Looking for the best Wisdom tent camping? You can find tent campsites by type, including drive-in, walk-in, and even hike-in for a backpacking adventure. You're sure to find the perfect tent campsite for your Montana camping adventure.
This campground is named after an early homesteader, the "Wild Man of the Mountains" George Pettingill. His grave is nearby. He is widely admired in the area although he was somewhat of a hermit. The campground is located where the Wise River meets Pettengill Creek.
A series of small recreation sites are located along a 73-mile stretch of the Big Hole River between Wisdom and Melrose. The river offers blue ribbon trout fishing and excellent float boating. Nine of the sites are managed by BLM. Beginning at Melrose and going west, the sites are: Maiden Rock I, Maiden Rock East, Divide Bridge, Divide Campground, Jerry Creek Bridge, Dickie Bridge, East Bank, Sawlog Creek, and Pintlar Creek.
Boat Ramp, Restrooms, Gravel Parking, Tables, Fire-rings and Information Kiosk
Crazy Creek Campground hosts 7 sites with picnic tables, fire rings, vault toilet and a well with hand pump for water. There is no garbage service so Pack it in/Pack it out. Campground can accommodate trailers under 26 feet.
Legend
While you have great views of the lake from just about any site, you also lack any shade or hammock trees here. It looks like the campground is still in long slow recovery from fire mode here. There are lots of little (5’ or less) trees growing on the slope and a few in the center of the two loops, but that’s about it. But the wildflowers are nice. The campground is fairly quiet and very friendly. Clean vault toilets. Rv and tent sites are all together, with loop A being reservable.look at sites carefully if you are tent camping as not all sites have a spot for a tent. Also, I only saw 2 or 3 bear boxes for the whole campground to share.
Scout
If you like waterslides or golfing this will be hard to beat. Nice and clean areas with a great little store. I want to judge a park by the cost of ice “2.00” seems fair. $29.00 to tent camp. Power, picnic table, 4g phone service with Verizon, they offer wi-fi, bbq in every site. Each site has a raised level gravel spot for setting up camp with grass all around. I appreciate that they planted trees that block out the hot sun during the entire day (Sept 1st). Showers and bathroom are 100ft away. The shower and toilets are immaculate and secure with secure code door locks. At check-in, I was offered a day pass to the golf course and water park at no cost for the day. It was A nice bonus and justified the extra cost for the tent site. The water park has a nice restaurant and bar inside as well as a poolside bar with mixed drinks. I had dinner at Donivan's about 10 miles away in Anaconda. Great place to eat very nice. Had a great steak potato and beer for $27 it was delicious. This is my second trip out here this summer from Washington state to Fairmont. I genuinely enjoy spending time here. I'm just a big kid traveling by myself, but it's really an excellent place for the little ones and a place for mom and dad to get some time together. I see a lot of retired people here living it up golfing and swimming. Being right off, I90 makes it a huge bonus. I can see the cars on the highway just barely and no noise. Must be 3ish miles from 90. Happy ⛺!
Guide
It is a very off the beaten path, tucked away in the woods, true getaway from the busy city life. Travel south on 278 from Wisdom, MT and take the chance on an 18 mile gravel road to find a place only you see in pictures and read about in magazines. Drive through open cattle ranges and find a beautiful campground nestled up to 2 small lakes connected by a shallow channel. Clear water to see the bottom where it's shallow enough. No motorized boats allowed, so bring your own kayak or canoe and a fishing pole or two to enjoy the refreshing waters at the bottom of the mountains. Even in July, you can see snow atop the mountains on the Montana-Idaho border.
ScoutWe’re at campsite #7 you can here the water running by the creek. Absolutely stunning forest! There’s an out house and running water Spicket. Nice spots to tent camp.
Legend
There is a 16 stay limit, and a $15 a night fee.
The road is easy accessible
Tent camping,Camping trailer,Fee charged for some activities ($5) ,Picnic tables,Toilets,Drinking water,Parking
Very clean and well maintained
Scout
I have only tent camped here. Really nice flat grass for tents. $12 gets you campsite showers and toilets, WiFi and coin laundry. Also really great access to the bitterroot valley if you’re into hikin and river activities. Everyone’s really friendly and it’s a good place to crash when you’re out on the road.
Traveler
Parked our van in a tent site, which was just a grassy area in the back half of the property. Road noise was not bad there, further from the highway. The host was friendly and helpful. Enjoyed a warm shower.
