Established Camping
Downstream (MT)
About
US Army Corps of Engineers
Fort Peck Project
Overview
Downstream Campground is located just below Fort Peck Dam on the Missouri River in northeastern Montana. Recreation enthusiasts and sportsmen enjoy the beauty of Fort Peck Lake's 1,500 miles of shoreline. A variety of high quality outdoor activities are available, including camping, boating, fishing, hunting, sightseeing and wildlife viewing.__ Fort Peck Dam, which impounds Fort Peck Lake is the first dam built in the upper Missouri River Basin. The area surrounding Fort Peck was first charted by Lewis and Clark in 1804, and the pristine natural condition of the river and surrounding area awed the renowned explorers. When President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized the Fort Peck project in 1933, thousands of people from all over the country migrated to Montana during the midst of the Great Depression in hopes of earning a living. Today, Fort Peck Lake is a sportsman's paradise with excellent fishing, wildlife viewing and other countless outdoor recreation opportunities.____ For more information, visit the Fort Peck Project Website or call 406-526-3411.
Recreation
The vast size of Fort Peck Lake and its remoteness from major population centers provide a variety of high quality outdoor experiences. Popular recreation activities include camping, boating, fishing, hunting, sight-seeing, picnicking, biking, hiking, photography, watching wildlife and just relaxing.____ Fort Peck Lake: Fifteen hundred miles of pristine shoreline serve as a haven for those wishing to get away from the stresses of modern life. There are 27 recreation areas located around the reservoir. The areas near and around the dam offer paved roads, electricity, showers and playgrounds while facilities around the rest of the lake are more primitive with gravel roads, picnic tables and vault toilets. Access roads to many of the remote areas may be impassable in inclement weather.____ Fishing: Fort Peck Lake enjoys nationwide recognition as a hot spot for walleye fishing. Fort Peck Lake provides excellent boating and fishing opportunities. The lake also offers excellent fishing for sauger, smallmouth bass, lake trout, chinook salmon and northern pike. The introduction of cisco as a forage fish in 1983 proved successful and has increased both the size and number of game fish.______ Wildlife Viewing/Hunting: The Fort Peck Lake Area and the Charles M. Russell Wildlife Refuge provide superb hunting of deer, elk, big horn sheep, and prong horn. The Missouri River Breaks are known for producing large elk and other game animals.Trails: Three miles of paved nature trails wind along the Missouri River and through the surrounding wooded area. This trail area is a popular birding and wildlife viewing area. Disc Golf Course: A disc golf course "The Fortress" was installed in summer of 2021. Discs are available to check out at the gate house.__ Interpretive Center & Museum: The Fort Peck Dam Interpretive Center and Museum offers displays of wildlife dioramas, aquariums, dinosaur fossils and dam construction history. Open Friday through Monday 9am to 4pm.
Facilities
Downstream Campground offers 86 family campsites, 71 of which have electrical hookups; 16 sites are tent-only. One large group campsite is available with electrical hookups. Five day-use picnic shelters are available for reservations, all with electrical hookups as well as two overnight group use areas with shelters.The campground offers flush and vault toilets, showers, playgrounds, a basketball court and horseshoe pits. A dump station and fish cleaning station are located on-site.__
Natural Features
A shady grove of cottonwoods covers the grassy campground, making Downstream a pleasant place during the heat of the summer. In autumn, the leaves turn a beautiful golden yellow. Three fishing ponds, including scenic Winter Harbor, dot the landscape below the dam.
contact_info
For facility specific information, please call (406) 526-3224.
Nearby Attractions
Fort Peck Lake is a Montana treasure for its vast size and outdoor recreation opportunities. Six recreation areas within a few miles of the dam provide access for water sports, fishing and hunting.____ The Fort Peck Interpretive Center and Museum, is located just downstream of Fort Peck Dam. For more information, call 406-526-3493.__ The Leo B. Coleman Wildlife Pasture, located just outside the Town of Fort Peck and Downstream Campground is home to Fort Peck's Bison Herd and provides an excellent wildlife viewing auto route.__ __The Historic Fort Peck Theater is located in the town of Ft. Peck is a popular historic destination in summer months.____ The 1.1 million acre Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge surrounds Fort Peck Lake and helps preserve the natural habitat for numerous wildlife species.
