Join the fun near Polaris. With tons of outdoor activities and scenic camping, this is an excellent vacation spot for all kinds of travelers. Polaris is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. Search nearby campsites and find top-rated spots from other campers.
$3 - $42 / night
The campground is located on 9 acres in a canyon next to Grasshopper Creek.
Welcome to the Sportsman Lodge
My family and I just purchased the Sportsman Motel in 2021. This was a 2-year process for us by way of Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Our journey with the Sportsman Motel in Melrose MT started over 7 years ago. It all began with our oldest son Cody, who was deployed with the Army at the time, wrote me a letter. In his letter, he reflects on the passion he and his brother Marcus (also serving in the Army National Guard) and I have for the outdoors. Growing up in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia, I have developed a love of the outdoors for as long as I can ever remember. We have always wanted to go west to Montana. In Cody’s letter, he spoke of a small town in Montana called Melrose and about one of the best Rivers to fish in the country, The Big Hole, running through Melrose. He spoke about staying at the Sportsman Motel. Almost immediately upon his return to the states after his deployment, we booked our trip to the Sportsman Motel.
We have been coming back every year, multiple times a year, and staying at the Sportsman ever since. We fell in love with the town, the great people of Melrose and of course the World Class Fishing and Hunting.
In 2018 I approached the previous owners of the Sportsman about buying it. I brought my wife Bonnie out so she can experience what the boys and I have come to love. Bonnie grew up in the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania area and although she had been a city girl at heart, she has gained the love and appreciation of the great outdoors through my own lifetime passion. We have relocated here from Pennsylvania to Montana living our greatest dream and want to help bring the same joy to others.
No matter what you are in search of — hunting, fishing, camping, or just being one with nature – The Sportsman Lodge in Melrose, Montana is your ideal outdoor paradise and home away from home.
For fishing, Sportsman Lodge is in close proximity to some of the best and most famous streams in the country. Our rivers are legendary. If you’re looking for fly fishing or trout, there’s nothing better than a stay in one of our cabins on the water.
The hunting here is as good as it gets anywhere. If you’re after the big game, trophy-class elk, mule deer and whitetail are out there. You’ll also find black bears, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goats and antelope. If bird hunting and waterfowl are more your style, there are strong sage, sharp-tailed, and mountain grouse, as well as migratory ducks and geese. Melrose is home to a beautiful diversity of habitats and wildlife!
Sportsman Lodge has accommodations for everyone. Our cozy cabins can serve as your mountainside oasis coming completely furnished with various bedroom options and each with a kitchen, living room and bath. Our cabins by the river offer outstanding access for fishing.
Our RV park boasts seventeen, full-service hookup spots allowing you to enjoy our Montana views with all of your creature comforts. Or if you’re looking to get a little closer to nature, it doesn’t get any better than camping out under the vast and wild Montana sky.
Roaming around this part of the country can’t help but impress. In Melrose, while the surroundings are peaceful, the ability to explore the outdoors awakens a strong sense of adventure.
Melrose is a small town on the Big Hole River. Between our 8 rooms, 6 cabins, 17 RV sites and grass tent spaces, we can suit any traveler looking to experience the best of the outdoors.
$29 - $48 / night
Nestled along the Pioneer Mountain Scenic Byway of southwest Montana, Price Creek Campground provides many recreational opportunities for any outdoor enthusiast! It is part of the Dillon Ranger District of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, the largest national forest in Montana, and an easy drive to multiple full service communities. Dillon is approximately 46 miles southeast and Butte 65 miles northeast. Wise River is a small rural community 28 miles to the north that has a post office and small convenience store and gas station.__ There are 21 individual ___first come first serve___ sites and one extra-large reservable group site that can accommodate up to six trailers. The reservable group site is laid out in a large loop with a fire pit located in the middle and multiple picnic tables. Vault toilets and drinkable water from hand pumps are provided throughout the campground.__ Price Creek Campground is accessible late May through December 2nd dependent of weather conditions and can accommodate trailers up to 30___. Price Creek Campground is a paved road campground. There is no cell phone coverage at this site.
Hiking ATV/UT trails Photography High mountain lakes/fishing Crystal Park
Hiking ATV/UT trails Photography High mountain lakes/fishing Crystal Park
Price Creek Campground sits at 7,873 feet in elevation and is surrounded by Lodgepole pines providing lots of shade and natural beauty. A large variety of wildlife, including deer, elk, moose and even an occasional black bear can be seen passing through the area.__
From Price Creek campground visitors have easy access to many different recreational activities. The Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway is a 49 mile long drive that travels the length of the Pioneer Mountain range and itself provides visitors with interpretive sites along the way including Coolidge Ghost Town, Grand Vista Overview and a wide array of hiking and riding trails. Just an easy 1.5 miles drive north of Price Creek, people can visit Crystal Park; a 30 acre area open to the public for digging for quartz crystal. Finally, after a day of recreating you can head down the road and take a relaxing dip in the natural hot springs located at Elkhorn Hot Springs Resort.__
$25 - $50 / night
Divide Bridge Campground - 21 camping units with tables and fire-rings, boat ramp, restrooms, potable water, night lights, volunteer host and information kiosk.
