Looking for the best tent campgrounds near Custer National Forest? The Dyrt can help you find the best tent campsites for your next trip. Would you prefer a quiet dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities? Either way, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
Located next to the Powder River, this site contains a semi-developed, yet primitive, campground popular for fall hunting camps, but beautiful to camp in year round. BLM managed lands are nearby providing hunting and many other recreational activities. Moorhead Campground is also a Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA) that has become a very popular area for many recreationists seeking to get away from it all!
Campground with 7 sites and two day use picnic sites near Ekalaka on the Ekalaka Hills Unit, Sioux Ranger District.Accessible Facilities:ToiletTrash Pickup: NoFirewood: NoNo Reservations: This campground does not use a reservation system, it is managed on a first-come, first-served basis. There is a 16 day stay limit.Information:Sioux District OfficeBox 37, Main & FirstCamp Crook, SD 57724(605) 797-4432
A campground on the Ashland Ranger District.__Camp sites: 2Accessible Facilities:Toilet__Trash Pickup: NoFirewood: NoNo Reservations: This campground does not use a reservation system, it is managed on a first-come, first-served basis.Information:Ashland District OfficeBox 168, Hwy 212Ashland, MT 59003(406) 784-2344
Family Picnic and day use fishing pond on the Ekalaka Hills Unit, Sioux Ranger District. Camp sites: Dispersed Camping Accessible Facilities: Toilet Trash Pickup: No Firewood: No Information: Sioux District Office Box 37, Main & First Camp Crook, SD 57724 (605) 797-4432
Ranger
Free National Forest campground in Custer National Forest. Sites include large picnic table and fire ring. Pit toilets available for use. The campground is right off of 212 about 6 miles east of the town of Ashland. We were just passing through for the night and this offered a quick, convenient place to crash. There is a fair amount of road noise due to the close proximity of the road. Campground is popular on the weekends but we had no problem finding a site.
Scout
Camped here last year beginning of june. A group of about 20 of us. We all tent camped but there were two huge RVs that came in the second night we were there and still plenty of ground to be separated. Roughly I'd say theres 10 to 20 camping spots? Closer to 10, with fire rings, and one bathroom, a outhouse more less... has cement tables, and a spout with spring water coming out. Not sure if it's safe to drink, bring your own water just incase :) the campground is set up on on the east side of moorhead road. Across the bridge of the river. But beware for future campers coming from the north to Camp here, they closed the bridge on moorhead rd. The bridge isnt safe enough to cross with a vehicle. Can still walk across. So to get here you have to go down on the west side of the river on powder river rd :) ask anyone in broadus,mt. If unsure how to safely get there. The campground is quiet and secluded. With cliffs on the south and east side. Beautiful scenery in the early summer:)
GuideGreat campground !! Wooded area with fire pits and cook tops and restrooms. No water but only 7 minutes to town. Plant of space between sites. Perfect tor tents, RV's and camper trailers. Definitely recommend
Scoutthe park is just north of the town in a small forested area. water and a pIt toIlet are available. camping spots are very few but well spaced and comfortable for tents.
GuideStayed here overnight in both July and November. Sites are on a first come first serve basis but I was able to find a site both times. Plenty of trees for hammocks and a good pad for tents. Huge picnic table at each site.
Scout
This campsite is great! It had all we needed!
GuideWe stayed for a couple of days while hunting antelope. It’s a quiet campground, close to the highway, serviceable. Would definitely stay again!!
GuideFound this little place on my way cross country and it was all I needed for one night. Nothing fancy but it does have bathrooms and a picnic table and power if you need it. $25 for 1 night. Cute chickens, a turkey and a bunch of sheep to look at. Free WiFi which was nice.
GuideWayside RV is a little jewel! Free WiFi, friendly and personal service, and we feel really safe here because the owners live on site. They are constantly improving the campground, and it’s super fun to have a few farm animals on site!
GuideThe owner was very nice and informative. It’s a small campground with about 5 sites on a homestead. As long as you don’t mind chickens and goats, this place was a great place to stop overnight!
Ranger
This place is great. Coming from the small town of Ashland you'll follow a well-maintained gravel road all the way to the site. If they don't plow it in winter, good luck, but I had no issues in late September. No 4WD needed.
Three sites in a wooded area with pretty solid views because the area around the campground must have burned not too long ago - dead trees everywhere, so no foliage blocking the horizon. Fire pits, a bathroom, and tables. Hammock lovers, you'll be in good shape. Plenty of wood around you can harvest. With Verizon I had a weak cell signal. You won't be streaming Netflix here but you can check email, etc. There's a cabin right down the way that also appears to be rentable so you might have neighbors there. Did hear what sounded like hunting in the distance so if you want to go exploring or have a pet, might want to wear something loud and give your pooch a bright bandana.
Yes, three sites is very small but the surrounding area looks to have dispersed camping going on, although it is in active pasture land so you might find yourself waking up to curious cows.
Wonderfully quiet. Easy to get in and out. Well spaced sites that are free and serve their purpose perfectly. What more can you ask for? Check my photos and videos and see for yourself! Highly recommended!
GuideArrived late in the evening, I made dinner with a brisk wind. Later that night I experienced a dandy of a lightning storm. Nice clean toilet but be aware campsite overlooks some fire damage.