Charges & Cancellations
Reservation changes and cancellations can be made on Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777.____ For more information on rules and policies regarding reservation cancellations and changes, please visit: https://www.recreation.gov/rules-reservation-policies.______
Fee Info
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
Stay Connected
- WiFiFair
- VerizonGood
- AT&TGood
- T-MobilePoor
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Group
- Cabins
- Tent Cabin
Features
For Campers
- Trash
- Picnic Table
- Firewood Available
- Phone Service
- WiFi
- Drinking Water
- Electric Hookups
- Toilets
- Alcohol
- Pets
- Fires
For Vehicles
- Sanitary Dump
- Sewer Hookups
- Water Hookups
- Pull-Through Sites
- Big Rig Friendly
LegendEducation and Recreation
General: 86-site US Army Corps of Engineers Campground located on the Missouri River in four loops, each with a different name: Lismas, New Deal, Wheeler, and Faranuf. Wheeler is for tent sites, the camper pads are gravel, and there are no electric hookups; the other three loops have mostly 30-amp but several 50-amp sites and the camper pads are paved. Faranuf has pull-thru sites that can accommodate larger RVs.
Site Quality: All sites are level and are spaced a decent distance apart from each other. There are some trees for shade but still many are in full sun.
Bath/Shower House: The New Deal and Wheeler loops have vault toilets and Lismas, and Faranuf have flush toilets and showers. The restroom in Faranuf is air-conditioned! The one in Lismas appears new (the old one is still standing but roped off) but points off for no soap! Also no hand sanitizer in the vault toilet in New Deal.
Activities: There is a paved recreation path that circles the campground and is about 2.5 miles. Other recreation activities include basketball, volleyball, horseshoes, cornhole, disk golf, and two playgrounds (one in Faranuf and the other in the day-use area). Recreation equipment is available to borrow. There is also a wonderful interpretive center where you can learn about the history of the dam, as well as past and present wildlife. In the summer, it is open Friday– Monday, 9 am– 4 pm and the hours are less in other seasons. A must if you have kids! Many in the campground had boats. Kelly, the volunteer at the gatehouse, was effusive about all the area had to offer.
We were only there for one night passing through, but we did visit the interpretive center, and run on the nature trail. The only bummer about this campground was the persistent wasps that made eating and sitting outside challenging.
- (14) View All
GuideNice and Clean, But Barely any River or Lake Access Without a Boat
Very spacious campground. I was impressed with the sites - lots of mature trees, and they have a reasonably long (4ish mile) nature trail.
One thing I found disappointing was that there is very little river or lake access nearby without a boat. I could barely find any place to let my dog cool off in the lake. Even the nature trail never gets closer than about 50 yards to the river, and is separated from it by a swampy, mosquito infested, cattail laden barrier. They need to provide more beach access. The only swimming beach is a few miles up the road, and as you guessed, NO DOGS ALLOWED. That's a shame, because my dog is cleaner and better behaved than most people.
Be aware that this part of Montana is the Great Plains, and it gets very hot in the summer. Right now, July 24th we're supposed to have a high of 102. And my particular campsite has NO SHADE whatsoever.
This is a much better place to stay if you have a boat, as the lake is really the only attraction here. It's just too bad there is such limited access unless you have a boat.
The nearest town is Glasgow, some, 20ish miles away, and there ain't much there. Fort Peck is closer, about 4 miles, but there's nothing there but a little convenience store.
IMPORTANT: If you're coming in from the east or west on US 2, BE SURE YOU TAKE THE "TRUCK ROUTE" Highway 42 down to the lake, NOT the regular Highway 42, which has a VERY LOW CLEARANCE BRIDGE. I had to stop, and flag down a sheriff's deputy who graciously held traffic up so I could back out of my predicament. There's no warning sign. I made a right hand turn onto 42, and BOOM, there it was a block up the road. 12 feet, 2 inches. My 5th wheel is 13'6".
**NOT FUN**
**IMPORTANT: Don't be tempted to park under the cottonwood trees. Your vehicle will be COVERED with some kind of sap...took two car washes to get it off.
**
LegendBeautiful!
This is an amazing campground on the shore of the Missouri River by Fort Peck Dam. Nice big sites. Bathhouses are less that 2 years old. Great park like seeing with playground, volleyball net, basketball court and horseshoe pits. They even lend out the equipment you need!
It's a short walk to a really wonderful interpretive center - definitely worthwhile to visit! And there's a great trail system to walk on and enjoy the views.
- (10) View All
Location
Downstream (MT) is located in Montana
Directions
From Nashua, MT, travel on Highway 117 south for 10.5 miles continue straight onto Yellowstone Rd for 1 mile and the campground will be on the left. From Glasgow, MT, travel on Highway 24 south for 18 miles to Fort Peck Dam. Turn Left onto Highway 117 travel 2.5 miles. Turn right at intersection onto Yellowstone Rd continue 1 mile and the campground will be on the left. From Interstate 94, Glendive/Circle exit, take MT highway 200 west to MT highway 24 north 55 miles; turn right onto Yellowstone Rd drive 1.5 miles and campground will be on the right.
Address
U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
DOWNSTREAM CAMPGROUND
123 YELLOWSTONE RD
Fort peck, MT 59223
Coordinates
48.006718 N
106.428098 W