Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Zortman, MT

Montana Gulch is such a great place to visit and stay if you are ever in the area. Being from Montana, I have had the pleasure of staying at quite a few places and this one is probably one of my favorites. I love that the campground is surrounded be the beautiful mountains, and there are so many great hikes you can go on. Whenever we decide where we are going to stay, we make sure that there are amazing hikes nearby. I would definitely look up hikes nearby before you go, that way you get a feel for what is around you, the length of the hike, and elevation gain. I would also caution that there is a lot of wild life in Montana. We saw a bear and her cubs in the distance on one of the hikes we went on. It was incredible to see, but we were definitely pretty cautious. The campground is great, clean, and well kept. There are quite a few spaces available, but definitely fill up fast in the summertime. We went in the peak of summer and all of the spaces were taken. Luckily we made our reservation online ahead of time. This campground was only for tents, and there was only 1 bathroom which was the only downside. No water onsite, so make sure to bring plenty of your own. There wasn't any picnic tables in the campsites, but there were tables throughout the campground. Pets are allowed, so we brought our dog.

This campground is pretty nice and is tucked back up a road. It was for the most part fairly quiet.

There is a store in Landusky we didn't visit, but we did check out the DY store as well as the store in Zortman. Keep in mind this area is pretty rural, so there's not much available when it comes to stores and whatnot.

The folks in both stores were quite accommodating and friendly. 

I would definitely go back.

We just needed a quick and inexpensive place for one night. This fit the bill. It was Labor Day. We thought we would grab a bite to eat at the DQ. It was closed. As was every other restaurant in town. We had corn dogs at the Cenex. We were one of two trailers camping there. We found a water spigot and camped beside it. No electricity. It's .5 miles from the highway.

Very nice of the city of Malta to allow overnight campers to stay in the park for $5. It’s just that though, a city park. It’s not a campground, so there are no signs or designated spots to park for the night. We drove around the loop and found a little gravel driveway type thing by the soccer field, so we didn’t have to pull up on to the grass for the night. A cool skoolie pulled in after us and parked along the row next to us on the grass. 

The setup is just weird and you’ll have to find a spot to squeeze into where you’ll feel comfortable. I can’t imagine parking next to the playground structures, but along the edges of the park are a decent option. You pay with cash at a drop box at the entrance. Good cell reception for ATT and Verizon. Trash bins here, and gendered accessible pit toilets. And lots and lots of play options for kids. 

But the star of the show here were the mosquitoes. I had to put on long pants, thick socks, and long sleeve hoodie every time I had to take the dogs out. I also carried a little hand held fan with me to keep them off the dogs. Occasionally a little breeze picked up and gave us a little break, but mostly the air was heavy and hot and still when we were here in late July and the mosquitoes were vicious.

Montana is definitely one of my all time favorite places to visit. Being from Washington, there is so many hikes there, and Montana definitely reminds me a little of Washington- except the mountains are EVERYWHERE!! The hiking here is amazing, and Montana Gulch Campground is the best. The campground was really clean, and actually the bathrooms were clean as well and stocked with toilet paper when we were there. Which is shocking because most campgrounds have nasty bathrooms. The campsite spaces were fairly big, with enough room to pitch 2 tents and have our car in front too. There is a table and fire pit within your campsite. There is also some areas under cover with extra tables. The campground is easy to find, and the road was pretty good. I've been to a few places where the road leading to the campground is crappy. The hiking around here was amazing, recommend!! The staff was super friendly and helped us pick out a few hikes. The views were incredible. Wish I would have taken more pictures, but that just means we have to come back!

Montana is hands down one of my favorite places to visit to be outdoors. I am from Washington where there is TONS of places to camp and hike, and Montana definitely is a close tie to Washington and the incredible outdoors. One thing I love about Montana Gulch is the vast views of the mountains. The mountains surround you everywhere you look. The hiking here is incredible, so I highly recommend coming here to hike. Here are a few things we liked about this spot:

1. Great hikes! As I mentioned above, there are some amazing hikes nearby. The farthest we drove for a hike was 1hr past the campground, but we really wanted to do this particular hike so we thought the drive was definitely worth it. It was a little rainy when we went, but that didn't stop us.
2. Bigger campsite spaces. This is something that we really like about some campgrounds- is when the campsite spaces are "bigger" than normal. We were able to fit our car and 2 tents in the site. Also, each campsite was separated by trees and shrubs which gave you a little more privacy.
3. Easy to find. We appreciated that there were signs on the road that directed us right to the campground. I like to trust my phone, but sometimes it doesn't lead you in the right direction. Thankfully their signage was great.
4. Helpful rangers. They were super nice, and directed us to our campsite as well as give us some insight on great hikes nearby.

The only thing we didn't like about the campground was that there was only 1 bathroom (that we could find), and it was pretty far from our campsite.

Overall, I highly recommend coming here! Great place to stay with beautiful views.

This is a primitive campground in the American Prairie Reserve.  It seems to be a relatively unknown place and we were the only people in the campground for the night (there are 6 tent sites and 7 RV).  It was about 40 miles of high-quality gravel road to get here.  Near the campground, there is a research HQ for the reserve which is not open to the public and otherwise we didn't see anyone else the entire time.  

Tent sites are walk-in and and on platforms, which you are required to use.  This means if you have two tents like us, you'll need two sites.  You tie the tents down to lashing points on on the side of the platform.  Each site has a fire pit, picnic table and there is a community covered picnic area and fire pit as well.  Free firewood is available next to the toilets.  There are vault toilets and non-potable water sources in the loop.  The walk-in is only about 15-50 yards, depending on the site.  From the campground, there is a small auditorium and nature trail available.  Bugs were pretty bad the night we were there, so we didn't try much of the nature trail.  

