Bear Creek Campground - Mt
Open
— Open year-round on a first-come, first-served basis with typical maintained season starting June 1. No fees required. Road may be impassable during winter and spring due to snow and mud. Visitors must bring their own drinking water.
About
Bear Creek Campground is a primitive, no-fee campground situated in the West Absaroka Mountains on the Gardiner Ranger District of Custer Gallatin National Forest. Located approximately 10.5 miles from Gardiner (5 miles on Jardine Road, then 5.5 miles on Bear Creek Road #493), this remote campground offers 4 campsites in a wooded setting along Bear Creek.
The campground provides basic amenities with vault toilets but no potable water, so visitors must bring their own. The access road is primitive and not suitable for long vehicles or trailers, with no turnaround available. This campground is best suited for tent campers and high-clearance truck campers seeking a backcountry experience.
Bear Creek Campground serves as a trailhead for Bear Creek Trail #64, which provides access to Knox Lake and the Lee Metcalf Wilderness Area. The location is popular with hikers, anglers fishing Bear Creek, and hunters during fall seasons. The campground was temporarily inaccessible to vehicles following June 2022 flood damage to the Darroch Creek Bridge, but vehicle access was restored following bridge replacement in 2024.
Directions
From Gardiner, Montana, travel 5 miles northeast on Jardine Road, then turn onto Bear Creek Road (Forest Road 493) and continue 5.5 miles to the campground. The road is primitive, not suitable for long vehicles or trailers, and has no turnaround. High-clearance vehicles recommended.
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