The best campsites near Bozeman offer a range of experiences

13.07.2024 - 14:32 / lonelyplanet.com

Jul 13, 2024 • 5 min read

There's perhaps no better way to experience the stunning mountain scenery around Bozeman than to pack a sleeping bag and camp beneath a ceiling of Montana stars. The fresh scent of pine needles, the warmth of a crackling campfire and the taste of outdoor cooking are an unmissable part of the Montana summer experience.

An excellent range of campsites awaits you within an hour's drive of Bozeman, and all offer their own draws. Spend your day hiking, biking or fly fishing before heading back to a campchair and s'mores next to a roaring fire. It's the best seat in the house. Here are some tips to make the most of your adventures.

It's easy to forget important things when heading out on the season's first camping trip. Create a checklist beforehand and always remember matches, charging cables, flashlights, spare batteries and bug spray. If you are headed to a Forest Service campground without reservations, bring a range of bills because you often need to pay cash in exact change.

Campgrounds around Bozeman are popular in summer, especially on weekends, and they become busier the closer you get to Yellowstone National Park. Most accept reservations through Recreation.gov, so book a site in advance, preferably a few weeks.

Most campgrounds around Bozeman are in grizzly country, so follow essential precautions – keep your food and toiletries out of your tent, preferably in your car, and don't leave any food out overnight. When backpacking, hang a food bag from a tree. Bear spray is recommended, especially in the backcountry.

All the Forest Service campsites listed here include a fire ring and picnic table, but only vault (not flush) toilets and no RV hookups. Most are open from mid-May to mid-September and cost $34 per site. Outside formal campgrounds, dispersed camping is allowed only at numbered sites or half a mile from a road. 

Hikers love Spire Rock Campground for its trail access to two classic lung-busting hikes: to 7170ft Storm Castle Peak (almost 2000ft gain in two miles) and longer Garnet Mountain (2800ft elevation gain, 8 miles return), both of which offer superlative views. Rock climbers come here for access to local granite, while families flock to rafting and zip lining at nearby Montana Whitewater. The popular Lava Lake day hike is also nearby.

The secluded campground is 3 miles off Hwy 191, down Squaw Creek Rd, with one-third of the 19 sites backing onto Storm Castle Creek for tent-side fishing access. It's 27 miles from Bozeman.

Perched on the side of the beautiful Paradise Valley, Pine Creek Campground is halfway between Bozeman and the northern entrance of Yellowstone National Park.

There are plenty of things to do here, both natural and man-made. A popular hiking trail