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This dispersed camping area hosts five campsites with a canopy of pine and juniper surrounding the site. 16-day stay limit Water: Not available This site is not accessible to persons with mobility impairments No cell service Notes: Be prepared to store food properly. Picnic tables and bear boxes provided. However, water, Forest Service fire rings, and garbage pickup are not provided. Corrals and parking for horse trailers are available at the nearby trailhead.
Hogan Resevoir is a developed campground on BLM land, with only 5 pads, however there is a vault toilet and picnic tables.
Groups over 75 people are not allowed.
Dispersed camping is NOT allowed at trailheads, picnic sites, and fishing areas and within close proximity of campgrounds.
You need to be self-contained. No amenities are provided; such as water, restrooms or trash cans. Please pack out all your trash.
For information on occupancy and use, camping stay limits, weed free forage, visit Region 1 - Alerts & Notices (usda.gov). Travel to campsites must not create resource damage.
Travel to campsites must not create resource damage
Contact local district office for information on fire restrictions. It is your responsibility to know if fire restrictions are in effect before camping.
Be bear aware and know the food storage regulations before camping. These regulations are strictly enforced.Where can I 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.
The Shoshone National Forest allows dispersed camping along a mile or so of the Beartooth Highway in the Pilot Creek area. There is one large area on the south side of US 212 about 9 miles east of Cooke City which has multiple undeveloped campsites as well as a vault toilet. There are a number of additional potential campsites on both sides of the road for a mile or so. While most of these sites have “user-built” fire rings, there are no other amenities.
Camping is free in the remote areas of the Shoshone and is a great way to get away from it all.
Many people enjoy the solitude and primitive experience of camping away from developed campgrounds. Dispersed camping means there are no toilets, tables, or drinking water. Follow these guidelines to ensure these areas can be enjoyed by future generations.
Campsites must be 200 feet from trails, lakes, or wet meadows and 100 feet from streams or creeks. There is a 16 consecutive day stay limit. Any new location must be at least 5 miles from the previous location. Group size may be limited. Check with the local ranger district office for specifics in the area you want to go. Grizzly bear food storage regulations must be followed in designated grizzly bear use areas. See our Bear Safety page for more information. Dispersed camping or campfires are not allowed in the area commonly known as the North Fork Canyon and includes the area 1/2 mile on either side of the centerline of U. S. Highway 14/16/20 between the national forest boundary and the East Entrance of Yellowstone National Park. Within this special recreation corridor, all camping and campfires must be within developed recreation sites. Some areas on the Shoshone are closed and signed as such to dispersed camping due to grizzly bear activity or resource protection. Be alert to signage. Check with the local ranger district office in the area you want to be for any seasonal restrictions that may apply. Please use Leave No Trace ethics so those coming behind you will have the same pristine experience as you.
Traveler
Had the large lot at the coordinates (marked with a fire pit) to ourselves, but there are two or three smaller camping spots along the way up that you can stop at. View was beautiful!! Takes about 30min to get to the site bc of the rocks on the road and is just wide enough for one vehicle but if you have decent clearance and four wheel drive you can make it. Also great signal bc you are close to the tower at the top, had 5G. Says no camping at the bottom bc that small area is a parking lot for the horse tours next door, but there are camping signs as you go up.
Guide
We had our itinerary set to stay at this site and then the weather turned terrible and it started snowing. We only had a tent with us and the wind was whipping so we had to pack up and head to Red Lodge. I was SOO disappointed because I had been so excited to spend the night here. Unfortunately I couldn’t convince nature to cooperate. We already have plans to buy a camper van and return to this site next year because the view is worth the trip!
Guide
There’s only about 7 sites with the ability to stay for 14 days in a 28 day cycle. It’s a first come first serve basis. One vault toilet, rules board and a check in box.
I absolutely enjoyed my 4 day stay. It was still pretty early in the season so it wasn’t too crowded. Beautiful views with no heavy traffic.
Each camping site has a picnic table and a fire pit. Each site has wooden outlines of each spot; making it easy to park in your spot and setup camp.
ONLY WARNING! IT CAN GET VERY VERY WINDY UP HERE! I HAVE A PICKUP BOX CAMP BUT I SEEN A TENT TURN INSIDE OUT AND DISAPPEAR.
GuideAwesome Spot close to Cody 360 Views are Amazing Plenty Room to Park Was the Only One
GuideWhat a Great Spot, Camping Right on the River Surrounded by gorgeous Mountains. Across is another Huge Spot for Camping And it’s Free
Traveler
We’ve stayed in multiple dispersed sites across four different states and this was my wife’s favorite. We did stay in one of the developed spots and there was only one other camper in a spot where we couldn’t see them. It is ten miles down a gravel road and if you’re going to Yellowstone the road does not go through, you’ll have to go back out the way you came. However we thought it was more than worth it for the views!
LegendReally nice little spot with maybe 8 sites to choose from. Decent clean pit toilets. Popular among horseback riders. There were probably 4 other groups there. Picnic tables, fire rings with grates, nice little river. Easy road in. Can bring big rigs. And the surrounding landscape was amazingly beautiful. No cell service for Verizon.
ScoutPopular with locals as a trailhead for day hikes. Very rough access road. Camping area was marked with no camping signs. Stayed one night then moved on.