Guide
I’m not sure why others gave this campground reviews any stars under five! First, this campground is on BLM and free, and only costs money if coming with a group of many or some type of organizations’ camping outing; and the fee is so very minimal even for this. For regular, independent camping, it’s free being on BLM land, per their notice board. Despite being a free, BLM campground, it’s well-maintained, clean, possesses established, separate tent sites with a parking block for each separate vehicle, an area for RVs, even, and a maintained outhouse central to the tent sites and RV space. It’s also set right next to the river offering great fishing! There’s homes across the river, and a bit of vehicle traffic from those specific homes, for whatever reasons; but this campsite is still very much separated, regularly maintained, and flippin’ free! What’s there to possibly complain about?! I’ve camped free on BLM land many times, and it is pretty rugged and wild. There are no established tent or RV sites, no outhouses for the bathroom to use, nothing. You make of it as you will. I’m not understanding why every camper hasn’t given Glen Campground five stars! Also, future campers, PLEASE remember to pack in and pack out of ANY campground, including this one. Though it is maintained, they do not come daily as it is a free campground on BLM land and does not have garbage bins or water spigots. The campers that stayed before us, in the tent site next to ours, left litter everywhere and aluminum and tin cans in the fire pit. Come on now, people! Beer cans, canned vegetable cans, and the like are NOT biodegradable and do not burn down in a camp fire! Use common sense!! Pack in AND pack out all your items, including your GARBAGE!!
Guide
2 great back in sites tucked into the trees with fire rings and tables. Other areas are a parking lot. Multiple tent sites. Bathroom was clean and stocked with tp. Hand pump water was broken in the camping area. Day use area has functioning water pump, but no way to drive to it. Great place to fish.
Guide
This is a nice smaller forest service campground adjacent to grasshopper creek. A great spot to stay if exploring the Pioneer Mountains.
There are 7-8 spaces, most suitable for a trailer or van. We were tent camping as were others. There are vault toilets and the ubiquitous forest service green potable water pumps/drinking fountains.
There are no dumpsters so have to pack trash out. There are campground hosts but they don’t have firewood for sale, so either need to bring or be prepared to do quite a bit of hunting for wood. The area around the campground is picked pretty clean of good firewood.
This is bear country and there are food storage boxes located throughout the campground for shared use. I expect the presence of bears is also why they don’t have any dumpsters on site.
The campground sits at approximately 7000 feet and by late summer gets near freezing temps overnight. Bring your fall/winter sleeping bag if tent camping here in late August or late Spring!
Just a few minutes up the road from the campground is Elkhorn Hot Springs where you can pay a few bucks to use the rustic pool and hot springs.
GuideNice location for an overnight rest spot. We had a tent site, close to the road, but traffic wasn’t bad after dark. Site was grassy. No fires allowed for obvious reasons. We were the only tent guests. Most people looked like they were long term RV’rs. IMMACULATE bathrooms and showers with hot water and pressure ! There’s a hot springs nearby, a water slide, golf course and resort hotel/casino. Easy access to I-15. Only drawback I could see was that there was dog poop everywhere. Bags were provided, but apparently people don’t use them :(
Scout
Stayed two nights at this campground in August. There was a camp host setup, but we didn’t see him at all while we stayed. He did not seem to be staying here. The toilets ran out of tp and many people could not get their questions answered. It’s also only about 20 feet from the highway, so expect a lot of traffic noise at all hours. There is a boat loading dock located here as well, so many people were driving in and out all day. Cell service was good if we needed it but there are several more remote areas only about 20 minutes in to the forest that actually feel like camping (Cougar Point and William’s Lake). Overall it’s decent but I recommend it more as a pit stop if you need to crash for a night. The tent sites are well maintained and running water was a plus.
Guide
This is a great spot in a tiny town south of Butte Montana. They have a couple cabins, several motel rooms and about 10 full hookup, all grass, RV spots. Also a large area for car/tent camping. The grounds are meticulously maintained by the owner and it has nice views of the bluffs and mountains all around it. Walking distance to the restaurant and bar in town if that’s your thing. Quality hookups at each site, and each site has its own trash can. Clean bathrooms and laundry on site. Owners are very present and attentive on site and super friendly. Picnic tables at every site. One shared fire pit out front of the office. It’s in a very small town, with several fishing spots nearby. Very peaceful location. We would stay again.
A few things to be aware of:
Guide
Lost Creek is in a beautiful canyon spot, with numerous (25) sites to accommodate all types of campers (huge RV’s to tents). Camping spots are nice, but close to one another and the campground is often full. This means, if you do find a spot, you will have to deal with neighbors . There is a beautiful hiking trail that starts at the top of the campground and there is a beautiful waterfall and rushing creek that is a pleasure to listen to at night. (It almost drowns out the noise from neighboring campers if you find a spot on the creek.)
Legend
Salmon Fly Fishing Access Site is a beautiful small campground along the Big Hole River. The site has six campsites all nice spread apart from each other, and a decent size day use area. Sites have gravel parking pads, metal fire rings and picnic tables, along with nice grass areas to set up a tent. The fishing access site is with in walking distance to the small town of Melrose. The site has one vault toilet. No water or trash service is available. The site has a concrete boat launch, but be warned that Montana FWP has posted that the water is shallow for larger boats. The campground is nice and quiet, far enough from the Interstate to not really hear the road traffic, there also is a lightly used rail line near by, but did not notice any train noise while at the site. Cost to camp is$12 with a valid MT fishing license,$18 with out, if you are over the age of 62 then those rates drop to$6 or$9 a night.