A series of small recreation sites are located along a 73-mile stretch of the Big Hole River between Wisdom and Melrose. The river offers blue ribbon trout fishing and excellent float boating. Nine of the sites are managed by BLM. Beginning at Melrose and going west, the sites are: Maiden Rock I, Maiden Rock East, Divide Bridge, Divide Campground, Jerry Creek Bridge, Dickie Bridge, East Bank, Sawlog Creek, and Pintlar Creek.
$10 / night
Recreation on Clark Canyon Reservoir and Barrett's Diversion Dam, located on the Beaverhead River south of Dillon, Montana, is managed by the Bureau of Reclamation. Clark Canyon Reservoir is the site of Camp Fortunate, one of the more significant spots along the Lewis and Clark Trail. It was at Camp Fortunate that the Lewis and Clark expedition met the Lemhi Shoshoni Tribe and Sacagawea was reunited with her people. The Lewis and Clark Expedition cached their canoes and a stash of suppliesat this location for the return trip. The Camp Fortunate Interpretive Site presents information about the Lewis and Clark campsite and about their journey. Clark County Reservoir, with 4,935 water surface acres, 4,388 land surface acres and 17 miles of shoreline, offers good fishing for rainbow and brown trout. Concrete boat ramps, picnic areas and picnic shelters are available. There are 9 campgrounds, including on RV-only lot, for a total of 96 campsites. The Cattail Marsh nature trail offers wildlife watching opportunities for seasonal waterfowl. Clark Canyon Dam and Barretts Diversion Dam are features of the East Bench Unit of the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program.
$3 - $42 / night
The campground is located on 9 acres in a canyon next to Grasshopper Creek.
Welcome to the Sportsman Lodge
My family and I just purchased the Sportsman Motel in 2021. This was a 2-year process for us by way of Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Our journey with the Sportsman Motel in Melrose MT started over 7 years ago. It all began with our oldest son Cody, who was deployed with the Army at the time, wrote me a letter. In his letter, he reflects on the passion he and his brother Marcus (also serving in the Army National Guard) and I have for the outdoors. Growing up in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia, I have developed a love of the outdoors for as long as I can ever remember. We have always wanted to go west to Montana. In Cody’s letter, he spoke of a small town in Montana called Melrose and about one of the best Rivers to fish in the country, The Big Hole, running through Melrose. He spoke about staying at the Sportsman Motel. Almost immediately upon his return to the states after his deployment, we booked our trip to the Sportsman Motel.
We have been coming back every year, multiple times a year, and staying at the Sportsman ever since. We fell in love with the town, the great people of Melrose and of course the World Class Fishing and Hunting.
In 2018 I approached the previous owners of the Sportsman about buying it. I brought my wife Bonnie out so she can experience what the boys and I have come to love. Bonnie grew up in the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania area and although she had been a city girl at heart, she has gained the love and appreciation of the great outdoors through my own lifetime passion. We have relocated here from Pennsylvania to Montana living our greatest dream and want to help bring the same joy to others.
No matter what you are in search of — hunting, fishing, camping, or just being one with nature – The Sportsman Lodge in Melrose, Montana is your ideal outdoor paradise and home away from home.
For fishing, Sportsman Lodge is in close proximity to some of the best and most famous streams in the country. Our rivers are legendary. If you’re looking for fly fishing or trout, there’s nothing better than a stay in one of our cabins on the water.
The hunting here is as good as it gets anywhere. If you’re after the big game, trophy-class elk, mule deer and whitetail are out there. You’ll also find black bears, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goats and antelope. If bird hunting and waterfowl are more your style, there are strong sage, sharp-tailed, and mountain grouse, as well as migratory ducks and geese. Melrose is home to a beautiful diversity of habitats and wildlife!
Sportsman Lodge has accommodations for everyone. Our cozy cabins can serve as your mountainside oasis coming completely furnished with various bedroom options and each with a kitchen, living room and bath. Our cabins by the river offer outstanding access for fishing.
Our RV park boasts seventeen, full-service hookup spots allowing you to enjoy our Montana views with all of your creature comforts. Or if you’re looking to get a little closer to nature, it doesn’t get any better than camping out under the vast and wild Montana sky.
