Self-Guided
Camping Near Glacier National Park
The park's 13 campgrounds and the forest campgrounds twenty minutes from our shop, with the seasons, the fees and the reservation rules as the park and the Forest Service publish them.
Glacier has 13 drive-in campgrounds, and eight of them take reservations only, all through Recreation.gov. The other five are first come, first served, small, remote and down dirt roads. Cell service inside the park is unreliable, so the park's advice is to book before you arrive, and so is ours.
If the park is full, the Flathead National Forest wraps the west and south sides with campgrounds on Hungry Horse Reservoir and the North Fork of the Flathead, 14 to 23 miles from the West Glacier entrance and closer still to Columbia Falls. We rent the tent, the bag and the pad, and our shuttles leave from Columbia Falls so a campsite outside the park still gets you to the trailhead.
Figures from the park service and the Forest Service, checked October 21, 2026
Reservation Campgrounds in the Park
| Campground | Sites | Season | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apgar | 194 | Year-round; primitive in spring and fall; winter camping November 1 to March 31, no reservation | The largest, near Lake McDonald and Apgar Village; group sites |
| Fish Creek | 178 | About mid-May to early September | Second largest, on the west shore of Lake McDonald |
| Sprague Creek | 25 | Late May to late September | On Lake McDonald off Going-to-the-Sun Road; no towed units or RVs over 21 feet |
| Avalanche | 87 | Mid-July to mid-September | At the Avalanche Lake and Trail of the Cedars trailheads; 50 sites take vehicles to 26 feet |
| Many Glacier | 109 | Early June to mid-September; primitive to mid-October | The hikers' campground; only 13 sites take vehicles to 35 feet |
| Rising Sun | 84 | Early June to early September | On St. Mary Lake; reserved the same day only |
| St. Mary | 148 | Year-round; reservations April 18 to October 31, 2026 | East side's largest; a portion stays open in winter |
| Two Medicine | 100 | Late May to mid-September | Thirteen miles from East Glacier; boat tours and short falls walks nearby |
All eight require a Recreation.gov reservation in spring, summer and fall. Most sites open on a rolling basis six months ahead of the night you want, and a share of each campground is held back until four days before. Rising Sun is the exception: its sites release the day of. Summer fee $30 a night; primitive seasons $20.
First Come, First Served in the Park
| Campground | Sites | Season | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowman Lake | 48 | Mid-May to early September; primitive into late October | $25, primitive $15; no trailers; 32 miles from the west entrance via Polebridge |
| Kintla Lake | 13 | Late May to early September; primitive into late October | $25, primitive $15; the most remote; no trailers; no motors on the lake |
| Logging Creek | 7 | Late June to late October (closed for the 2026 season) | $15; primitive; no RVs or trailers |
| Quartz Creek | 7 | Late June to late October | $15; the park's smallest; no water |
| Cut Bank | 14 | Late May to mid-September | $20; east side; tents; Scan and Pay on the Recreation.gov app |
Five smaller campgrounds down dirt roads, no reservations. Arrive, find a site with no receipt on the post, pay at the fee envelope (cards accepted) within half an hour, and clip the stub to the post. Cut Bank uses Scan and Pay through the Recreation.gov app instead. Most fill early on summer mornings.
Flathead National Forest, Near Columbia Falls
| Campground | Sites | Where | Fee and notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Creek | 22 | 20 miles north of Columbia Falls on the North Fork Road | $18; hosted; drinking water; river boat ramp |
| Lost Johnny Point | 21 | West shore of Hungry Horse Reservoir, 10 miles from Hungry Horse | $18; paved; concrete boat ramp; trailers to 22 feet |
| Doris Creek | 9 | West shore, about 14 miles from the West Glacier entrance | $16; no water; gravel; boat ramp |
| Lid Creek | 23 | West shore, 15 miles south of Hungry Horse | $16; no water; huckleberries; small boats only |
| Emery Bay | about 25 | East shore off Road 38, about 15 miles from the West Glacier entrance | $18; hosted; drinking water; group site to 150; trailers to 32 feet |
The forest campgrounds on Hungry Horse Reservoir and the North Fork are run in summer by Flathead Valley Campgrounds (406-752-7924) and book on Recreation.gov. All run roughly mid-May to September, with a 14 to 16 day stay limit, picnic tables, fire rings and vault toilets. This is grizzly country: the forest's food storage order applies at every site.
The Rules Worth Knowing
- Park campsites hold up to eight people, two vehicles and two tents; check-out is noon and re-registration by 11 am.
- In the park the stay limit is 14 days between July 1 and Labor Day and 30 days the rest of the year; 14 to 16 days in the forest campgrounds.
- Group sites for 9 to 24 campers are at Apgar, Many Glacier, St. Mary and Two Medicine.
- Firewood may only be gathered along the Bowman Lake Road and the Inside North Fork Road; fireworks are banned.
- Backcountry camping needs a wilderness permit from the Apgar permit office or St. Mary Visitor Center; our backpacking trips are in the Flathead National Forest, where no permit lottery stands between you and the trip.
- Primitive status means no potable water and no dump station: bring your drinking water.
Gear and Rides for Campers
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2 daysGuidedGood to Know
- How far ahead do I need to book a park campsite?
- Six months for most reservation campgrounds, on a rolling basis, with a share of sites held until four days before. Rising Sun releases the same day. Book on Recreation.gov before you arrive; there is little cell service inside the park.
- What if everything in the park is full?
- The Flathead National Forest campgrounds on Hungry Horse Reservoir and the North Fork are 14 to 23 miles from the West Glacier entrance, and the Blackfeet Nation runs campgrounds near the east entrances. Our shuttles pick up in Columbia Falls, so a site outside the park still gets you to Many Glacier or Two Medicine without the parking hunt.
- Can I camp in winter?
- Yes, at Apgar's loop B from November 1 to March 31, first come, with a vault toilet and no running water, and in part of St. Mary Campground. Backcountry winter camping needs a permit from the Apgar office.
- Can I rent camping gear instead of flying with it?
- Yes. Our backpacking gear rental is the ultralight kit our guides use: tent, pack, sleeping bag, pad, pillow, headlamp, stove and water filter. Send your dates and we confirm what is available.
Your Next Ride Starts Here
Pick a date and see everything you can book, or call the shop and talk to someone who rides these roads every week.