Best Campgrounds near West Glacier, MT

Three large loops, some with modest shade, others in the wide open (the latter type with fantastic views of the surrounding mountains).  All a bit scruffy looking, but serviceable.  Low on amenities (no electricity, water faucets scattered about) and relatively tight pull-through spaces, but all have a fire ring and picnic table.  Well patrolled by rangers, with a daily evening program in the summer. As others have mentioned, timed entry tickets are not needed at the St. Mary entrance to the park, so you can head into the park any time you like.  Added bonus: if you are camping with a travel trailer (and thus not able to drive the Going-to-the-Sun road because of length limitations), you are allowed to park your trailer in the the RV section of the St. Mary Visitor Center parking lot for the day, and drive in with your car alone.  We were there in late June/early July: don't know if this option is  available when the very high season hits in later July and August.

If you have a small overlanding camper, 4WD, or a text/van, this secluded spot just past the recreation area is STUNNING. 270 views of the reservoir. Pic attached of exact road took past normal “camping” area. There is a huge gravel camping area before this site where large rigs could park. There are also other small sites off the OHV road I am on. Def marked as location to come back to. Pretty loud during the day with riders but privacy and quiet at night. Little walkway down to the beach as well. Absolutely no cell service once you turn off Highway 2 about 6 miles out from sight. Starlink works but is a little spotty.

We’re currently staying at St. Mary’s Campground, located right inside the east entrance of Glacier National Park, and the Going-To-The-sun road. One of the biggest perks this summer (2025) is that you don’t need a park entrance reservation to access the park from this entrance—unlike most of the other entrances, which are still under the reservation system. That alone made it worth booking here.

The campground is surprisingly well-equipped for a place with no hookups. There’s a dump station and water fill-up right at the entrance, but I also spotted a few water spigots scattered throughout the campground itself. Bathrooms are clean and have sinks, and even better—there are showers! There’s also a wash sink station for doing your dishes and a greywater dump area inside the campground. Definitely not your typical dry camping setup.

Bear lockers are available (not one per site, but they’re around), which is important considering the local grizzlies. We’re in Loop C, and it’s pretty balanced—half the loop has nice, small pull-through sites with picnic tables, tent pads, fire rings, and some much-appreciated shade. The other half of the loop is much more exposed—no trees or bushes, so you’ll be out in the open if you end up on that side.

The campground hosts have been super friendly and helpful, and there’s even a ranger talk in the evening, which is a nice touch. I haven’t had a chance to check out Loops A or B yet, but if I do, I’ll update this review with more info.

Overall, it’s a great base for exploring the east side of the park and super convenient if you’re heading to Many Glacier. Definitely recommend.

We rolled up in a 37’ motorhome fairly late at night. It was great to have an accurate/easy to understand camp map from the website and we had no problem getting settled. The place is big enough for a big rig but there’s not an overabundance of room for privacy. I gave it a 4 because I believe a 5 should represent a remarkable and exceptional camping experience. However, I’d give the bathrooms a 4.5. They’re nice and clean and updated. My only complaint on the bathrooms is that the timer on the lights and fan doesn’t last very long— so if you’re hunkering down for a “code 200,” taking a shower, or just need some quiet “me time,” the motion sensor lights will cut off earlier than you’d prefer. As I “sit” and write this, the lights have cut off for a 2nd time. Bummer. Maybe you could use the buddy system to avoid such an experience? Overall, we’ve enjoyed our time here at Three Bears and would definitely come back again if the wind blows us towards Kalispell in the future. Thanks for reading. Bro hugs to you and also, watch out for deer, eh!! (That’s the Wisconsin “I love you.”)