Everything felt new and almost unused, like the campground had just opened.  The toilets were only okay in cleanliness, the main reason I took off a star.  It was a fantastic experience for the kids.  A buffalo herd roamed the area and even through the campground at night and in the morning.  Prairie dog towns were all over.  It was one of our most memorable camping experiences but definitely come prepared since nothing is available on site or nearby.  Many of the roads in the preserve are in pretty primitive shape so 4WD is recommended to get around the preserve, but you won’t need it to access the camp site.  We had a big windstorm come through during the night, so lash down carefully!

I love visiting Montana to do hiking and camping. The outdoors here is amazing!! Mountains everywhere, and wildlife everywhere!! The campground was awesome. Here are some things we liked:

• Well kept/clean- this is something that seems to be rare now a days. We liked that the restrooms were clean, and toilet paper was stocked. There are dumpsters in the campground which make it easy to clean up after yourself.
• Awesome hiking! We hiked every day that we were here. The views are amazing!! We did one hike that was 8 miles round trip, 4 miles round trip, and 6 miles roundtrip. All were amazing!
• The rangers were great! They helped us find our spot, and then tell us where some great hiking was!
• Campsites were big. This is ALWAYS a plus!! Also, the campsites have a table and fire ring. We loved using the fire rings at night to make smores!!

We will definitely be coming back! :)

I stumbled across Camp Creek Campground summer of '19 when I was having some problems with my slides and needed to stop for the night.  The campground has several very large pull through spots, and folks with horses often pass through.  Upon entering the campground area, a caretakers spot is early on, while no caretaker was employed last year, there is a sanitary dump station at the site, as well as, potable water.  A bit past that is a large area for horse trailer parking, and a corral.   As one progresses down the road,  a large group gathering area is on left of the road, along with parking.  A bit further are large, clean, restroom facilities, and another area for both parking and pulling one's rig through to load up on water.  Continuing down the road are numerous camping spots, most are smaller.  However, a the end of the loop are two large spots big enough to pull a large fifth wheel or motorhome through.  A further two or three large back in sites are there as well.  A small stream runs through the back area, and endless hiking / horseback riding trails are in this area as well.  Further, there is another hookup one can fill their tanks with potable water (no sites have water hookups on site, except the caretakers).  When I was there in late July, the campground was maybe 1/3 full.  We ended up staying three nights.  

Drawbacks:  there are four to note.  First, while the sites are well kept, those with very wide RV's (mine is 92") or high (mine is 13') will find branches to be bothersome at best.  In my case I made a decision some time ago that I was going to be careful, but my rig was going to get used in the great outdoors, and that meant getting a scratch from time to time.  I fully realize when one is paying $60k - $500k and more, that may be somewhat less than desirable.  And while there are several good sized spaces, I wouldn't try bringing in anything longer than 36' (mine is 33).   Second, the road in is rather long, a good gravel road, but gravel (and dusty) none the less.  If one gets caught in the rain this area is well known for it's gumbo roads … they can be very miserable.  Third, a local told me that the place was heaven nearly all season … except .. during hunting season.   He used some rather colorful language to depict the camping environment during those six weeks or so in late fall.  Fourth, if you have a problem you are a long way from help, and there is no cell service.   All that said, this is a wonderful campground, great for kids and Old Goats like me.

Nice campground with 10 spots. Nestled in the Little Rocky Mountains, campground offers lots of shade with creek running by it. Bathroom was clean and nice tables by fire rings.

Very reasonable units that are open year around. $8 a night. Has bathroom and a fire ring.. Basic necessities. Good fishing nearby

This place is about 8 bucks per night, there are toilets but other than that it's pack in pack out, and the people seem to be doing well with it because there was no trash around. There was also easy access to fishing

This place is very beautiful and it just has the basic amenities that you need: 1 bathroom and a few tables. Be aware that there isn't any portable water (at least from what I saw). Because of how primitive this campsite is, this is what gives it, its charm. I will go back soon.

Fun place to explore with the kids. Nothing beats flowing water.

I camped two nights . The sites are spacious and most are shady. We took a nice hike along the river. There is an rv dump for $10. There was no water available during my stay. Only downside was a swarm of horseflies that were not deterred by bug spray or a bug light!

In late October, hundreds of elk congregate in the Slippery Ann area of the park. Dozens of cars also come to watch the herd. It's a very fun time, and an amazing spectacle. It is very busy at this time of year, so that's a bit of a bummer for camping. In mid-summer, before the elk come, there are a million-zillion mosquitoes and it's not fun. Come for the elk!

In the summer, you’ll want to bring or rent a boat of some kind to explore the river; there are many local outfitters. In the fall I’ve heard about the elk herds here and it’s not far from a wildlife refuge. Pros: outhouses, water (seasonally), beautiful landscape (cliffs, river, meadows), lots of water recreation, interesting (but tragic) local history, stargazing, choice of shady or open campsites, along river. Cons: bugs and mud (both seasonal).

Without the river map or GPS this site would be easy to miss. Can't see the campground from the river due to all the willow and the sign is missing. Only a small flag tied to a willow marked the landing location. This site is classified as a developed public access site and campground due to the unimproved road providing entry. Caution: entry and exit by road will not be possible during wet conditions. Site has two metal fire rings, 1 concrete picnic table (a second one has fallen apart) and one vault toilet. Plenty of cottonwoods provide shade and good spots to use a hammock.

Don't go for the ambiance but if you're going for the fishing then you're in the right place.