Montana

[hughharden]

Heading to Montana last week of August/ first week in September. Any suggestions for good unserviced campsites?

[skogan]

What area are you heading to? We have found some great US Forest Service campgrounds in all through Montana.

[rfs]

By unserviced do you mean lacking hookups or free? We stayed I some nice Montana sites over the years. It's a big state where are you headed?
Dave

[hughharden]

Just mean unserviced no hookups but don't need to be free. Would like to stick to the northern half of the state unless something really special in the south.

[dbailey]

Can't help with the northern half, but we did find both Lewis and Clark Cavern SP and Bannock SP quite special.

The Lewis and Clark Caverns campsite itself was nothing special, but the setting was excellent and the caves themselves were fantastic.

The campsite at Bannock was quite nice (private sites, a stream right along the edge) and wandering in to a ghost town in the middle of the night was quite an experience.

[skogan]

I second Bannock. That whole area is great, Dillon is a cute town with a great Patagonia outlet. If you are there on Labor Day long weekend they have half off lowest marked price. The Pioneer mountains have some great US Forest service campsites and the ghost town of Coolidge is worth exploring.

Other areas we have enjoyed are Eathquake Lake near West Yellowstone and Jumping Creek in the Big Belt mountains south of Great Falls. The state is full of Forest Service campsites and they all have been great.

[hughharden]

Thanks for all the great suggestions that gives me some good material to start planning the trip.

[rfs]

We camped at Court Sherrif Campground on the Canyon Ferry Lake Reservoir near Helena in May on our way to Osoyoos. It is a Bureau of Land Recalamation facility and we used our senior pass so it was only $7.50 per night. I would suggest entering from Helena as the route to the south was under construction and very rough! Pit toilets and central water but it's a beautiful peaceful campground.

[rfs]

Here's our campsite by the lake.
Rita

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by rfs

Here's our campsite by the lake.
Rita

Hi: rfs... At least Jehad Jake looks to be having fun!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[rfs]

Alf. I watched three deer across a little bay for a couple of hours. About dark they disappeared behind some willows. After dark I was relaxing in my chair with Jake at my feet. There was the click of deer hooves on the camping pad next to us. Jake, ever vigilant, decided he needed a better vantage point and instantly jumped from the ground and landed on my head. First time I ever wore a 35 pound Brittany for a hat. From that campground we made the drive over to Sandpoint, Idaho and stayed on Lake Pend Orielle at a Corps site for 12 dollars a night. It was in Old growth forest,and reminded us of our summers on the Nez Perce in Idaho when we were first married.
Dave