Camping & RVing

Unwind And Forget Your Worries During A Rocky Mountain Camping Trip

Escape traffic, cell phones, and the stresses of life. Pack up your car or RV and hit the road on a Rocky Mountains camping vacation. The call of the open road is a siren’s song, and throughout the Northern Rockies the scenery changes by the minute. You’ll be astounded by snowy mountain ranges, high plains, and arid desert. Once you set up camp, you can explore the wonders of landmarks such as Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Enjoy world-class hiking  and fishing . Wake up each morning to the sight of vibrant wildlife . Maybe you’ll see a moose or elk crossing the river! For your convenience, many of the region’s national parks offer numerous Rocky Mountain RV parks and campgrounds.

Forest Service campgrounds are designed to meet your recreational needs. Except for the most primitive sites they have toilets/outhouses that are well cleaned and potable drinking water sources. Most are accessible by even the tamest passenger car, and will accommodate large RVs or trailers. Some sites are even accessible by boat! No matter which site you choose, you'll find adventure and some peace and quiet in America's Great Outdoors.  Many campgrounds in national forests and national parks are reservable. Reservations are recommended to ensure your place under the stars during the busy summer season. Contact the National Recreation Reservation System: http://www.recreation.gov/

National Forests - by Drive or Trail

There are hundreds of primitive campgrounds on National Forests in the Northern Rockies. Forest Service campgrounds are designed to meet your recreational needs. Except for the most primitive sites they have toilets/outhouses that are well cleaned and potable drinking water sources. Some have electrical hookups and more modern convenience, most are quiet more primitive sites located on one of the many beautiful mountain lakes or along rushing rivers and clean streams. Most are accessible by even the tamest passenger car, and will accommodate large RVs or trailers. Some sites are even accessible by boat! No matter which site you choose, you'll find adventure and some peace and quiet in America's Great Outdoors.For more information, visit the individual websites of the forests found in the Must See Attractions Section.

• Beartooth Highway National Forest Campgrounds : The Beartooth Highway, a National Forest Scenic Byway, traverses the mountains from Red Lodge to Cooke City, and the northeast entrance to Yellowstone Park. This highway climbs to the 10,947 foot elevation at Beartooth pass and passes through the lands of the Custer, Gallatin and Shoshone National Forests.  There are a number of camp and picnic areas on the District, providing destination type use, and also serve as popular jumping-off places for day hikes into the Wilderness. The facilities at Wild Bill lake are designed specifically for persons with disabilities; ramps for wheel chairs provide access to the lake for easy fishing and docks are also provided. For Iinformation about camping along the Beatooth Highway, click here .
• David Thomson Historic Route : Want to kick back and relax under shady pines by sparkling lake? Looking for a "base camp" to explore the David Thompson Historic Route?  If so, National Forest campgrounds such as the Kootenai National Forest can offer you that and more! For further information visit this web page for the Kootenai National Forest
• International Selkirk Loop :  There are numerous campgrounds available to use as jump off point to explore the Selkirk Loop in Idaho and Washington. For Campgrounds along the lower Kootenai River click here . For information on Camping on Northeast Washington's public camping paradise on the Colville National Forest, clik here . Find a facility to meet your needs in the Idaho Panhandle National Forests
• Montana Scenic Loop : The best place to camp in a National Forest Campground on this drive is in the Seeley-Swan Lake Area. Visit Seeley-Swan Lake Campgrounds on the Lolo National Forest and Campgrounds on the Flathead National Forest .
• Northwest Passage Scenic Byway : For National Forest Information along Highway 12 visit this U.S. Forest Service website page.
• Yellowstone-Grand Teton Loop:  If you are looking for National Forest camping opportunities outside the National Parks, look for the numerous quiet and primitive campgrounds on the Caribou-Targhee: Ashton-Island Park Ranger District . More information about the Bridger-Teton National Forest: Buffalo and Jackson Ranger Districts can be found on here   and about the Shoshone National Forests
• Rent a Historic Lookout or Ranger Station -- One of the unique recreation experiences in the Northern Rockies is the opportunity to rent some of our historic fire lookout towers and backcountry cabins. These rustic cabins and lookouts are often located in remote, yet spectacular settings. Visit this website for more information on how you can experience one of the Northern Rockies "hidden treasures".

