Montana / Valley County / Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge

Boomtown Shelter

Open — The campground is currently open for reservations. The hardened shelter structure was destroyed by a storm in fall 2024 and has not yet been rebuilt. The site remains reservable at a reduced price without the shelter building or electric grill. Electricity is not available at this time.

About

Boomtown Shelter is a reservable group camping site located in the Boomtown Recreation Area, situated just west of Fort Peck Dam on the Missouri River in northeastern Montana's Valley County. The site sits within the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge and offers a panoramic eastern view of Fort Peck Dam and Lake, surrounded by mature cottonwood trees that provide shade and wildlife habitat. Fort Peck Lake is renowned for its walleye fishing and also offers excellent opportunities for sauger, smallmouth bass, lake trout, chinook salmon, and northern pike. The lake's 1,500 miles of pristine shoreline provide ample opportunities for boating, fishing, hunting, sightseeing, and wildlife viewing. The surrounding Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge encompasses 1.1 million acres and provides superb hunting for deer, elk, bighorn sheep, and pronghorn. The Fort Peck Project area includes 27 recreation areas around the reservoir. While facilities near the dam offer paved roads and modern amenities, Boomtown represents a more rustic experience with vault toilets and basic facilities. Visitors can enjoy three miles of paved nature trails along the Missouri River, a disc golf course installed in 2021, and access to the Fort Peck Dam Interpretive Center and Museum. The area is rich in history, first charted by Lewis and Clark in 1804, with Fort Peck Dam constructed during the Great Depression as the first dam in the upper Missouri River Basin.

Directions

From Glasgow: head south on MT-42 S/State Hwy 24 W and continue onto MT 24 S for 15 miles. Turn right into the Boomtown recreation area just before Hwy 117 turnoff. Shelter area is the first right. From Nashua: Take MT-117 S to Hwy 24. Turn right for 0.1 miles. Boomtown Recreation area is on the left approximately 0.1 mile. Shelter area is the first right. From MT-200: Take MT-24 N for 59.6 miles. Turn right into Boomtown Recreation area. Shelter area is the first right.

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