Best Tent Camping near White Sulphur Springs, MT

Review of Duck Creek camping area

This was our second camp at Duck Creek this year with our Venturing Crew. This time we conducted a wilderness survival camp at the far opposite end of the camping area from our last camp. We constructed our survival shelters on the sand and gravel shore of Canyon Ferry Lake. We picked the shore in order to get away from the bugs. The cottonwoods and willows held plenty of little vampires looking for blood, the grassy areas had fewer mosquitoes but a recent hatch had occurred and although they didn't bite all those bugs made you thing you were being attacked. So the beach it was, it was amazing that you could walk out on the beach and not have any bugs, what a slight breeze will do. After setting up our shelters it was time to build a fire and cook dinner. Our site had a rock ring built into the sand, but we found this to be to close to the trees for our liking as the wind would blow embers into the vegetation. We built a new ring next to the water for the nigh. You will be unable to find our fire ring as any evidence of our visit was removed the next morning...Leave no trace. Their is no problem finding fire wood at duck creek drift wood is everywhere. If you want to stay at Duck Creek be prepared, this is primitive camping. No vault toilets, no water, no trash service, no metal fire rings, but you do have cell service.

Ranger review of the Firebiner from Outdoor Element.

Gave the firebinder to one of our Scouts to get a fire started, sparks up really well, she had a little problem due to how windy was, but a second try with a cotton ball covered in petroleum jelly had a fire going after three strikes. Our Scouts gave the striker five stars. The cutting blade worked well on string and fishing line, how ever we could not get through 550 para cord, and with such a small opening you are really limited on what you can cut with it. Over all everyone likes the look of the firebiner, and it held up to a weekend of use, is small and light weight and has worked well for clipping items on to packs.

Goose Bay Primitive Campround is right next to Goose Bay Marina and Campground. The primitive campground is free. The very large disperse campground area has several Vault Toilets. Rock fire rings are at the sites. Sites are not numbered as you can camp anywhere, but the good spots have rock fire rings. Sites do not have picnic tables. Their are ADA camp sites next to each Vault Toilet. The ADA sites each have large concrete pads, picnic table and metal fire ring. We had a Boy Scout Camporee at this location a few years ago and made for a nice camp, tons of room and plenty of lake access. If you use a water craft on Canyon Ferry you must have your craft inspected and cleaned before leaving. The Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks inspection site is located at the entrance of Goose Bay Marina and Campground

Confederate Campground is a Bureau of Reclamation campground on the shore of Canyon Ferry Lake. This small free campground does not have developed campsites with the exception of the one ADA available campsite. Their appears to be six camping spots, five that have rock made fire rings, the only developed site is the ADA site which has a concrete parking pad and metal fire pit. No picnic tables are available at this campground. The campground does have a ADA accessible vault toilet directly across from the ADA campsite. Two of the campsites sit along the lakes beach. Don't be expecting a nice sandy beach however, this is a gravel beach, but still nice. Two sites are near the vault toilet and ADA site, these sites sit on the edge of the lake among cotton wood trees and willows. The final location is away from the other sites in a grassy area near large cotton woods. Camping at Confederate campground is limited to 14 days. There is no water, trash service or picnic tables so come prepared. Their is not a boat launch at this campground, but boats can easily be launched from the rocky beach area. All water craft regardless of size must be inspected prior to launching at Canyon Ferry Lake.

Bumped in to this camping area while hunting recently. This Lewis and Clark National Forest designated camping location has one site, one site in that the location has one forest service concrete and wood picnic table and a rock fire ring. Stay limit is 16 days. The camping area is located where Whitetail Creek dumps into Spring Creek. The camping are is completely flat. Two additional rock fire rings are in the area. The area has plenty of room for your vehicle and tent at the picnic table site and the two additional fire rings, just no picnic tables for these two fire rings. If you camp here come prepared, this is a Trash-in Trash-out site, no water, no vault toilet. The road is a little rough in a few places on the way to this site, would recommend a high clearance vehicle to access this camping location.

