HELENA – For many people Memorial Day weekend—come rain or shine—marks their “kick-off” for a fun-filled summer of camping, backpacking, and other outdoor activities. The good news is that some places across the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest are already open for the summer season!
Not all campgrounds are accessible yet due to lingering snow and spring break-up conditions on roadways (e.g., snow drifts are blocking some roads), but we still anticipate that some of the campgrounds that aren’t already open will be open in time for Memorial Day weekend.
Below is a list of the campgrounds that are currently open:
|
Open Campgrounds |
Status |
|
Belt Creek White Sulphur Springs Ranger District Neihart: 406-236-5511; White Sulphur Springs: 406-547-3361 |
|
|
Aspen |
Open; Water available |
|
Jumping Creek |
Open; Water available |
|
Logging Creek |
Open; No water |
|
Many Pines |
Open; No water |
|
Helena Ranger District: 406-449-5201 |
|
|
Coulter |
Open; Water available |
|
Moose Creek |
Open; No water |
|
Park Lake |
Open; Water available |
|
Vigilante |
Open; Water available |
|
Judith Musselshell Ranger District Harlowton: 406-632-4391; Stanford: 406-566-2292 |
|
|
Dry Wolf |
Open; Water available |
|
Grasshopper |
Open; No Water |
|
Hay Canyon |
Open; No water |
|
Judith Station |
Open; Water available |
|
Moose Creek |
Open; Water available |
|
Richardson |
Open; No water |
|
Spring Creek |
Open; Water available |
|
Thain Creek |
Open; Water available |
|
Lincoln Ranger District: 406-362-7000 |
|
|
Aspen Grove Campground & Day Use |
Open; Water Available |
|
Copper Creek |
Open; Water available |
|
Indian Meadows Trailhead |
Open |
|
Pine Grove |
Open |
|
Rocky Mountain Ranger District Augusta: 406-562-3247; Choteau: 406-466-5341 |
|
|
Cave Mountain |
Open |
|
Double Falls |
Open |
|
Elko |
Open |
|
Home Gulch |
Open |
|
Van Deriet Pilot’s |
Open |
|
Townsend Ranger District: 406-266-3425 |
|
|
Gipsy Day Use |
Open, but site is wet |
The remaining campgrounds list below are closed for a variety of reasons, most of it is due to continued snow/weather conditions.
NOTE: This list will likely change before Memorial Day weekend, so BE SURE to check our website and Facebook pages.
The list is below:
|
Closed Campgrounds |
Status |
|
Belt Creek White Sulphur Springs Ranger District Neihart: 406-236-5511; White Sulphur Springs: 406-547-3361 |
|
|
Kings Hill |
Closed due to hazard trees |
|
Helena Ranger District: 406-449-5201 |
|
|
Cromwell Dixon |
Closed until mid-June for site cleanup of hazard tree removal |
|
Kading |
Closed due to flooding (May be open by weekend) |
|
Judith Musselshell Ranger District Harlowton: 406-632-4391; Stanford: 406-566-2292 |
|
|
Crystal Lake |
Closed due to hazard trees |
|
Lincoln Ranger District: 406-362-7000 |
|
|
Moose Creek |
Closed due to flooding |
|
Rocky Mountain Ranger District Augusta: 406-562-3247; Choteau: 406-466-5341 |
|
|
Benchmark |
Closed (May be open by weekend) |
|
Mill Falls |
Closed due to snow |
|
Mortimer |
Closed (May be open by weekend) |
|
South Fork |
Closed (May be open by weekend) |
|
Summit |
Closed due to snow |
|
West Fork |
Closed due to snow |
|
Wood Lake |
Closed (May be open by weekend) |
|
Townsend Ranger District: 406-266-3425 |
|
|
Deep Creek Picnic Area |
Closed due to flooding (May be open by weekend) |
|
Gipsy Campground |
Closed due to snowpack roads (May be open by weekend) |
|
Skidway Campground |
Closed due to hazard trees |
Since Montana spring weather can change rapidly, it’s always a good idea to call your local Forest Service office before heading out to the forest. Weather and road conditions may, at times, limit accessibility to some recreational and/or dispersed sites across the Forest; and some may be temporarily closed due to conditions, so it’s good to know before you go!
Other recreation tips and reminders to know before you go are:
- Pack it in, Pack it out! Help keep the Forest a clean and fun place for everyone to enjoy by packing out your garbage!
- Be Bear Aware! We share our national forest with a variety of wildlife and sometimes they get curious about certain food-related smells they smell! Most of the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest is covered by some type of a “Food Storage Order” and follow those rules for those areas!
- You’re welcome to stay…for 16 days, at a time! To help ensure everyone can experience a special spot, please follow the “stay limitations” on the forest. Visitors can stay in one location for up to 16 consecutive days, at which point they need to find a new place at least five miles away. Visitors should not return to their original spot within a 30-day time frame, to allow other forest users an opportunity to enjoy the location too.
- You are here. We don’t have those types of maps out on the forest, so be sure to pick-up a map from one of our offices or select-businesses (in/around Helena) before you head to the forest!
- Safety, first! We want you to enjoy your trip into the forest, and one of the best ways to do that is to be prepared! Be sure to tell someone where you plan to go, and when you plan to return! Take extra food, water, and gear!
These are changing quite quickly, so be sure to check out our Facebook page for the real-time status updates for our recreation site.
