The 5 Best Places to Camp in Montana This Summer

Written by Cindy Rasmussen
Updated: June 30, 2023
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If you are coming to enjoy the beautiful Big Sky scenery in Montana there are a variety of campgrounds to provide you with a home base while you explore. From Glacier National Park to the Hot Springs in Bozeman there some truly unique experiences. Here are the five best places to camp in Montana this summer.

Infographic of 5 Best Places to Camp in Montana This Summer
Glacier National Park and Bozeman Hot Springs are two top camping spots in Montana.

1. Glacier National Park, Apgar Campground

Best National parks to Visit in July - Glacier National Park

One of the best places to camp in Montana this summer is Glacier National Park.

©TheBigMK/Shutterstock.com

You may have seen photos of Glacier National Park, but until you see the crystal blue waters in person you won’t get the whole picture. Glacier National Park is in the far northwest corner of Montana, bordering Canada. There are multiple campgrounds in the area but the largest is Apgar Campground that has 200 campsites and a shuttle to the famous “Going-to-the-Sun-Road.”  Keep your eyes open on this beautiful hiking trail for elk, bighorn sheep and mountain goats. Although you probably won’t see one, Glacier National Park has one of the largest grizzly bear populations left in the lower 48!

One nice feature is that the campsites are spread out so you have plenty of room to enjoy a private retreat. The Apgar village has all the necessities including a camp store, restrooms and hot showers on site.

Apgar Campground
LocationGlacier National Park on the south shore of Lake McDonald
Nearest cityWest Glacier, MT
RV/tent sites200 sites, some with electric and water
Picnic tables at each siteYes
Fire pit at each siteYes
AmenitiesRestrooms, showers, camp store, shuttle to trail, boat rental
Pet friendlyYes
ReservationsYes
What makes it one of the bestStaying right in Glacier National Park!

2. Yellowstone Park West Gate KOA Holiday

Yellowstone National Park

Camp just outside the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park and visit Old Faithful and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

©Susanne Pommer/Shutterstock.com

Although Yellowstone Park is mostly in Wyoming, just over the border in Montana is the Yellowstone Park West Gate KOA holiday campground. It is only six miles from the west entrance to the park and only 30 miles from Old Faithful. Visit the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and hike along the trails to view the lower falls. Black bears are common in Yellowstone so be sure to keep your distance and keep your food secure at your campsite. You may also see elk, river otters or a gray wolf. Back at the campground you will have all the amenities of a resort with an indoor pool, horseback riding, outdoor movie screen and nightly rodeo’s. There is a variety of camping options from RV sites with full hookup, cabins with private baths and kitchens and tent sites. Definitely one of the best places to camp in Montana this summer.

Yellowstone Park West Gate KOA Holiday
Location6 miles west of the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park
Nearest cityWest Yellowstone, MT
RV sitesYes, some water/electric, some full hookup
Tent sitesYes
Deluxe cabins (with bathroom and kitchen)Yes
Picnic tables at each siteYes
Fire pit at each siteYes
AmenitiesRestrooms, hot showers, laundry, playground, indoor pool, outdoor movie screen, mini-golf, rodeo
Pet friendlyYes
ReservationsYes
What makes it one of the bestStay right next to Yellowstone Park with a heated indoor pool!

3. Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park

Take a guided tour inside the caverns at Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park.

©Dave Bunnell / CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons – License

If you have spelunking on your bucket list then camping at the Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park will give you the opportunity to explore some of the most amazing caves. Take a guided tour of the caves in the summer where you will see the beautiful limestone cave formations, stalactites and stalagmites, as well as a colony of bats or more! The campground offers RV sites, tent sites and three cabins. There are a total of 46 sites altogether in the campground, which also has a visitor center, amphitheater and lots of hiking trails.

Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park
LocationJust south of Helena
Nearest cityHelena, MT
RV/tent sites46 sites, 18 with electric hookup
Picnic tables at each siteYes
Fire pit at each siteYes
AmenitiesRestrooms, showers, visitor center, amphitheater
Pet friendlyYes
ReservationsYes
What makes it one of the bestCamp next to some of the best caves in Montana!

