Dispersed Camping in Carbon County, Montana
Showing 92 locations in Carbon County.
3L9 Backcountry Camp
Remote wilderness backcountry camp spot near 3L9 in the high Absaroka-Beartooth country.
3M4 Trail Access
An unverified backcountry trail access point within the Shoshone National Forest.
3T1 Trail Point
High altitude backcountry junction point along forest trails suitable for wilderness backpacking.
Absaroka Overlook
An expansive asphalt overlook corridor near the Clay Butte Fire Lookout, offering panoramic mountain views. The lower paved overlook area is relatively level and accessible to standard vehicles, while the upper dirt spurs up to the lookout tower are steep, narrow, and not recommended for large trailers.
Antelope Mountain Road Dispersed
A rugged dirt road ascending Antelope Mountain that offers spectacular, highly secluded camping overlooking the deep canyon of the Clark's Fork of the Yellowstone River. Lower portions are accessible to most standard vans in dry conditions, while the spur trails heading down toward the canyon edge and lower overlooks require high-clearance 4WD vehicles. High-alpine winds are common on these exposed ridges.
Appaloosa Meadows
A scenic backcountry meadow area located within the Custer Gallatin National Forest, accessible primarily by hiking trails.
Basin Campground
Basin Campground is nestled along the scenic West Fork of Rock Creek, offering easy paved access and proximity to mountain biking and wilderness trailheads. The surrounding landscape features open pine forests recovering from historical fires.
Beartooth District, Custer National Forest
Spot
Beartooth Lake Campground
A scenic developed campground situated in a wooded area just a short walk from Beartooth Lake, offering stunning mountain vistas and a nearby hiking trailhead.
Beartooth Overlook Dispersed
An expansive gravel turnaround area near the highway summit, offering panoramic mountain vistas.
Boundary Backcountry Camp
A quiet backcountry hike-in campsite situated near Parker Peak along the forest boundary.
Boundary Road Dispersed
A scenic corridor along Boundary Road managed by the U.S. Forest Service near Red Lodge, Montana, offering dispersed camping in a forested setting.
Bridger City Park RV Camp
A small, tight municipal RV park located right in town and within easy walking distance of local restaurants and parks. The facility offers limited full-hookup sites adjacent to a public park.
Cache Creek
A scenic wilderness spot located along Cache Creek in the Custer Gallatin National Forest.
Canoe Lake Junction Trailhead
A quiet backcountry junction providing pedestrian access into remote wilderness routes.
Cascade Campground
A developed, tranquil campground nestled on the banks of the West Fork of Rock Creek, offering easy access to the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness. It features classic pine-shaded sites with basic facilities.
Clarks Fork Canyon Corridor
A scenic dirt corridor winding through the Shoshone National Forest. This area features access to dispersed camping along Clarks Fork Canyon and its adjacent forest spur roads.
Clarks Fork Canyon Trailhead
A trailhead and access point managed by the Shoshone National Forest providing access to local hiking trails.
Clarks Fork District, Shoshone National Forest
Spot
Clarks Fork Overlook Road
A scenic overlook road corridor located off the Beartooth Highway in Shoshone National Forest. The area features spacious dirt pull-outs on native material surfaces, offering stunning alpine scenery and access to basic amenities like pit toilets.
Clarksfork Fishing Access
A scenic riverside corridor situated along the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River, offering wooded cover and convenient access close to the highway.
Clay Butte Lookout Access Road
This scenic mountain corridor climbs toward the historic Clay Butte Lookout in the Shoshone National Forest. Beautiful vistas open up along the route, which provides basic roadside pull-offs suitable for self-contained rigs looking to experience the high backcountry of the Beartooth region.
Cold Creek Trail Junction
Backcountry trail intersection deep inside the national forest terrain, serving as an intersection point for backpackers.
Cold Creek Trailhead Junction
Remote wilderness trail junction point within the high country of the Custer Gallatin National Forest, accessible only via strenuous hiking.
