Roaming.Camp
Camping in Montana

Montana

Big Sky Country

Montana is the fourth-largest state in the country and contains some of the most consequential wilderness on the continent. Glacier National Park anchors the northwest, where the Going-to-the-Sun Road crests Logan Pass between glacier-carved cirques the size of small towns. The Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex south of Glacier is the largest roadless area in the Lower 48 outside Alaska — over 1.5 million acres of grizzly habitat and snowmelt rivers without a single developed campground in its interior. Yellowstone's north and west entrances both sit in Montana, and the Beartooth Highway out of Red Lodge climbs to 10,947 feet on its way to Cooke City. Add the Flathead Lake basin, the Absaroka peaks above Paradise Valley, and a state park system that runs from prairie badlands to alpine reservoirs, and Montana delivers a camping landscape that rewards ambitious itineraries and tolerates none of the shortcuts.

Top 10 sites

The places we'd send you first.

No. 1

Apgar Campground

Recreation.gov · MT

Glacier's largest campground sits at the foot of Lake McDonald with 194 sites spread across loops in a cedar-hemlock forest. Apgar is the west-side basecamp for Going-to-the-Sun Road, the Lake McDonald boat shuttle, and the Apgar Village amenities (general store, restaurant, ranger station). Most loops accept reservations through Recreation.gov six months out and book solid for July and August within minutes; a small first-come block fills by mid-morning in summer. Lake McDonald's polychromatic pebbles at the campground beach are one of the most photographed shorelines in the park.

When to go

Montana's weather is dominated by the Continental Divide, which splits the state into a Pacific-influenced western half and a continental eastern half. Glacier and the Flathead Basin see more rain and milder temperatures; the eastern plains swing from 100°F summer afternoons to -30°F winter cold snaps. Afternoon thunderstorms build over the mountains from mid-June through August and can produce lightning, hail, and brief but intense downpours. Pack layers regardless of season — a 75°F valley afternoon can become a 35°F evening at a mountain campground. Wildfire smoke is increasingly a factor from late July through early September; check airnow.gov before backcountry trips.

Spring

Apr–May

Shoulder season with limited high-country access. Going-to-the-Sun Road typically opens between mid-June and the first week of July depending on snowpack — Glacier's interior is largely closed in April and May. Lower-elevation campgrounds at St. Mary, Apgar, and around Flathead Lake open through May. Wildlife is highly active — bears emerging from dens, calving elk in late May, migrating sandhill cranes in eastern Montana. Expect mud, snow squalls, and rivers running high with snowmelt.

Summer

Peak season

Jun–Aug

Peak season. All campgrounds open by late June; Going-to-the-Sun Road typically fully opens in early July. Reserve Glacier sites six months out — Many Glacier, St. Mary, and Two Medicine all book within hours of release. Daytime highs reach 75–85°F in the valleys but drop to 50s on the Continental Divide. Afternoon thunderstorms are common. Wildfire smoke from regional fires can degrade air quality from late July through August. Glacier requires vehicle reservations on Going-to-the-Sun Road in summer.

Fall

Sep–Oct

The most underrated camping season in Montana. September brings the larch turn — western larches in the Bob Marshall, Mission Range, and Glacier's west side glow gold the last two weeks of the month. The elk rut peaks in Yellowstone, crowds drop sharply after Labor Day, and the smoke season usually ends with the first big September rain. Most Glacier campgrounds close mid-September through early October as snow returns to the high country. Nights drop into the 20s. The first significant snow on Logan Pass typically arrives by October 15.

Winter

Nov–Mar

Most developed campgrounds are closed. Mammoth Campground in Yellowstone is the state's only year-round NPS campground. A few private RV parks around Bozeman, Missoula, Kalispell, and West Yellowstone stay open with electric hookups for snowbird and ski-town travelers. Going-to-the-Sun Road closes by mid-October and reopens in pieces through June. Backcountry winter camping is for the well-prepared only — temperatures regularly drop below zero in the valleys and well below in the mountains.

Know before you go

Best time

Window
Jun–Aug
Peak — Summer
Jun–Aug
Spring
Apr–May
Summer
Jun–Aug
Fall
Sep–Oct
Winter
Nov–Mar

Peak season. All campgrounds open by late June; Going-to-the-Sun Road typically fully opens in early July. Reserve Glacier sites six months out — Many Glacier, St. Mary, and Two Medicine all book within hours of release. Daytime highs reach 75–85°F in the valleys but drop to 50s on the Continental Divide. Afternoon thunderstorms are common. Wildfire smoke from regional fires can degrade air quality from late July through August. Glacier requires vehicle reservations on Going-to-the-Sun Road in summer.

Reservations

Booking
Recreation.gov
Window opens
6 months out
First-come sites
Mixed · arrive early
Cancellation
48 hr · per facility
Peak weekends
Book on release

Yes, in summer. Glacier National Park requires a vehicle reservation for daytime entry to the Going-to-the-Sun Road corridor from late May through mid-September. Reservations release on Recreation.gov in two waves — most are bookable 120 days…

Permits & signal

Backcountry
Permit required
Dispersed
USFS · BLM · 14 days
Fire restrictions
Seasonal · check ranger
Signal · Verizon
Fair
Signal · AT&T
Poor
Signal · T-Mobile
Poor

Yes. Dispersed camping on USFS and BLM land is free across Montana, and the state has more public-land acreage than almost any state in the country. Popular free areas include the Beartooth Plateau, the Bitterroot National…

Camping etiquette

Quiet hours
10 PM – 6 AM
Pets
Leashed · 6 ft
Pack-out
All waste
Food storage
Bear box / hang
Stay limit
14 days · 30 day window

Most are, but with significant restrictions in national parks. Glacier and Yellowstone both restrict pets to campgrounds, paved roads, and parking lots — pets are not allowed on any trails or in the backcountry. State parks…

Best for Hiking & Backpacking

Montana's hiking is defined by Glacier National Park's east-side trails and the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex south of it — over 1.5 million acres of contiguous wilderness without a road. These campgrounds put you at trailheads for the state's most consequential routes.

Best for RV Camping

Montana's distances are long and the gas stations are sparse — RV travelers value campgrounds that combine highway access with room for a real rig. Glacier's east-side and Yellowstone's north entrance host the most RV-capable federal sites; private parks fill the gaps along I-90 and US-93.

Best for Fishing

Montana is the fly-fishing capital of the West. The Madison, Yellowstone, Big Hole, Bitterroot, and Blackfoot rivers all run through some of the country's most storied trout water, and the state's stocked alpine lakes deliver consistent action through summer. These campgrounds put you on the water.

Best for Wildlife Viewing

Montana hosts the largest grizzly bear population in the Lower 48, alongside wolves, moose, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, and the Yellowstone bison herd. The Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (Glacier + Bob Marshall) and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem are two of the three intact grizzly populations in the country. Carry bear spray.

Frequently asked

Peak camping runs late June through August when Going-to-the-Sun Road is open and all Glacier and Yellowstone campgrounds are accessible. September is the connoisseur's pick — the western larches turn gold, elk are rutting in Yellowstone, summer crowds dissipate, and the wildfire smoke usually clears with the first autumn storm. Most Glacier campgrounds close by mid-September; Mammoth at Yellowstone is the only year-round option in the state.

Nearby states