Site D173 along Lake McDonald

Situated along the southwest side of Glacier National Park's Fish Creek Campground, I snagged two nights at site D173 - right on the lake! 

Follow the paved road to Loop D, and it's one of the last sites you come to. The site was extremely spacious and very clean (many of the sites at Fish Creek Campground are very small). It contained a fire pit, picnic table and outline for tent location. Plenty of close trees for hammocks. 

Just a short walk down the hill from the site and you're on the lake! Because of the trees, there's not a great view of the lake from the site. Site D174 has fewer trees with clearer views of the lake. 

The site was extremely close to the dumpsters (but not too close!), the bear vault was across the road and the bathrooms were maybe 100ft away (M/W - two stalls with flushing toilets and two sinks with a hand dryer). 

I'm not much of a campground person (I prefer backpacking to avoid screaming kids and the sounds of generators), but this was sufficed for my time exploring Glacier National Park. 

You'll see I had a tent/tarp set up the first night (I refused to be wet in my tent!), but the second night I slept in my car since I knew it would be pouring rain the next morning and I didn't want to break down camp in the rain. 

Beware! You cannot collect sticks from the area for your fire. You must purchase firewood at Apgar Village (around $6/bundle) or collect dead branches/wood from the road to Bowman or Kintla Lakes. 

The site host was at the start of Loop D, so she was close by for any issues (she's super nice!).

The campground is dog friendly (I had mine with me), but know that there are NO dog-friendly trails in Glacier NP.

Wooded, shady campground just up a steep sandy bluff from Lake Superior

**Notes: 

1. As long as you have your printed permit with you, you do not need to "check in" anywhere to reach the backcountry sites. 

2. Almost no one we encountered had maps - be sure to print as many out prior to your trip as possible. 

We parked at Beaver Basin Overlook (beware: the gravel drive in has lots of potholes!), and hiked into Pine Bluff Campground. It was about 4.7 miles in, and relatively flat. The first .5 mile was a slight decline (so it was a bit of a thigh-burner on the way back out). 

When we arrived, only one other site was taken, and we all agreed we got the best site, #5 (there are five sites total). It's just a little more tucked back than the others, which were quite exposed. We were able to have one hammock up for lounging during the day and two tents. The site itself had a bear locker (people - remember to pack your food out!! Someone prior to us left food there and the stench was awful!), short walk to a pit toilet and communal fire ring. Lots of shade, which was nice. To reach Lake Superior (your water source, so bring a filter), you must climb up and down a fairly steep sandy bluff, but it's totally worth it. The views are spectacular, and it's very secluded - you'll have the beach to yourself! It's the most beautiful white sand beach, with pebbles near the water line and driftwood. 

The first night, there were only three sites occupied, including ours. One site turned in early, while the other site and us built a campfire from branches we collected. Just remember you'll have to haul water up the bluff to extinguish your fire! 

The second night, every single site was taken and there were two groups who decided to "squat" near the campground. Don't do this! Not only was the bear vault overflowing, you're stomping on vegetation in the area. 

For our day hike, we headed west along the lakefront. The hike to the Spray Falls overlook and back was just under 10 miles. 

The night sky was super clear after moon set, and we enjoyed tons of stars, the Milky Way and Perseids Meteor Shower. Highly recommend this campsite for anyone looking to backpack along Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore!