Houle Creek (FR 697) in MT -- Free Camping & Overnight Parking in Montana

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Houle Creek (FR 697) in MT

Lolo NF, Ninemile Ranger District
3,900 ft
Maps
Overnight camping allowedRUTTED
VerizonWEAK
AT&TSTRONG
T-MobileUSABLE
StarlinkGOOD

An 8.9-mile stretch of dirt National Forest road in Missoula County, MT. The road serves Schaeffer Dam. The road is open seasonally, June 16 to October 14.

Lolo National Forest, Ninemile Ranger District records no overnight restriction here.

2.1 of the 8.9 miles in are maintained only for high-clearance vehicles. 5.6 of the 8.9 miles in are dirt. Climbs 2,500 ft over 8.9 miles -- sustained grades near 14%, with pitches to 22%. Stretches run along a shelf with a drop of up to ~130 ft on the downhill side. Winds through 9 switchbacks. Dead-end road -- no mapped turnaround; expect to back out or unhitch.

Edith Peak stands 2,885 ft above the site, 4.4 miles northeast. The nearest town, Frenchtown, is 4.3 mi off.

September normals 47–68°F, 1.6″ rain. Monthly averages, PRISM 1991–2020.

Nearby Spots
West Side Bear Creek (FR 4239) in MTDispersed Camping20.5miBear Creek (FR 504) in MTDispersed Camping21.2miEarl Tennant Campground in MTCampground21.3miFort Fizzle Camp (FR 695) in MTDispersed Camping23.4miWest Fork Butte Lookout in MTCampground23.7mi
Fire restrictions

Set by Lolo National Forest, Ninemile Ranger District. Stage 1 and 2 orders change within days -- check the current order before you build a fire.

fs.usda.gov
Sources checked August 2026Something wrong here?