Guide
Very clean. Highway noise is not bad at night. I slept well in a tent. Three other people there including one who slept in her car. If you want privacy or shade, go to the end of the day use area and put your tent by the picnic tables around the rock. It is closer to the road tho, and the river.
Ranger
My family and I had such a blast here. We stayed at a different campground the last time we visited Montana and it wasn’t a very good place, so we definitely did more research beforehand and found that this place was a real gem and it truly was. The lake nearby was incredible. We spent a lot of our time here. We also found some amazing hikes that were less than 30miles away from the campground and they were incredible. Hiking in Montana is amazing and hands down worth it. I’m from Washington where hiking is perfect, but Montana gives it a run for its money. Worth the drive! The campground was clean and well kept. Decent size spaces which was nice. Lots of shade which was awesome!
GuideNice are to get away from it all. Road is best traveled with AWD-4WD. Campgrounds are nice and level for tents.
Legend
If you like history, ghost towns and camping then Bannack State Park is for you. Bannack Montana was the 1st Territorial Capital of Montana. The Ghost town allows you a look at how settlers and miners leaved in the early day of Montana. See the 1st Territorial Governors Manson (ok, small cabin). Almost all of building you can enter. The best times to visit is when reenactments are happening at the park. The state park has two small campgrounds, Vigilante Campground with 15 sites and one Tipi site. One of the sites at the Vigilante site is only for bikers. Vigilante campsites can be reserved. The other campground is Road Agent Campground. Road Agent has 8 sites. Both sites have Vault Toilets, water and trash bins.
Legend
Camp at Bannack State Park, site of Montana's 1st Territorial Capital. Road Agent Campground is one of two campground at Bannack State Park. Bannack state park is a nice state park, see how the early settlers lived in this old mining town and former Montana Capital. Road Agent Campground has eight campsites with one vault toilet. Campsite sits among mature cottonwoods. Prices are a little steep, $18 for residents, $28 for non-residents.
Traveler
We went there with two tents. The sites are large and there are enough space for more than 2 or 3 tents easily. The sites are well organized and clean, the bathrooms are well maintained and the camping is pretty close to the lake, you can reach the lake with a 3 - 5 minutes walk. We had a really good experience. Just be aware to check your car breaks because the back travel is downhill the mountains.
Guide
Montana is such a beautiful place to visit. We come every summer but try and hit a new spot in Montana every time. We like experiencing new places, new hikes and new campgrounds! This place was great, definitely met all our needs!! The campground was super clean! We didn’t spot any garbage anywhere when we came! We saw some other reviews that said it was a little dirty, but we didn’t think so! The campsites were decently big, fit our RV perfectly! We stayed 3 nights and loved it. We hiked in the morning nearby, and all were amazing! The hiking in Montana never disappoints. The views are spectacular. We also saw so many deer coming in and out of the campground which we love! This seems to always happen when we stay in Montana :). Lots of chipmunks, birds and deer! We love it. There was a really yummy burger joint down the road that we stopped by on the way to the campground and on our way home! Super good burgers, fries and milkshakes!! The campground has many trees which was great for hanging our hammocks. We hiked in the morning and hung out in the campground in the evening reading in our hammocks. It was pretty relaxing!!
Legend
This campground is probably one of my favorite places to visit in Montana. My family makes the trip from washington to Montana once every summer, since I was little. We have stayed here a few times because it is so pretty and great hiking!! The campground is pretty basic, but the views make it great! Each campsite has its own table and fire ring and is separated by trees from the next campsites. Sites are a little on the small side, but we don’t spend much time in the campsite because we are out exploring. Bring bug spray because the mosquitos are out of control! Highly recommend doing some hiking nearby! Great trails with beautiful views!!!
Legend
Snagged a FCFS site at this wonderful Montana state park after reading reviews. So glad I did. Such a nice campground, nice neighbors. Lots of people out on the lake boating. There is a boat launch in the campground. Snow covered peaks still visible in late June.
Not a lot of shade due to beetle infestation. But wasn't an issue in June. All boats, including inflatable kayaks need to be inspected at a Montana inspection station before launching in the water
I loved it here. Wish I'd stayed longer than one night.
Guide
Blm camping on the big hole river, montana, free up to 16 days. About 15 spots. Boat ramp, fishing hiking fire pits, no wood available.
Traveler
Very peaceful and beautiful site. We stayed in #3 which was creekside and had plenty of space for a tent. You can drink water from the stream if you have a filter.
Scout
This was one of the best places to stay in Montana, electricity and water was a plus, great sites, lake was pristine!
Nestled in the stunning landscapes of Montana, tent camping near Wisdom offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying a variety of amenities and activities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Wisdom, MT?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Wisdom, MT is Beaverhead National Forest Pettengill Campground with a 4-star rating from 2 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 37 tent camping locations near Wisdom, MT, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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