Best Equestrian Camping near Seeley Lake, MT

Benchmark campground allows the hiker or horse rider access to two wilderness areas from the adjacent trail head.  This 25 site campground is set up for camping with or with out horses.  The area has several horse corrals and parking for horse trailers.  Some of the campsites are right next to the horse corrals, but many are far from those corrals.  Each site features a picnic table and metal fire ring.  Sites are well spread apart.  Cost is $10 per night, plus $5 more for a second vehicle.  Campground has two water pumps and vault toilets.  The adjacent trail head is for Straight Creek Trail #212, which will have you in the Bob Marshall Wilderness in a matter of minutes, and if you continue down the trail you will enter the  Scapegoat Wilderness.

South Fork Campground located at the end of Benchmark road is one of the campgrounds to use for accessing the Bob Marshall Wilderness.  This seven site campground and trail head gives the hiker and horseback rider a pleasant campground with plenty of room for horse trailer parking, corrals for the horses and campsites with picnic tables and metal fire rings.  Campground has water available and vault toilets.  ADA sites as well.  Campground sits next to one of the more popular access points for the Bob Marshall Wilderness area and the Continental Divide Trail.  Most of the campsites sit under large pine and fir trees.  Sites are well spread apart.  Your proximity to horse corrals varies by site and if horses are present.

We love this campground! The views are gorgeous, the sites big, the pit toilets clean, and the people friendly. At the lodge(and the campground now, too, I believe) you can rent kayaks and/or paddle boards. The hike to the waterfall is beautiful, and swimming and snorkeling in this lake are wonderful due to the clarity and purity. One can also take a fun hike all around the lake in four or five hours(but be sure to bring bug spray) and walk over to see the horses in the adjacent horse campground. Why it didn’t earn five stars: the road to the campgrounds are gravel and heavily trafficked, which means that it can get pretty dusty, creating a blanket of dust over the lake if a busy weekend. Also, because the vast majority of users are kayakers and paddle boarders, the lake’s shape and smaller size mean that it can be a challenge for motorized users to keep distance from them. Overall, a lovely, natural lake.

Indian Meadows Trailhead is the trailhead for two trails in to the Helena National Forest  Scapegoat Wilderness Area, plus it features a camping area with picnic tables and metal fire rings along with a vault toilet.  The camping loop has five developed sites with tables and fire rings.  The area serves as the trail head for two trails,  Mainline Trail #481 and Landers Fork Trail #438.  Each trail head has a small parking area, but a very large parking are is between the two to allow for additional parking and for horse trailer parking.  No water or trash service is available at the site, but can be obtained at the Copper Creek campground a few miles away.  Cost is FREE!

This is one of my favorite spots in Montana. The lake itself is gorgeous, and the camping spots are beautiful. There's even one site on the island, if you brought a canoe or kayak, as we did! There's a short hike up to the waterfall and a longer hike to upper waterfalls. The water on the lake is crystal clear, and while motor boats are allowed, people appreciate the quiet a bit more. There are views in all directions, the camping is quiet, the sunsets are beautiful. There are mosquitoes, but they're not terrible, so bring some bug spray and you should be fine. As always, please practice LNT!