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Camping in Montana: campsites, permits and passes

Camping in Montana starts in one of a few places: Montana State Parks for state park campsites, Recreation.gov for federal campgrounds, or free dispersed camping on National Forest and BLM land. Here's where to book each, plus permits, passes and licences.

Most people go to:

State park campsites

Montana state park campgrounds are booked through Montana State Parks ↗. Book as early as you can for summer and holiday weekends, and check each park's page for cabins, yurts, group sites and pet rules.

National parks in Montana

• Glacier National Park
• Yellowstone (part) National Park

Campgrounds in national parks are booked on Recreation.gov. See every park, monument and historic site in Montana on the National Park Service Montana page ↗.

National forests and free camping

Montana's national forests include Flathead, Custer Gallatin, Lolo, Beaverhead-Deerlodge. Developed campgrounds are booked on Recreation.gov (some are first-come, first-served), and most national forest land allows free dispersed camping away from developed sites, usually for up to 14 days. Check the forest's rules and any fire restrictions first.

Montana also has large areas of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, where dispersed camping is generally free and allowed for up to 14 days in one spot unless posted otherwise. See BLM recreation ↗.

Permits and lotteries

• Glacier National Park has used vehicle reservations for Going-to-the-Sun Road in summer; check the park's current rules.

Fishing and hunting licences

Licences for Montana are sold by the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks ↗, online or at local retailers. Rules and seasons differ by species and water, so check before you go.

Passes

The America the Beautiful pass covers entrance fees at national parks and many federal lands in Montana. State parks usually sell their own day or annual passes; see Montana State Parks.

Best time to camp in Montana

Summer and early fall for high country; many mountain campgrounds and roads open late May or June and close with the first snows.

Questions

Packing checklists

Nearby states (Mountain West)