The Silos Campground located on Canyon Ferry Lake is a Bureau of Reclamation campground with 77 dry sites, 4 gazebos, handicapped accessible restrooms and RV sites. The campground is run by Broadwater County. The 4 gazebos in the campground that can be reserved through the nearby KOA campground.

Silos campground is a large open and windy campground with no tree cover. All the trees are along the lake and provide little to no releaf from the sun or constant winds that blow through the area. The campground consist of 5 camping areas, four of which have boat ramps. One of the camping areas is for tent only camping. Sites are $10 for a single site and $20 for a double site, Stays are limited to 14 days. Golden Age pass holders are $5.00 a night. No Cost during the winter season. The only way to tell if you are in a single site or a double site is if the site number post tells you if it a double site. Each camping area has at least two vault toilets. Each site has a picnic table and metal fire ring. Almost all of the picnic tables are concrete tables.

The campground's four gazebos can be rented for the night for $30 by contacting the Silos KOA Campground which is located just before the Silos campground. The gazebos all have power and lights.

The campground has four small boat launches and one large launch with a marina (Broadwater Bay) for docking your boat. The marina is managed by Silos KOA. If you need more information on either the campground or the marina facilities call 406-266-3100.

On our visit we only found one site that had any protection from the winds, that was site #1.

The campground does not have a store, but the KOA does have one. If you don't fell like cooking you have two options just outside of the campground. Between the KOA and Silo Campground is the Flamingo Grill which is open seasonally. At the turn on Hwy 12/287 is the Silos Junction Bar and Grill which is open year round. The town of Townsend is less than 10 minutes from the campground is you need more supplies.

Ranger Review of Midland Radios X-TALKER T10X3 Walkie Talkie

The X-Talker T10X3 Walkie talkie has a reported range of up to 20 miles and has 22 available channels. These walkie talkies take three AAA batteries. We gave these radios a test shortly after receiving them. Took one for a hike and left another at home. The trail-head for my hike was 16 miles from home and I had a clear crisp signal at the start. While on the hike I added a few more miles to that distance and was still able to communicate without any problems, even while in heavy timber. It wasn't until I started rounding the back of the mountain and lost line of site that the signal was lost, just like all walkie talkies do. We are quiet please with how these radios have been holding up, our Scouts have used them several times and are no worse for wear. Great to use with out Scout group as we can stay in better communication during our activities and trips, especially in those areas with out cell phone signal, which is the location of most of our activities.

A very good quality 2 way radio at a low cost. We have another set of Midland Radios that these work just as well with.

Whitetail Camp Campground located 12 miles north of U.S. Hwy 12 on Spring Creek road in the Little Belt Mountains. The campground is part established campground and part disperse camping area. The campground is located on both sides of Spring Creek road. On the left side of the road is two sites with picnic tables and metal fire rings. On the right side the campground is an open meadow with a few designated sites and a lot of room for disperse camping. Noticed one campsite with picnic table and metal fire ring on the right side. The campground has a vault toilet but no water or trash service. Vault toilet was well stocked. This is a very popular campground during the hunting season. Their is no fee to stay at Whitetail Camp Campground, but you are limited to 16 day. This is a bear area so you will need to keep all your food items in your vehicle, bear lockers are not available

Hay Canyon Campground is a free six site (Forest service says 7) campsite in a narrow canyon among large mature trees.  This site is broken in to two sections with three sites each.  The first section is easy to find, the second is just around the bend on the main road on a road to the right which has three more sites.  The campground has picnic tables and metal fire rings at all the sites. A vault toilet serves the campground.  No water or trash service so come prepared.  The site nearest to the vault toilet is a amazingly large site, three picnic tables a large metal fire ring and the biggest BBQ grill I have ever seen in a campground.  Getting this site is just awesome even at the high price of nothing to camp here.  The second section of campsites do require a bit of a walk to get to the vault toilet but their is a faint trail short cutting the road walk.