Roaming around this part of the country can’t help but impress. In Melrose, while the surroundings are peaceful, the ability to explore the outdoors awakens a strong sense of adventure.
Melrose is a small town on the Big Hole River. Between our 8 rooms, 6 cabins, 17 RV sites and grass tent spaces, we can suit any traveler looking to experience the best of the outdoors.
$29 - $48 / night
Guide
We have always loved coming out here to camp. The mosquitoes can get pretty thick at times so be prepared.
Guide
For a dispersed BLM camping area, this is lovely. Plenty of sites that each have a picnic table and long gravel spot to park an RV. There’s a cute little river and some interesting rock features. Close to the freeway so an excellent stop for a night spot.
Traveler
It's basically a park with 2 RV spots tucked in at the end that were taken. The rest of "camping" is free in the gravel lot. Water and pit toilets, picnic tables available. It was close to the freeway, so there was lots of road noise all night.
GuideThis place looks like a paid campground, only free! All the spots have a picnic table, fire pit and bear box. The mountain views all all around you are gorgeous. Some other folks camping here went trout fishing - so that's an option. Only downside is that my dogs had some trouble walking on the gravel.
GPS: 45.702416, -112.736869
TravelerStopped here on my way back home to Grand Teton. Super clean and large campsite with a few fire rings and an outhouse. A little noisy just because it’s right next to the interstate, but at night it’s fairly quiet.
Traveler
Site 5, probably the best. Clean, cheap, safe, right on the river. 5 miles from downtown.Sure,it’s close to the road, but it’s not that bad. I probably wouldn’t make it a 5 day vacation site,but I’m sure people do. I’d stay here again
Guide
We stayed here twice this year, once going North and then headed South for home. First time they put us in a full hook-up that was to small so I asked for a bigger spot and because about 1/3rd of the spots were empty, they moved me. Owner was very friendly and willing to find us a better spot. Second time was on Sunday and the note on door put us in an even smaller full hook-up, despite me asking for a bigger site so I wouldn't have to unhook. This is one reason for only three stars. Office was closed and no one answered the phone or returned our call. The site was totally unacceptable. Even if I un-hooked there was not enough room to park the pick-up truck. Left several messages, no response. We moved to an empty water/electric only site and set up. An hour later another camper came in and said we were in their spot. We moved again to another spot hoping no one would claim it. Still no response from owner. I guess camp is unsupervised on Sunday. Maybe owner was out of town.
Second reason for only three stars: Camp is older and full hook-up sites are close to each other. I did not see any 50 amp, only 30 amp. The openings for dumping are a couple of inches below ground level and the kind you just point the hose down and put a few rocks over to hold it down. Gravel sites that are mostly level.
The Good: The water and electric only sites in the back (spots 28 to 36) of the park are long and spread out. I recommend if you can go without having sewer connection, the ones in back (spots 28 to 36) are the best to stay in. Don't get the ones in front. Big trees and lots of grass (but watch out for the gofer holes). Quiet and peaceful night.
Did not use their restrooms or showers or pool (may not have been open) so no comment. There is a dump site. Wifi was 17 mbs but slowed down in the evening. We use AT&T and got two bars of 5G.
Scout
If you were self contained and just looking to get off the 15 for the night then it would work for ya. Otherwise it’s just a big boat parking lot for the river. Plus side it has an outhouse
Guide
I stayed here for one night. It is $5 per night. I had decent Verizon signal. There were at least eight camping areas. While I stayed here about half were full. The camping limit for this area is 14 days. There is a camping host that lives here so you cannot overnight park for free. There is river access. The only plot that I found that I could use my hammock at was plot 8. Just because of the lack of strong trees.
TravelerEasy pull off, good amount of spots and not too busy! We stayed on the right were there are 2 spots away from the rest. Bugs are INTENSE though!
Guide
South of dillon montana. Where Sacagawea met her brother Cameawhait, with Lewis and Clark. Many many spots. Some are covered tables boating and fishing. Free 14 days
Guide7 spots off the beaten path, small creek lehmi. On the Lewis and Ckark trail. Bathroom is ADA.
GuideBlm camping on the big hole river, montana, free up to 16 days. About 15 spots. Boat ramp, fishing hiking fire pits, no wood available.
Traveler
Pretty small and basic campground. I counted what I think was 9 sites? There are no numbered sites, just designated fire rings to indicate the different sites I suppose. One large accesible pit toilet is available. Most sites back up to the river which is pretty nice. FREE and pretty quiet for the Saturday night I stayed - 4 open spots at 8:30pm. Only downside is it’s rather close to the highway and you can hear cars driving by pretty regularly.