LegendI was looking to split up the drive on my trip and found this perfect stopover with a classic Montana feel. It’s an unexpected find on a long straight road but I’m so glad that we stopped. A ranger happened to be cutting the grass when we arrived. She was very helpful - I was nervous about the rattlesnake warning. She said she hasn’t seen one this year but watch out for poison ivy (and it was hidden in the brush). She pointed us to a good site and went about her work.
14 campsites in 2 loops with 3 vault toilets. There is also a picnic area if you just want a lunch spot. The loops gave our dog the perfect amount of walking before wanting a water break just when we got back to the site. We didn’t find much else here other than peacefulness.
Each site has the biggest picnic table I’ve seen. They are 12 feet long! Pine trees provide some shade so pick the right place. Our site looks like we will get shade at the end on the night and early morning. It is free of nearby poison ivy so ‘thanks for watching out for our dog, ranger!’
Everything is so well maintained. The views are perfect. The breeze keeps us cool.
A stay here doesn’t even cost you - it’s free! I thought we would have the place to ourselves but a couple on holiday from England joined us for both nights. It’s that great of a find.
ScoutIt’s a really convenient little spot to stop and sleep in the pines along a trip but expect noise from the highway.
GuideGreat place to stop for a night of free camping. Spacious sites fire pits, vault toilets, and picnic tables.
RangerVery cute campsites, with large wooden tables and firepits with new grill grates. Bathrooms somewhat clean. Nice sunset views.
LegendWhat a gem of a campground (in my opinion). There are two loops, each loop having 6-7 sites and it’s own vault toilet. I camped in both loops while the loop to the right is more preferred due to being further from highway noise and the views! Each site has plenty is space. A long picnic table, nice fire ring with grate and gravel drive to back in. There are no pull thru sites. No trash, electric or water so come prepared and pack out your trash. Had a sheriff drive through a couple mornings then the NFS came to clean out the trash people left in the fire pits. Arrived on a Saturday, one loop was full, the other empty. Sunday evening, a little more traffic but still at least 5 spots open. You can stay up to 10 days (free). There isn’t much to do in the area but it is peaceful and relaxing. Ashland doesn’t have much of a grocery store (small merch for smaller hauls) so come stocked with all the food you need. Definitely would stay here again! Had 2-3 bars LTE via AT&T and could work with no issues.
TravelerI had been driving for 10 hours and when I got there the sun was setting I was pretty tired and stiff from the drive and I bet my dog was to. So I got there and I found a nice spot pretty far from the toilet so I walked my dog there and walked around the trails which are very nice and neat by the way. I was almost expecting it to be too crowded because of how nice it was and it was memorial day weekend but seemed to have lots of available space. I didn't have any firewood with me but I found plenty of sticks and kindling from the surrounding area on the ground nice and dry and had no trouble starting a fire where I brewed cacao. And gave thanks to God for finding this lovely sanctuary! That night was clear and I watched the Stars. I have never seen so many stars! even from my farm house in the middle of nowhere. It was a pretty spiritual experience I had a good night's rest because I did not have rowdy neighbors or hardly any neighbors at all! That morning I packed my garbage gear and I went on continue my journey.♥️♥️
GuideWe stayed here for a weekend in April. It’s was such a quiet place. There were only a few other people in the whole campground. It’s right off the highway, but not noisy at all.
ScoutWe stayed here for one night while driving across Montana. There are two main areas with about 12 (?) sites total. We arrived at 5pm and had no trouble getting a spot although it did get quite full before dark. Some spots were too small for big rigs and there are no drive thru sites. We did have to level out a bit. Very quiet spot even though it’s right off the Highway. Enough space to explore for kids too.
RangerThis is a little gem for a FCFS free campground.
Some sites are more level than others, but it was nearly empty when we rolled in so we had no problem finding a site that worked for our class C. We were impressed with the space between sites. It offered a lot of privacy.
More campers rolled in by early evening but the campground was far from full and remained wonderfully quiet. Any road noise heard during the day was gone by nightfall.
Bonus for having a geocache near the entrance if you are into geocaching.
TravelerThis was a cool spot for the night. It was free and far enough away from the road not to be too loud. There were about five other spots taken when I was there, so not too crowded. Beware, you can hear herds of cattle moo-ing at night. My big con is no hiking nearby really that I could find.
TravelerNeeded a quick place to setup camp driving across the country. Pull straight in and up to a sight. Bathrooms, but nothing else. Simple tables and fire pits at each site. Beautiful property, mountains in the distance, wood for fires laying around. Perfect for a quick trip or passing through. And free:)
TravelerQuiet, right off highway, little to no road noise. Vault toilet only. FREE! Nice level sites, fire pits, huge picnic tables which I estimate to be about 14 feet long.
ScoutA very quiet campground near Ashland. Beautiful view from the top of the hill. Vault toilets are clean but bring your own TP
Scout14 spots available, decently spread out. There are bathrooms with vault toilets and no running water. Great for a quick stop!
TravelerMy pup and I had a good time here (aside from a sudden thunderstorm). There is no water sources and only vault toilets. The camping sites are well spread out and there is enough room to pull in a rig and park.
Tent camping near Custer National Forest in South Dakota offers a chance to immerse yourself in nature, with various campgrounds providing unique experiences and amenities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Custer National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Custer National Forest is Moorhead Recreation Site with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Custer National Forest?
TheDyrt.com has all 4 tent camping locations near Custer National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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