Colter Campground
A quiet, heavily forested USFS campground close to the northeast entrance of Yellowstone. This site is highly regulated due to intense grizzly bear activity in the surrounding woods, requiring hard-sided vehicles only.
Corral Creek Trail Head
A trailhead access point in the Custer Gallatin National Forest that serves as a launching spot for local hikes.
Crandall Dump Access Road Dispersed
Dispersed camping corridor located off Crandall Dump Access Road within the scenic Shoshone National Forest.
Crazy Creek Campground
A scenic developed campground situated in Shoshone National Forest featuring 16 sites nestled in a quiet, shaded forest setting. Located just across the road from the roaring Crazy Creek Falls, the campground offers immediate access to short hiking trails and beautiful mountain views.
Custer National Forest Dispersed Campsite
A rustic dispersed campsite situated in the Custer Gallatin National Forest near Red Lodge. Ideal for travelers seeking a natural mountain backdrop while exploring the nearby wilderness corridors.
Donner Road Dispersed
Quiet dispersed camping options located along Donner Road and neighboring forest tracks like Camp Creek Road. Tucked within the scenic Shoshone National Forest, the area features beautiful wooded terrain with close proximity to Sugarloaf Mountain.
ear Red Lodge, MT
Spot
East Fork Painter Gulch
A scenic mountain road corridor running through the Shoshone National Forest. This area offers dispersed camping opportunities in a native-material forest setting.
East Swamp Lake Access Road
A scenic forest service corridor located in Shoshone National Forest. The road offers dispersed camping opportunities near a small, quiet pond, backed by high mountain views and beautiful pine forests.
Fantan Loop Dispersed
A scenic dirt corridor winding through the Shoshone National Forest. It provides standard forest service camping options along native material paths with proximity to Sawtooth Mountain.
Forest Spur Road Dispersed
Scenic and quiet dispersed camping corridor situated on a Forest Service spur road in the Shoshone National Forest region near Red Lodge.
Forest Spur Road Dispersed
A scenic Forest Service access road within the Shoshone National Forest offering dispersed camping options along the corridor. This spur road provides seasonal access into the scenic pine forests typical of the region, located just a short distance from regional attractions. It is ideal for self-contained rigs seeking standard dispersed camping options near Red Lodge.
Forest Spur Road
A quiet National Forest Service spur track off the main highway providing quick, natural dispersed camping options among the trees of the Shoshone National Forest.
Fox Creek Campground
A quiet and scenic Forest Service campground located along Fox Creek. Each site features electric hookups, a picnic table, and a fire ring, with access to fresh water spigots, clean pit toilets, and an on-site RV dump station.
Ghost Creek Access
A scenic dirt road corridor providing access to the Shoshone National Forest. The route features standard dispersed camping options along a native material surface, winding through pine forests in Carbon County near Red Lodge. It offers a remote, rustic forest experience with easy access to nearby mountain vistas. This corridor serves as an excellent base for high-country exploration during the open season.
Ghost Creek
A scenic forest corridor along Ghost Creek within the Shoshone National Forest offering seasonal dispersed camping options.
Grease Lake Road Dispersed
Scenic dispersed camping along Grease Lake Road in the Shoshone National Forest. The corridor leads to a peaceful lake with flat parking areas and rock fire rings, offering high solitude. The access road contains deep ruts that make high clearance and AWD recommended, though standard passenger cars can navigate with care. Highly recommended for self-contained, medium-sized rigs looking to escape the crowds.
Greenough Lake Campground
Delightful developed national forest campground situated on the banks of Rock Creek and a short stroll away from Greenough Lake. Nestled in a dense grove of pine and aspen trees, the site offers exceptional scenery in the shadow of the Beartooth Range.
Hoodoo Backcountry Camp 12
A secluded, high-altitude backcountry campsite located near Hoodoo Peak.
Horse Thief Fishing Access
A quiet fishing access site near Red Lodge situated along the river, providing basic camping for conservation permit holders.