Traveler
Pinter Lake is 10 miles from the main road hwy 43. The mostly gravel road is far from smooth with uncomfortable washboard feeling much of the route. Three spots are available, although people did make two ad how sites down by the river. Both were RVs. No water pump here, so must bring your own. The lake is lovely but covered for the most part with lily pads on the backside of the lake. A creek coming from the lake also is adjacent to campground. Because of its remote location, it seems many appreciate the quiet, so I wouldn’t recommend it for those who have noisy activities like ATVs. It’s buggy with only a slight breeze to keep flys away. Overall nice but remote with only one bathroom facility. Fairly clean but lots of flies.
Traveler
We had a lovely site that was close to the Wise River. Even with a full camp, the ambient sound of the river shielded the sounds of people talking or kids playing. The bathroom facilities were clean. Most campsites had some shade for either sitting or having a tent. Most people were in self sufficient RVs since there are not hookups. The campground also had a water pump with clean and very cold water.
Traveler
The management is absolutely incredible! This place is perfect. Access to river to look at great! Renamed to Andreas on the River.
The management helped us get in and made sure we were good. Super 5 stars! Great location near River for rafting. (30 min drive)
The other visitors are a little opinionated and like to share their opinions on your RV.
Super loved it all day! Stay there!
Dog park area is not fenced in. Nice place for them to do business.
Guide
This is a great place in Montana. Easy access. Right outside Dillon MT. We stayed here one night and then the the Lewis and Clark Limestone Cavern tour. It is about an hour. Camp ground is super clean and all the sites are very easy to access. Very nice hosts.
Scout
Loved staying here. Windy in the evening but can’t beat the views and the amenities.
Scout
Literally a five star outhouse.
LegendBeautiful kept park. Lots of activities. Large dog park. Propane, laundry, store.
Guide
This campground was lovely. We had spot 14, which is an excellent spot with lots of room, easy access to a vault toilet and lovely background noise from the creek. Camp hosts are very welcoming and accommodating.
Guide
I’m not sure why others gave this campground reviews any stars under five! First, this campground is on BLM and free, and only costs money if coming with a group of many or some type of organizations’ camping outing; and the fee is so very minimal even for this. For regular, independent camping, it’s free being on BLM land, per their notice board. Despite being a free, BLM campground, it’s well-maintained, clean, possesses established, separate tent sites with a parking block for each separate vehicle, an area for RVs, even, and a maintained outhouse central to the tent sites and RV space. It’s also set right next to the river offering great fishing! There’s homes across the river, and a bit of vehicle traffic from those specific homes, for whatever reasons; but this campsite is still very much separated, regularly maintained, and flippin’ free! What’s there to possibly complain about?! I’ve camped free on BLM land many times, and it is pretty rugged and wild. There are no established tent or RV sites, no outhouses for the bathroom to use, nothing. You make of it as you will. I’m not understanding why every camper hasn’t given Glen Campground five stars! Also, future campers, PLEASE remember to pack in and pack out of ANY campground, including this one. Though it is maintained, they do not come daily as it is a free campground on BLM land and does not have garbage bins or water spigots. The campers that stayed before us, in the tent site next to ours, left litter everywhere and aluminum and tin cans in the fire pit. Come on now, people! Beer cans, canned vegetable cans, and the like are NOT biodegradable and do not burn down in a camp fire! Use common sense!! Pack in AND pack out all your items, including your GARBAGE!!
GuideEasy over night stay. Free.
Guide
Awesome view and far enough from I-15 so you have no noise. Too windy for a fire but the fire pit is nice with two levels. The only water source did not look operational. Nice sandy beach. Sites are not level. 6" off Travelfi worked fine One night 2 different days
TravelerNice campground easy in and out right off the hwy big rig friendly 72' RV +trailer right on the water, clean quiet, there are shade covers, picnic bench and fire pits, vault toilet no water, Elec or dump. beautiful views of the lake and surrounding mountains. would stay again.
Guide
Small but Private, Right on the River One Toilet Vault
Camping near Polaris, Montana, offers a mix of stunning landscapes and cozy campgrounds. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or a fun family adventure, there are plenty of options to explore.
Camping near Polaris, Montana, is a fantastic way to enjoy the great outdoors, with plenty of options for families and RVers alike.
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Polaris, MT?
According to TheDyrt.com, Polaris, MT offers a wide range of camping options, with 130 campgrounds and RV parks near Polaris, MT and 8 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Polaris, MT?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Polaris, MT is Vigilante Campground — Bannack State Park with a 4.7-star rating from 10 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Polaris, MT?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 8 free dispersed camping spots near Polaris, MT.
What parks are near Polaris, MT?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 18 parks near Polaris, MT that allow camping, notably Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest and Bitterroot National Forest.