4. Big Arm State Park

Flathead Lake

Visitors can camp right next to Flathead Lake, one of the largest freshwater lakes.

©iStock.com/11jasons

Do you want to camp right next to one of the most beautiful lakes in the Montana? Then camping at Big Arm State Park is the place. Located on the west shore of the large Flathead Lake, the largest freshwater lake in the western U.S. It is a known hot spot for lake trout fishing and other fish. Visitors enjoy swimming, boating, scuba diving as well as hiking and biking along the many trails. You can also boat out to Wild Horse Island where, yes, they have actual wild horses! Have you ever stayed in a yurt? The campground has three yurts available for reservations and can provide a unique camping experience. There are 41 campsites and three yurts so make your reservations early as sites fill fast, especially during the summer. This is definitely one of the best places to camp in Montana this summer!

Big Arm State Park
LocationNorthwestern Montana
Nearest cityPolson, MT
RV/tent sites41 sites
Yurts3 sites
Picnic tables at each siteYes
Fire pit at each siteYes
AmenitiesRestrooms, showers, water, bear lockers, boat launch
Pet friendlyYes
ReservationsYes, make them early
What makes it one of the bestCamping right on one of the largest recreational lakes in western U.S.

5. Bozeman Hot Springs Campground

Bonfire

Head to the hot springs at the Bozeman Hot Springs Pool, then head back to your campsite for a cozy campfire.

©iStock.com/Dmytro Aslanian

One of the best places to camp in Montana this summer is right next to the Bozeman Hot Springs. Enjoy the day hiking, biking and fly-fishing then head to the hot spring pools next door to unwind. There are four outdoor pools and eight indoor pools that range from 90-103 degrees Fahrenheit … nice! Bozeman also has the Museum of the Rockies and a variety of shops and restaurants. The campground has basic tent campsites, deluxe campsites (on the creek with electric and water), cabins (one or two rooms) and nice concrete pad RV sites, some with full hookups. There is a clubhouse with games for the kids and a giant outdoor chess set!

Bozeman Hot Springs Campground
LocationJust west of Bozeman
Nearest cityBozeman, MT
RV sitesYes, variety of full hookup, water/electric, can
accommodate 90’ max, nice concrete sites with picnic
tables and fire pit
Cabins1 room or 2 room basic cabins, no restrooms in the cabin,
outdoor picnic table
Deluxe tent sitesYes, electric and water, on the creek
Tent sitesYes, picnic table and fire pit
Picnic tables at each siteYes
Fire pit at each siteYes
AmenitiesRestrooms, showers, laundry, game room, gift shop,
club house, Bozeman Hot Springs and Pool is right next door
Pet friendlyYes
ReservationsYes
What makes it one of the bestTwo words: Hot Springs!

Summary of 5 Best Places to Camp in Montana this Summer

Here’s a recap of Montana’s top five summer camping spots that we took a look at.

NumberCamping SiteLocationNearest City
1Glacier National Park: Apgar CampgroundGlacier National Park on the south shore of Lake McDonaldWest Glacier, MT
2Yellowstone Park West Gate KOA Holiday6 miles west of the west entrance to Yellowstone National ParkYellowstone, MT
3Lewis and Clark Caverns State ParkJust south of HelenaHelena, MT
4Big Arm State ParkNorthwestern MontanaPolson, MT
5Bozeman Hot Springs CampgroundJust west of BozemanBozeman, MT

The photo featured at the top of this post is © VIKVAD/Shutterstock.com


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About the Author

I'm a Wildlife Conservation Author and Journalist, raising awareness about conservation by teaching others about the amazing animals we share the planet with. I graduated from the University of Minnesota-Morris with a degree in Elementary Education and I am a former teacher. When I am not writing I love going to my kids' soccer games, watching movies, taking on DIY projects and running with our giant Labradoodle "Tango".

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