Outside the Park camping options

[llholmes1948]

Toddnick has just posted his study of the frontcountry park campsites which have been getting a lot of use this year and filling up more often than last summer:

http://glacierparkchat.com/phpBB3/viewt ... f=8&t=4102

Which causes me to wonder, if the Park frontcountry campsites are full, what are the best options for camping outside the park at West Glacier, East Glacier and in the St. Mary/Babb area, especially for tent camping?

Thanks,
Lyman

[Montana09]

I would not worry about full campgrounds(except for Sprague) from this point on in Glacier. If you get to any campground before noon in mid August and September, you should be fine. The place completely clears out after Labor Day, and has a big dip before the holiday weekend too.

[llholmes1948]

I would not worry about full campgrounds(except for Sprague) from this point on in Glacier. If you get to any campground before noon in mid August and September, you should be fine. The place completely clears out after Labor Day, and has a big dip before the holiday weekend too.

Thanks for that information. However I think it might be helpful to assemble a list of campgrounds near the Park for future reference in case someone found the park campgrounds to be full or if they decided not to camp in the park.

Lyman

[Kathy]

Well..let's see----both West Glacier and St. Mary have the KOA's...Johnson's in St. Mary has a campground....

[Jen]

I know we are talking about outside the park however I just want to mention an option within the park that gets little attention. Anyone looking to get away from the hustle and bustle should consider the Cut Bank campground. Only 15 miles south of St. Mary and a beautiful area. There is no water available but the Cut Bank Creek runs adjacent so a filter would be a good option. Rv's are not recommended but when we were out there the road was in very good shape.

[paul]

I think there is treated water at the campground. I remember using the pump there a few years back.

[llholmes1948]

Well..let's see----both West Glacier and St. Mary have the KOA's...Johnson's in St. Mary has a campground....

Kathy,

I had forgotten about Johnsons and thanks for mentioning that. Is the KOA and Johnsons about it for the Babb-St. Mary area or are there other places?

Anything available around Kiowa? And what about East Glacier?

I also don't know how many campgrounds are close to the park in the National Forest that you can drive to. I know there is one at Summit and perhaps there are others close to U.S. 2.

I think it would be good to make a list of these campgrounds and perhaps people can post of review of them. When I get through paying college tuition, I may never see the inside of a hotel again so I am starting to get personally interested in this.

Lyman

[Ear Mountain]

I think there is treated water at the campground. I remember using the pump there a few years back.

A few years ago yes. But there is no treated water available there any more. You must bring your own or as Jen suggests pump from the creek.

[Chewy]

When I was driving by Duck lake the other day I noticed a few campgrounds. I don't know anything about them but they might fill somebodies needs.

I don't really like busy campgrounds so I usually either camp on a friends' property or on tribal land.

[slowhiker]

I have noticed some activity around Chewing Blackbones this summer.

[Montana09]

Well..let's see----both West Glacier and St. Mary have the KOA's...Johnson's in St. Mary has a campground....

I also don't know how many campgrounds are close to the park in the National Forest that you can drive to. I know there is one at Summit and perhaps there are others close to U.S. 2.

Summit is a good one. You can see it here:

Summit Campground

I've often used it as a place to camp if I am running late into the night and I want to get a good jump on sites at Two Medicine the next morning.

[llholmes1948]

Summit is a good one. You can see it here:

Summit Campground

I've often used it as a place to camp if I am running late into the night and I want to get a good jump on sites at Two Medicine the next morning.

Thanks for posting that link. The Summit campground is quite small with only 17 sites. Do you ever have trouble finding a spot there? I would think that with so few sites it could easily fill up but maybe it doesn't.

Lyman

[daveparker]

Summit is a nice little campground that rarely fills up, I don't know in the last 12 years I have ever seen it full, it is a bit noisier at times because of its close proximity to the hwy, but it is comfortable....I would not hesitate to camp there again...

Being honest with you, I don't know that many people even realize it is a campground due to the memorial and big parking are out front.......most I have seen, stop to look at the memorial and then take off for other areas...

Dave

[July Guy]

I have noticed some activity around Chewing Blackbones this summer.

Would love to hear more, this campground always interests us. We checked it out 3 years ago, but did not stay. Seems there is new funding/support for this campground?

I regret we did not stop this year. slowhiker will have to camp there and give us a report?

BTW Lyman, this is a good thread IMO. There are countless places to camp that are right near the Park.

[daveparker]

I happen to be one of those people, if I can find somewhere close outside the parks, that is where I am going, no questions asked, I have taken 50 trips to Yellowstone in the last ten years, and only camped in the park twice, and I can't remember how many trips to Glacier and until a two weeks ago, Sunday never camped inside Glacier..I always camp outside, but close by to the parks..

Dave