When it comes to campgrounds, it's hard to beat free. This one is located on a lake in the middle of the Montana badlands/prairie where you will feel secluded and isolated with nature. I was there early April and the lake still had some ice, but was only partially frozen over. Thus there were birds on the water. I fully expect this to be a hotspot as the season progresses.

There was only one other camper when I arrived, and he was there to photograph the birds. He has informed me that in previous visits, this campground has been equally empty. So if you're looking for a quiet place to just relax and get away, this is it.

Each site has a concrete picnic table and a fire ring. Half of the tables are under a shelter. The sites are flat and clean for pitching tents. There is a pit toilet, but no water source. The road in is well-maintained and driveable for most vehicles. There is not much protection from wind, so if you're tent camping, be mindful of that.

I drove in here looking for a campsite. There are four in total, and only one is spacious. The rest are surrounded by tall grasses and don't seem to have much room for a tent. If site one hadn't been taken, I may have stayed there.

This is a free campground. There are five sites with generous spacing. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. There is a privy and one bear box in the middle of the circle. This campground doesn't really accommodate large RVs, but it's great for tent camping. Although it sits along the river, it doesn't really have great river access. The campground is no more than 10 minutes from Thompson falls, so it's easy to get to town if you need to.

It's only $10 to camp here with a tent. $25 for an electric site with an RV.

The bad: this is a city park in town. That means you'll have a little bit of light pollution if you want to see the stars (it's not too bad though) and you're next to the road.

The good: once evening approaches, it's pretty quiet through the night in the morning. This place feels like an intermediate between an RV park and a Forest service campground. The sites are spacious, though they are next to each other. But the day I was here, there weren't very many campers so it felt more spread out. You may also get some courageous deer walking through your campsite.

The facilities are pretty good for a city park. Bathrooms have running water and even a shower. They are spigots to fill up with drinking water. And there's a small playground which my kids think is underwhelming.

Be aware that the fire rings at some of the sites good stand some TLC, as could some of the picnic tables which are wooden and starting to splinter.

That said, at $10, it's hard to beat the price, especially since down the road there is a more primitive campground that cost $5 more.

Pro: it's only $10 to tent camp.

Facilities are clean.

Con: it's state Park camping. For someone who prefers a more primitive camping style, it's a bit jarring to have no privacy between sites that are packed in tight together. But for $10, it still beats a hotel.

This campground is amazing. The geological formations around us are beautiful, and this place is isolated. Granted, I am here on a weeknight, but there are only two other groups camping here. The campsites are spread out so you get tons of privacy.

I've stayed at this site twice now and both have been great experiences. It's rarely full, and the sites are flat and spacious. There is a pond as well as river access. The place is clean and quiet. It is near the interstate, but you don't really notice the sounds. You will hear the train when it comes through.