hot tubs - very clean).

  Of course as Tenters the big thing I look at is where I am pounding in my stakes :-) and the grass here in Missoula is perfect. They have several very creative approaches to tent sites. The one that I am staying at has a tent circle, five sites in the round, facing outward, fenced on each side with a picnic table, stand up barbecue, fire pit that is grated, picnic table, running water, electricity, and nice grass. I wish more campgrounds had this creative approach. Everything is well spread out and segregated between cabins, centers, and RV’s.

  They even have two really nice teepees in the center of the campground. They are super deluxe and the next time I come here I will be staying in one of them. See the photos.

  The campground store is the best stock store of all the KOA’s that I stayed in on this trip. They have everything from ice cream sandwiches to souvenirs.

  The facilities are well-maintained and very clean. I’d like the cypher locks on the bathrooms/showers for safety. The driveways are well-maintained, they have a painted bike path for riders. Overall this was just wonderful!

  If you have a couple days here I would suggest a 40 minute drive to the National Bison Range. The kids will love it!

  PS - My daughter wanted me to add that they have three very large bunnies that roll around the campground. She loves them.

• 

  Taegan E.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 26, 2022

  Missoula KOA Holiday

  Hostile, discriminatory, stay away

  If you want a beautiful campsite and unbelievable hostility and belittling treatment, this is the place for you. I use KOAs frequently. I booked and prepaid for a premium tent site at this, where the description stated a pickup camper was acceptable. I have a newer model F250 with a camper shell that I built out/converted into a very nice camping setup. Apparently that doesn’t qualify as a“pickup camper” in their books and instead qualifies as“vehicle sleeping”. They told me my options were to buy a tent- which I wouldn’t be allowed to set up because it was after dusk- or get a refund and leave. To quote the man behind the counter who spoke to me like I wasn’t there,“Well there’s a Walmart across the street. She can get a tent there or she can park in their parking lot overnight if you’re going to sleep in your vehicle”. Another staff member stated,“They’re strict you know, trying to keep out the homeless people and riff raff”. 1. Thank you nameless staff member for confirming that these rules are arbitrary and discriminatory by design 2. How does that at all explain why I couldn’t stay in my**already paid for** site and sleep in a camper buildout? They still checked me in, gave me a parking tag, bathroom codes and map. Said nameless staff member still led me by golf cart to my campsite. I, mistakenly, believed this was them giving me the go ahead to stay in my camper and that they were going to let it slide. It was one single night after all. I was showered, lights out, and in bed by 10pm. Wrong. At 11:15pm someone starts tapping on my window. It’s another KOA staff member telling me I have to have a tent. Except the Walmart is now closed and there’s nowhere to buy one. I explained I was traveling solo, out of state, had nowhere else to go, only there for the night, and asked what it was he wanted me to do in the middle of the night. He didn’t respond and walked away. I thought this meant they were just going to be decent human beings for the night. Wrong again. 12:15am police are pounding on my camper door.“The business wants you trespassed, you have 20 minutes to leave” 20 minutes to leave in the middle of the night, from a site I paid for, was checked into, and was already asleep in because I didn’t have a tent? Because I was sleeping a customized camper that locked from the inside because Im a woman traveling alone? Yep. The police explained my options were a truck stop 10 miles down the road or Walmart. I was traveling solo, staying one night after traveling from Arizona. It was the college homecoming so there were no hotel vacancies. The staff had absolutely no care for that fact or the fact that I was traveling alone. Again, I had booked and prepaid for this site 2 weeks prior. I read the rules. Thought I understood said rules. Still don’t understand how they considered that violating the rules. The staff and this KOA have absolutely zero concern for where you’ll end up when they turn you away.

• 

  Dexter I.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 11, 2018

  Lichen Cliff

  Lichen Cliff

  Small camp area at a Montana Fishing Access site. Sites are at a pull off on Recreation Road. Two sites at the fishing access site. Both have a table and fire ring. One outhouse is at the site, no trash bins. Fee for staying, fee based on if you have a fishing license or not. Good location to cool off on a hot day as the creek is shallow. Some noise from the near by I-15. Better as an RV site than a tent.

• 

  Dexter I.

  Legend

  

  Jun. 24, 2019

  Browns Lake

  Want to catch trout, go to Browns Lake FAS Campground

  Browns Lake Fishing Access Site Campground is located on the 459 acre Browns Lake. This fishing access campground has 14 sites all with metal fire rings and picnic tables. The site is serviced by two vault toilets. This is a dry campground so bring water. This is also a trash-in trash-out campground. The campground is fairly exposed and tends to be windy during the summer. We visited in early June and were amazed by all the birds in the area. The real draw for this campground is the fishing. Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks stocks this lake with over 50,000 rainbow trout per year….that's right 50,000. The lake is known for large rainbow trout and 10 pounders in the spring are apparently not a fish story. The lake also has Brook Trout, Westslope Cutthroat Trout, Kokanee, and Longnose suckers. So grab your tent and fishing pole, because with 50,000 trout being added every year a trout dinner has to be on the menu.

• 

  Carla S.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 27, 2016

  Seeley Lake Lolo Campground (MT) — Lolo National Forest

  Summer At Seeley

  Great campsite with many spots available for both tents and RVs, lake is gentle enough for swimming and boating, nice walk around the campsites, bathrooms and water pumps available. Won't forget waking up to a hot tent with the crows talking in the morning, adds to the experience :) the scenery is very beautiful!

• K

  Kelsey E.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 13, 2020

  Salmon Lake State Park Campground

  Busy and noisy, but comfortable if you want amenities

  Nice campground, if bustling! We were the only tent campers but the sites were nice, somewhat spacious. Appreciated the firewood vending machine ($4/bundle) and ice availability. Good amenities; flushing toilets, running water and showers. Was just hoping for a little more privacy and peace and quiet; the traffic noise was really noticeable so I’d bear that in mind (especially if you’re in a tent)! There’s a few little trails with views of the lake. It’s paved so kids can bike/scooter. You will have to drive to the day use area if you are boating and that space was definitely very busy and crowded, even on a Monday-Wednesday stay.

• 

  Amanda Z.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 22, 2019

  Missoula KOA Holiday

  Great staff

  Booked a premium tent space for our tent trailer but the space for it was too small for it and our vehicle. Upon acknowledging the issue at the desk, the ladies had a simple solution at no extra charge and made accommodations very easy for us. Facilities were clean, staff was extremely friendly and helpful, they even remembered my sons name the next morning while my husband and he went to get coffee.

• A

  Alanis

  Guide

  

  Jun. 6, 2022

  Placid Lake State Park Campground

  Awesome little stop!

  Reserve your spot online, pull in before 10:00 p.m and set up! Nice Bathroom and showers. It was a great stop through Montana.