Traveler
We truly loved this place. It was so isolated and peaceful. The camp sites are scattered throughout the trails and are not close to each other. They are easy to spot and not to bad to get to.(if you use the right road on the way up) we were only planning to stay 1 night and ended up staying 3 nights. We couldn’t get enough. Also spotted lots of moose, they are everywhere up there.
GuideBeautiful spot. No cell service. Can stop at the bistro in town for food/wifi. Bathroom was very clean. Large open area available for camping.
GuideOur favorite out of five spots on this trip. The views are incredible. If you stay in the main camp area there are great hiking trails through the canyon. Be aware that once you hit the main camp ground there are spot through the rest of the road. Very beautiful spots right along the river. You will not regret staying here
LegendWe stayed here for a couple of days. Took the road to the open spot to park like everyone else. It’s not hard to access but you don’t want to drive any further if you don’t have 4WD or an OHV.
There are tons of places to hike to or take and OHV to tent areas further up the mountain.
It is about a 5 mile hike up. We did this and got all the way to the top. People on their sides by sides, Bikes and horses praised us. I imagine not too many people do the entire hike in one day. It was invigorating!
Definitely worth the stop!
In town there is a dump station that you do NOT have to pay for so I suggest getting that done before you go any further west of there. All the dump stations from there to the west coast cost. Not even worth using your indoor bathroom.
There is also a place next door with horses if you’d like to take a paid horseback tour. We didn’t do this but considered it. I bet it would be just as beautiful.
Most definitely I would stay here again.
Guide
We intended to stay on the other side of the road, (river side) but missed the turn. We stumbled on this trailhead/OHV site and ended up staying here for the night. There are multiple dispersed sites that back up to the Pilot Creek Trail. Plenty of spots in the grass for big rigs and trailers. We ended up near the horse coral/bathroom (vaulted toilet), not ideal but worked in a pinch. Lots of mosquitos. Some sites have bear boxes.
TravelerThere is a large open space at Lat 44.509971 -Long 109.122568 We parked there along with six other vehicles. Plenty of room. The dirt road was too rough for us to go any farther even with our four wheel drive. Not worth the risk for us since we were only looking for a place to sleep. No services
TravelerThis was hands-down one of the best campsite areas I ever found. National forest so it was open and free to whoever. Several spots just off Beartooth highway from Joseph Highway west to the Montana boarder. Most turnoffs have places for three or four different groups to camp. Some with bear boxes and some without. Most are only a rocks throw from water. Crazy creek is a waterfall area across from crazy Creek Campground. Very worth the short hike. Yellowstone is only 10 or 15 miles to the west and the town of Cook City is there if you need any basic supplies.
GuideQuiet, serene and absolutely beautiful. We were basically alone in the entire campground the week before Labor Day. Completely off the beaten path. The road in is actually quite easy and the area has many 4x4 trails to explore, although the campground should be easily accessible in 2wd. We camped back beyond the developed sites, so we just had a rock fire pit and no picnic table but it was easy to adapt. There is a vault toilet at the developed campground. Absolutely beautiful. -also, there is a ghost town you can reach via a short hike. -when we were here, many spots were “held” by hunters leaving their trailers in a spot, so the developed sites looked very full, but were basically uninhabited.
GuideTurn left not right. The road is easy to miss, just a little dirt road off the left side of the road coming out of the NE entrance of Yellowstone 10 minutes passed Cooke city. No service but the bistro in Cooke city will give you WiFi if you eat there and that helped us get our navigation. This is my favorite place by far. The photos will show you why.
GuideWe were driving into Yellowstone from Billings and wanted something that would give us early access to the park. This was perfect. A nice pull off with several options to park a van, tent, or small trailer or RV. We fell asleep to the sound of the river and were into the park within 20 minutes the next morning. We were able see moose and a bear because of the early access to Lamar Valley. Wish we could have seen the surrounding area in the daylight but we got in late and were out early. From what we saw we highly recommend it!! It is dispersed Forest Service camping so you will need to have all of your own supplies and be sure to leave no trace (including your poop)
LegendThis site about 12 miles up sunset road along a very rough washboard dirt/gravel rod. The road was extremely dusty in the summer and almost forced us to turn back. The dispersed sites are very rough and not well maintained. However, the views are some of the best we have ever seen in Wyoming. The sunset in the valley seemed to go on forever and provided light up until 10 pm. You will need 4 wheel drive or high clearance to access the best sites next to the river. If you are willing to endure the drive and don’t mind rough dispersed camping, the beauty of the site more than makes up for it. No facilities here just a stone fire ring. The site is known for grizzly bears. So you need to be an experienced camper to enjoy this area or take precautions.
GuideI stayed here last week for one night. I backed my van right up to the river with an amazing view of Pilot Peak in the background, and fell asleep to the sounds of the rushing water. It's an amazing spot to stay on your way into, or out of, the Beartooth Highway.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Red Lodge, MT?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Red Lodge, MT is Beartooth Scenic Byway Camping with a 5-star rating from 8 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Red Lodge, MT?
TheDyrt.com has all 14 dispersed camping locations near Red Lodge, MT, with real photos and reviews from campers.