Silver Gate, Montana sits at an elevation of approximately 7,400 feet near the Northeast entrance of Yellowstone National Park. The high elevation camping areas experience dramatic temperature swings, often dropping below freezing even during summer months. Vehicle access varies significantly between sites, with some dispersed areas requiring high-clearance vehicles while established campgrounds offer more accessible options.
What to do
Hiking nearby mountains: Several trails near Tower Fall Campground provide opportunities to explore the surrounding landscape. According to Reagan M., the campground offers a "nice and quiet, friendly hosts, and lots of wildlife activity" setting for hikers to return to after a day on the trails.
Fishing access: Beartooth Scenic Byway Camping provides excellent fishing access along the Yellowstone River. Chad K. notes, "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."
Wildlife viewing: The area provides exceptional wildlife viewing opportunities, particularly in early morning. Jeremy H. reports from Beartooth Scenic Byway Camping: "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."
Stargazing: The remote location offers excellent night sky observation with minimal light pollution. At Slough Creek Campground, one visitor noted: "If you like to star gaze then you can't do any better than here, no light pollution lets you see everything our night sky has to offer."
What campers like
Remoteness and solitude: Lady of the Lake Trail on Lulu Pass provides significant privacy between camping spots. Rosstin W. confirms: "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... we were only planning to stay 1 night and ended up staying 3 nights."
Vault toilet maintenance: Multiple campgrounds maintain exceptionally clean vault toilets. At Colter Campground, Angela G. observed: "The host was wonderful! She clearly cared about the campground and her guests. The vault toilet was the most well kept I have ever seen. Fun decorations painted on the walls, air fresheners, and a small light."
Waterfall access: Shoshone National Forest Crazy Creek Campground offers a short walk to a waterfall. According to Dexter I.: "A great feature of this campground is the Crazy Creek trail. A trail from the campground takes you across the highway to the trail, a very short hike brings you to Crazy Creek falls."
River sounds: Campsites positioned along rivers provide natural white noise for sleeping. At Pebble Creek Campground, Kari T. observed: "I loved listening to the creek here, and watching the wildlife that frequently came to the ford. Very nice little campground for peace and quiet away from the bustle of the main campgrounds in the park."
What you should know
Early arrival requirements: First-come, first-served campgrounds fill extremely quickly. For Tower Fall Campground, Corinna B. advises: "As with most of the first-come-first-served campsites, in the busy months you'll have to get here at 7am or so and wait for them to post any available sites at 7:30am."
Road conditions: Access roads to some dispersed sites may require appropriate vehicles. Ron D. reports about Lady of the Lake Trail: "I came up the road which starts out very nice gravel but then gets pretty rough and rocky."
Temperature fluctuations: Even summer nights can be extremely cold at this elevation. Corda B. notes from Beartooth Scenic Byway Camping: "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."
Cell service limitations: Connectivity is minimal or non-existent at most sites. Angela G. reports about Colter Campground: "No cell service with Verizon" while Wesley A. found "really good starlink service and great midday and later solar" at site 7 specifically.
Tips for camping with families
Wildlife viewing opportunities: Position your campsite for animal observation possibilities. At Pilot Creek Dispersed Camping, Ron D. shares: "I watched cows grazing down the power line clearing through the trees and at one point watched eight cows walking by single file right by my site."
Pet-friendly hiking trails: Several areas allow pets on designated trails near camping areas. Dexter I. at Crazy Creek Campground reports that "A trail from the campground takes you across the highway to the trail, a very short hike brings you to Crazy Creek falls," providing an accessible option for families with pets.
Storage options: Bear boxes are available at select dispersed sites for food storage. Rebecca B. at Pilot Creek Dispersed Camping notes: "There are at least half a dozen wooded spots, setback. Three have bear boxes and are right by a hiking trail."
Weather preparation: Pack extra warm sleeping gear for everyone including pets. One camper at Lady of the Lake Trail warns: "It was very cold at night even in August and we didn't know this when we set up camp."
Tips from RVers
Site dimensions: Most campgrounds in this area have significant size limitations. At Lily Lake, Eric A. advises: "Do not drive past the boat ramp if you have a larger rig than a van. There's two really cool sites that direction but no good turn around and you'll have to back up quite a ways."
Leveling considerations: Many sites require leveling equipment due to uneven terrain. Jon G. warns at Lily Lake: "We made the mistake of taking our TT down to the lake but missed the right turn going to the campground loop, wound up stuck at the boat launch area. DON'T make the same mistake we did."
Height clearance issues: Low-hanging branches can damage taller rigs. Kimberly N. reports about Colter Campground: "The trees were about 7.5-8' wide and height clearance was probably close to 12'. If you go to the end and turn around there's some sites you could possibly tuck a big rig into but the turn around is very tight."
Remote work setup: Some sites offer better conditions for remote working needs. Wesley A. discovered at Colter Campground: "My site, 7, had really good starlink service and great midday and later solar. I think a few other sites would probably work just as well for remote work."