National Parks

• Glacier National Park  – Called “North America’s Crown Jewel”. Boasts more than 700 miles of maintained trails, sparkling lakes, alpine glaciers, and deep forests. www.nps.gov/glac/
• Grand Teton National Park  – Grand Teton preserves a spectacular landscape rich with majestic mountains, pristine lakes, and extraordinary wildlife. The abrupt vertical rise of the jagged Teton Range contrasts with the horizontal sage-covered valley and glacial lakes at its base, creating world-renowned scenery that attracts nearly four million visitors per year. www.nps.gov/grte/index.htm
• Yellowstone National Park  -- Affectionately called “Nature’s Amusement Park”. Hike or backpack amid steaming hot springs, shooting geysers, and roaring waterfalls. www.nps.gov/yell/
• Waterton Lakes National Park – Spanning 203 miles of rugged mountains and wilderness. Part of the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, designated as a World Heritage Site for its scenery and wealth of plant and animal species. www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/Waterton/index_e.asp
• Yoho National Park  – One of Canada’s 41 national parks. Yoho is home to surging waters, looming peaks, pounding waterfalls, glacial lakes, and patches of pretty meadows. www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/bc/yoho/index_E.asp
• Kootenay National Park  – From glacier-clad peaks along the Continental Divide to semi-arid grasslands of the Rocky Mountain Trench, where cactus grows, Kootenay National Park is noted for its diversity of landscapes, ecology, and climate. www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/bc/kootenay/index_E.asp
• Banff National Park  – Canada’s first national park. Spanning 2,564 square miles of valleys, mountains, glaciers, forests, meadows, and rivers, Banff is one of the world's premier destination spots. www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/index_E.asp
• National Elk Refuge  – In addition to elk, the refuge hosts bison and about 175 species of birds, including bald eagles, giant osprey, and great blue herons. www.fws.gov/nationalelkrefuge/

National Recreation Areas

• Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area – The canyon offers a diversified landscape of forest, mountains, upland prairie, deep canyons, broad valleys, high desert, lakes, and wetlands. www.nps.gov/BICA
• Hells Canyon National Recreation Area  – Hugging the borders of northeastern Oregon and western Idaho, this national showcase holds 652,488 acres of beauty and adventure, where you can let your senses run as wild as the landscape. Features North America’s deepest gorge. www.fs.fed.us/hellscanyon/
• Sawtooth National Recreation Area  – One of the largest, most magnificent National Recreation Areas in the United States. Four mountain ranges -- the Sawtooths, Boulders, White Clouds, and Smokies -- provide scenic landscapes in every direction, with more than 50 major peaks over 10,000 feet, 300 lakes, and 250 miles of trails. There are also more than 1,000 high mountain lakes. www.fs.fed.us/r4/sawtooth/

National Refuges

• National Elk Refuge  – In addition to elk, the refuge hosts bison and about 175 species of birds, including bald eagles, giant osprey, and great blue herons. www.fws.gov/nationalelkrefuge/

Bureau of Land Management

Recreating on the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) public lands throughout the Northern Rockies can mean relaxing while fishing, or burning energy while backpacking through primitive canyons or mountains, or paddling through world-class whitewater.  Luckily, many of BLM's recreation sites, wilderness areas and cultural/historical areas of interest are nearby to some of our Drives and Trails.  Many of these special places offer camping, from big-rig RVs to tent campers in developed or non-developed sites.

The Top 10 Scenic Drives project has specifically partnered with the BLM in Idaho.  Consequently, detailed information and links to recreation sites, such as developed or undeveloped campgrounds, picnic areas or places of cultural/historical significance are listed in the 'Key Landmarks & Attractions' sections of the Salmon River-Sawtooth Scenic Byways , the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway , the International Selkirk Loop , and the Yellowstone-Grand Teton Loop .

The Bureau of Land Management in Idaho manages nearly 12 million acres of public lands, nearly one-fourth of the state's total land area.  Four BLM district offices, 12 field offices, and the Idaho State Office administer the public lands in Idaho with a mission of sustaining the health, diversity and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

Most of these side trips to Idaho's BLM public land sites and attractions will take to venues offering a variety of cultural/historic informative sites, or outdoor recreation opportunities such as bird or wildlife watching, fishing, hiking or river rafting on day-use or developed/primitive overnight camping sites.

Wilderness Study Areas (WSA): 648,515 acres of BLM-managed lands in Idaho are currently in Wiilderness Study Area (WSA) status.  All WSAs are remote and generally without visitor services or amenities, so it’s a good idea to contact the local BLM field office for specific information about a WSA before your visit. 

The Top 10 Scenic Drives partners with Idaho BLM by asking all byway travelers to travel only on established roads and trails, leave no trace, and pack out what you pack in.

Escape To Gorgeous Rocky Mountains RV Parks And Camping Areas

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