The Palisades Campground is located 1.5 miles from the West Fork Road (West Fork Rock Creek) and just 3.5 miles from Red Lodge, MT. It’s a rather primitive campground with few amenities but there is no camping fee.
Tag: Camping
Sheridan Campground is on the east side of Rock Creek along US 212 (the Beartooth Highway) about 8 miles from Red Lodge, MT. The 9 campsites sit at 6,300 ft elevation and provide convenient camping for hikers, anglers, and those driving the scenic highway.
Rattin Campground is on Rock Creek just off US 212, the Beartooth Highway, 8 miles from downtown Red Lodge, MT. Rattin Campground is one of two campgrounds on the east side of Rock Creek. It’s small and generally quiet even though it’s close to the highway.
M-K Campground is located alongside Rock Creek about 15 miles from Red Lodge, MT. It’s on the Rock Creek Road about 3 miles from the Beartooth Highway. Sitting at an elevation of 7,500 ft, M-K is remote, quiet, and scenic making it a place to vacation or spend the night.
Limber Pine campground sits beside Rock Creek less than a mile from the Beartooth Scenic Highway. It’s right next to the Greenough Lake Campground and the two share a camp host. Limber Pine is a destination in itself but it’s also a great place to spend a night when traveling the Beartooth Scenic Byway.
The Greenough Lake Campground sits in the trees alongside Rock Creek 12 miles SW of Red Lodge, MT. It’s less than a mile from the famous Beartooth Highway and is great as a destination or for highway travelers.
The Lily Lake camping area is a partially developed campground at 7,670 ft on the shore of Lily Lake. Although it is officially classified as dispersed camping, Lily Lake has 5 sites with picnic tables, three shared steel bear-proof food boxes, and a vault toilet. There is no water and no steel fire rings.
The 33 unit Fox Creek Campground is located along the Wyoming stretch of the Beartooth Highway. It’s in the Clark’s Fork Ranger District of the Shoshone National Forest. The campground is 11 miles from the NE entrance to Yellowstone Park and the closest community is Cooke City which is 7 miles away.
Named for the famous mountain man John Colter, this campground is right on the Beartooth Scenic Byway and is just a few miles from Cooke City, MT and Yellowstone National Park. This is prime grizzly bear country so the Colter Campground only allows camping in hard-sided campers – No Tents Allowed! The campground is in the Gardiner District of the Custer Gallatin National Forest.
The Soda Butte Campground is the closest campground to Yellowstone Park along the famous Beartooth Scenic Byway. It’s just outside of Cooke City, MT only 4.5 miles from the Northeast Entrance to Yellowstone. The campground is in prime bear country and is only open for hardsided campers – trailers, motor homes or truck campers. No tent camping is allowed.
| Soda Butte Campground | |
|---|---|
| Season | July – September |
| Number of sites | 27 sites – Hard Sided Campers only |
| Reservations | No |
| Amenities | Water, Pit Toilets, Picnic tables, Fire pits, Food storage boxes |
| Accessible | Yes |
| Firewood | No |
| Attractions | Close to Yellowstone Park |
| Nearest City | Cooke City – 1.5 miles |
Soda Butte Campground is located in the Gardiner District of the Custer Gallatin National Forest. The campground is open from early July thru September. The exact season is weather dependent so check in advance if you are coming early or late.
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The 27 campsites in the Soda Butte Campground fill up almost every night in the summer. There is no reservation system and all sites are available first-come first-served. There is no way to check site availability in advance so plan to arrive as early in the day as possible to try to secure a site. If the campground is full try the Colter Campground which is just a mile away. There are many other choices in our guide to Beartooth Highway Camping & Campgrounds.
Each campsite has a picnic table, a fire pit and bear proof food storage. Water and pit toilets are available in a central location. There are no hookups for campers. The Forest Service recommends a vehicle length limit of 48 ft. There is a nightly camping fee which you must pay on-site. Cash and check only.
The campground is located at about 7,500 ft elevation and temperatures can be colder than you expect, especially at night. Between the high elevation and the crystal clear atmosphere you can expect to have some of the best star gazing you have ever experienced.
For more information contact:
Custer Gallatin National Forest
Gardiner Office
P.O. Box 5; 805 Scott St.
Gardiner, MT 59030
(406) 848-7375