Dispersed Camping in Montana

Dispersed Camping in Montana

Montana has free dispersed camping on national forest and BLM land across the Rockies and the high plains, with a 16-day BLM stay limit rather than the usual 14. This guide groups the 46 Montana dispersed spots listed on Camping In The USA by who manages the land, and sums up the official rules. Always check the managing office for current road, fire and closure orders before you go.

The rules in one minute

• BLM land: Dispersed camping is allowed on BLM land that isn't a developed site, with a 16-day maximum in one spot. After 16 days you can't return to that location for 30 days, and any new camp in that window must be more than half a mile away. There are no long-term camping areas in Montana. Some corridors, like the Blackfoot River, allow camping only in campgrounds. (BLM Montana camping, BLM Montana-Dakotas recreation)
• Legal access: You must reach BLM land by a legal route and stay on existing roads and trails. Much public land in Montana is surrounded by private land.
• National forests: Each forest sets its own stay limits. Many Montana forests have food-storage orders for grizzly country, so check the forest's rules and carry bear-resistant storage where required.
• Fire and fireworks: Exploding targets, fireworks and tracer ammunition are banned year-round on BLM land in Montana. Check fire restrictions before you go.
• Bring water. Most of these spots have no potable water.

BLM land

• Big Hole Valley BLM Pullouts.
• Camp Creek: about 42 miles from Malta, about 3,500 ft.
• Carbella: about 16 miles from Gardiner, about 4,990 ft.
• Clark Canyon Reservoir: about 19 miles from Dillon, about 5,640 ft.
• Coal Banks Landing: about 2,560 ft.
• Departure Point: about 1 miles from Holter Lake, about 3,650 ft.
• Dickie Bridge: about 17 miles from Divide, about 5,700 ft.
• Garnet Ghost Town Dispersed: about 32 miles from Missoula, about 5,980 ft.

Kootenai National Forest

• Camp 32: about 7 miles from Eureka.
• Caribou Campground: about 21 miles from Eureka.
• Lake Creek Campground: about 24 miles from Libby.
• Loon Lake Campground: about 15 miles from Libby.
• Oscar Miller Camping Area: about 24 miles from Libby.
• Triangle Pond: about 29 miles from Libby.

Lolo National Forest

• Deer Creek Campground: about 17 miles from Thompson Falls.
• Gold Rush Campground: about 5 miles from Thompson Falls.

Flathead National Forest

• Flathead NF – Hungry Horse Reservoir backroads: about 3,600 ft.
• Whitefish Range – Red Meadow: about 5,500 ft.

Custer Gallatin National Forest

• Gallatin – Storm Castle Road.
• Initial Creek Campground: about 26 miles from Absarokee.

Other national forest spots

• Clover Meadows Dispersed Camping and Picnic Area: about 18 miles from Virginia City.
• Lewis & Clark NF – Little Belt Mountains: about 5,800 ft.

More spots

• Absaroka – Mill Creek Corridor.
• Ashland District Range Roads.
• Beartooth Front Dispersed Camping.
• Beartooth Highway – FR 101 vicinity: about 9,500 ft.
• Beartooth – West Fork Rock Creek.
• Bitterroot – Skalkaho High Pullouts.
• Cabinet Mountains Foothills.
• Crazy Mountains – Cottonwood Road.
• Custer Gallatin – Absaroka-Beartooth backroads: about 7,200 ft.
• Flathead – Hungry Horse Area.
• Flathead – Spotted Bear Road Corridors.
• Hyalite Canyon Spur Sites.
• Kootenai – Yaak River Backroads.
• Lake Koocanusa Corridor.
• Lee Metcalf – Taylor Fork.
• Little Belt Mountains Roads.
• Madison River – Bear Trap Backroads.
• Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway.
• Pioneers – Grasshopper Creek.
• Shields River Backroads.
• Skalkaho Pass Road Spurs.
• Stillwater State Forest Roads.
• Tobacco Root – South Boulder Roads.
• Upper Clark Fork – Rock Creek Road.

Before you go

Get the Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) for any national forest you visit, since it shows which roads are open and where roadside camping is allowed. Check fire restrictions, which change often in summer.

See all Montana campsites.