Closed
— Closed for the winter season. Opens in late spring depending on weather and snow conditions. Reservations available through Recreation.gov. Bears frequent the area; food storage regulations apply.
About
Basin Campground sits along the West Fork of Rock Creek, 7 miles west of Red Lodge, Montana, accessible via fully paved Forest Road 2071. At an elevation of 7,000 feet, the campground encompasses 7 acres and offers 30 single-family campsites, three of which are ADA accessible. The landscape was transformed by the 2008 Cascade Fire, leaving an open setting filled with wildflowers and regenerating vegetation along the creek corridor.
The campground serves as an excellent base for wilderness exploration, with the Basin Lakes Trailhead located just across the road. The 4-mile Basin Lakes Trail climbs through forest to upper and lower Basin Lakes, passing a waterfall along the way. Additional trails including Silver Run Plateau, West Fork, Timberline Lakes, and Ingles Creek provide extensive hiking and mountain biking opportunities with access to the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness. Anglers can fish along the West Fork of Rock Creek or at nearby Wild Bill Lake, which also offers kayaking, canoeing, and an accessible fishing dock.
The campground is located near Red Lodge, a charming mountain town offering dining, lodging, galleries, and summer events including the Home of Champions Rodeo and Festival of Nations. The famous Beartooth Highway, deemed by Charles Kuralt as "the most beautiful drive in America," begins in Red Lodge and climbs through spectacular alpine terrain to Yellowstone National Park.
Directions
From US Highway 212 (Beartooth Scenic Byway), travel to the south end of Red Lodge, Montana. Turn west on West Fork Rock Creek Road (Forest Road 2071), and proceed approximately 7 miles to the campground entrance on the right. The road is fully paved.
Nearby Campgrounds
