Sharon S.

Notre Dame, IN

Joined July 2016

Avid whitewater kayaker, caver, canyoneer, hiker, adventure traveller, and overall outdoor enthusiast with a desk job.

Perfect site for kayaking the Gallatin River!

Despite the lack of some amenities (e.g., no showers and no firewood for sale when we were there), we greatly enjoyed our stay at this National Forest campground located right on the Gallatin River. As kayakers, we were there to paddle the river so we couldn't have asked for a better location. We stayed in tent site #11, right on the river, which also served as our put-in for the class III-IV Greek Creek to Spanish Creek whitewater run. The campground is easy to find right on Hwy 191 but once off the road and down by the river, it has a more remote feel to it. Campsites are wooded and we saw bighorn sheep right along the road! Groceries are available about 5 miles away. Reservations for this campground can be made online at www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777.

Location, location, location

While our relatively small and sparse campsite (B-91) at St. Mary Campground left a bit to be desired compared to other campgrounds in Glacier N.P. -- e.g., trees, shade, although it was conveniently close to the restroom -- it was nonetheless a good place to camp. The campground location, walking distance from the St. Mary Visitor center where you can get a shuttle or a Red Bus park tour and close to the entrance to the Going-to-the-Sun Road, and the fact that it's inside the Park, made it a better choice in our opinion than the private campgrounds outside the park, which looked less appealing. And it's still close enough to town for easy access to groceries, etc. Another bonus is that it's reservable (recommend reserving well in advance for high season).

Gorgeous wooded campsite right on Lake McDonald

We had a great view of Lake McDonald from our campsite, which we were told by the ranger was right next to the one where George H.W. Bush stayed when he visited Glacier N.P. As others have noted, this campground can be crowded -- as one might expect in a National Park -- but unlike reviewers, we found our D-loop tent site to be quite spacious compared to many other park campgrounds where you're right on top of the folks next door. We had plenty of room to spread out with two tents, four people, and a large truck. And since it was very wooded, our site felt relatively secluded. (This is not the backcountry, after all.) The view of the lake was mostly blocked by trees from the picnic table and fire ring but it only took a few steps down to the water to find a lovely and nearly private lakeview. (We moved our camp chairs down there for sunset.) It was great to be able to reserve a site right on the lake in advance -- but be sure to book well in advance if you want a lakeside site. The only reason I didn't give this five stars was the lack of hot water in the showers but frankly, if I had to choose between hot water and a great campsite, I'd go for the great campsite. I can have a hot shower anytime at home!