We've camped all over…all over Glacier and all over the country, and this is hands-down one of our favorite campgrounds. 100% our fave national park campground! An authentic unplugged, quiet camping experience.
The remote location is amazing, and the campsites are nicely spread out in a moody, dark forested area with near full shade. There are a couple of paths directly to the lake, literally a 2-3 minute walk from anywhere in camp. Sites have fire rings and picnic tables, and there are a few vault toilets and several trash bins and potable water spigots. No showers or sinks. Deer galore! The visitor tent is pretty cool, especially for families with kids. It has activities and games like scavenger hunts, books/tools for identifying wildflowers/plants/scat etc. And there's a camp host onsite seasonally, also.
Note that all sites are FCFS. Rangers at the entrance usually have a fair idea of whether you'll get a spot.
Even though the park has gotten much busier in the past few years, Bowman still remains a quietER gem. The long road keeps people away, I guess - although some 2023-24 construction/improvements has made it quite a bit better.
We typically prefer more dispersed-style camping, but this has actually become one of our favorite established sites in the Ozarks. It's VERY family-oriented (probably not for you if you want to party), with tons of games like volleyball and horseshoes, plus onsite programs and activities including scavenger hunts, movie nights, pancake breakfasts, etc.
A little of everything when it comes to sites - there are pull-thru sites, full hookups, basic tent sites, you name it. We tent camped in sites 61-64 (now one huge site, but at one time they were three individual), which directly overlooks the river and sits on a very private corner. The sites on this end are a bit of a walk to the bathrooms/showers and camp store, but also extremely spacious and private.
Great camp store and a large sandy beach with natural swimming holes, plus a seasonal pool. There's even so-so wifi at the store.
Float trips are a big deal here, and Indian Springs offers both boat rentals and shuttle services. We used their shuttling one day, then the second day, I drove my husband up to the put-in (less than 10 mins) and he floated back and took out here. The owners are really friendly and accommodating. Our top choice for float/camp trips, especially when we have our kiddos.
Fantastic smaller campground minutes from Mount Magazine. It seems to be overshadowed by much larger, better known places like Devils Den, so it's fairly quiet even when it's 'busy.' We also learned that it has new management as of this year (2024), a young family that's extremely hands-on.
We stayed as a group (three families with 7 kiddos total, ranging from 6-15), across two adjacent sites: 1 & 3. You could see the lake from our sites, but they don't sit right over the lake like some do. With so many kids in our group, we actually wanted that. Sites are extremely spacious and well spaced from each other, and would feel even more private later in the season when the trees are full. Bathrooms are simple pit toilets, but clean and well-maintained.
Boat rentals right onsite, concessions, even a small beach area! We will 100% be back. No cell service whatsoever with Verizon.
Perfect location for alpine start at trails along GTTSR and at Logan Pass. Exactly 30 mins from Logan Pass without traffic. We stayed in site A14, which has a decent amount of privacy thanks to plenty of foliage (it's not one of the open sites) and sits on a'corner' with a trail running directly to the river. Fresh water right across the road and a bathroom and trash cans within a 2-minute walk. This loop is closest to the campground entrance, just a couple minutes from both the St Mary park entrance and Sun Road. It's also the furthest from the showers (loop C) and no generators are allowed, but that's what makes it the most peaceful loop here. Certainly not a secluded campground, but fantastic for the location and convenience.
This small campground packs a tremendous punch! RVs (if I had to guess, accommodates 8-12 total), rustic cabins, two yurts, and pondside tent sites - there are no defined tent sites; anywhere along the pond perimeter is fair game.
We stayed just one night in one of the yurts ($35 summer 2021), which is equipped with two cots and a battery-operated lantern. After checking in with the camp hosts (who are lovely!), we got a key to the showers, bathrooms, and laundry room. The hosts keep these areas immaculate, cleaning often. There's also very limited wifi on the porch just outside the bathrooms/showers.
The campground has a great vibe and everyone is very friendly. Between the pond and Swan Lake just across the street, it is buggy, but you cannot beat the location!
The general store is still closed due to flooding last summer, but new construction is well underway.
We're frequent campers, and this is one of our favorite spots in AZ!
The tent-only campground is small, but the sites are large and have multiple great clearings for tents. Lots of shade and easy paths for walking around the grounds, plus there's potable water at several sites. Central bathrooms with running water are kept very clean, plus there's trash service and a (very friendly) camp host if you need anything.
Directly across a small road from Big Lake and the boat ramp. There are several places to go right down to the shore, and it's only a 5-6 minute walk along the road to the general store and boat rental area, where there's also a fish cleaning station. Brookchar is just down the road from the giant Rainbow Lake, so you'll hear some RVs and ATVs on the road, but very minimal.
We camped in site 12, which in our opinion is the best! Closest to the lake with water views, plus parking right outside your site for 2 vehicles (other sites, you park in a main lot). Bring your fishing gear and kayak/SUP (can also rent very reasonably)!
Over Memorial Day weekend, we saw highs close to 80 and lows in the high 30s/low 40s. Only sprinkled once!
It's also just an hour from Pinetop-Lakeside, so it's easy to make grocery stops or even grab a coffee (try Pinetop Coffee House + Roasters right on the highway!) on your way in/out.