Hunter Peak Campground
This scenic developed campground sits on the banks of the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River under a mixed conifer forest canopy. It offers single-family campsites equipped with picnic tables, fire rings, and bear-safe food storage boxes.
KOA - Red Lodge
A well-maintained commercial KOA campground situated just a few miles north of Red Lodge, offering full amenities and a welcoming environment for travelers coming off the Beartooth Highway.
L-t Ranch Access Dispersed
A secluded forest corridor offering native-dirt road pull-offs near Crazy Creek in the Shoshone National Forest.
Lake Creek Campground
A developed Forest Service campground located near Red Lodge along Lake Creek in the scenic Shoshone National Forest.
Lake Creek Road Dispersed Zone
Scenic dispersed camping area located on the Shoshone National Forest boundary near Red Lodge. It features a turnaround with access to surrounding wooded sites. It provides a natural basecamp for exploring the Beartooth Highway corridor.
Lemon City Backcountry
Historical wilderness backcountry point located deep in the national forest, requiring a long trek on foot.
Leuschen Road Dispersed Area
Located near Red Lodge within the Custer National Forest, this road corridor offers opportunities for dispersed camping in a serene forest setting. The route provides scenic mountain landscapes with easy access to regional wilderness recreation. Ideal for self-contained rigs looking for a quiet, natural basecamp.
Lily Lake Camping Area (USFS)
A quiet Forest Service camping area located near the shore of Lily Lake, nested in a dense evergreen forest.
Limber Pine Campground
Comfortable and scenic forest service campground located on Rock Creek. Boasts thick shade and quick access to local wilderness trails and fishing opportunities.
Line Creek Trailhead
A scenic mountain trailhead parking area located high on the plateau along Beartooth Highway. It provides open, gravel parking adjacent to a trail system leading down to high lakes and scenic peaks. Be prepared for strong winds and exposed overnight stays at this high altitude. The short access road from Highway 212 is prone to deep rutting and water washouts, so low-clearance vehicles must navigate with caution. The area is closed during the winter season when Beartooth Pass is impassable due to snow. This trailhead resides on Custer Gallatin National Forest land.
Little Rock Creek Road
A scenic mountain corridor winding through the Shoshone National Forest. Beautiful dispersed camping spots are nestled along the native dirt road, presenting views of dense pine woodlands and proximity to mountain waterways.
Little Saddle Creek Backcountry
Wilderness drainage junction along the Little Saddle Creek basin, offering isolated wilderness camping for backpackers.
Lost Lake Trailhead
A scenic trailhead parking area located within the Shoshone National Forest that provides access to the Lost Lake trail network.
Lower Cache Creek
A rugged hike-in and backcountry camping area located near Lower Cache Creek in a scenic wilderness setting near Mount Norris.
M-K Campground
A basic, free developed Forest Service campground located 2.6 miles up the Main Fork Rock Creek Road #2421. Features 10 first-come, first-served campsites nestled in a quiet, heavily wooded setting near the creek. This is a peaceful dry camping spot with basic vault toilet facilities.
Main Fork Rock Creek Road Dispersed
A scenic mountain driving corridor tracing the pristine Main Fork of Rock Creek within the rugged Custer Gallatin National Forest. The route offers access to several quiet pullouts near the rushing waters, ideal for self-contained rigs looking to experience the wild backcountry near Red Lodge.
Main Fork Rock Creek Road Dispersed
A scenic mountain corridor along Forest Road 2421 offering numerous dispersed spots and spur loops running adjacent to Rock Creek. Sites vary from small, wooded tent nooks to large gravel pull-outs capable of hosting medium-sized rigs. Be aware that seasonal mountain closures affect the upper portions of this road during late spring or winter.
Miller Creek Road Dispersed
Secluded dispersed camping opportunities situated along the Miller Creek drainage in a scenic valley of the Custer Gallatin National Forest. The area features a mix of wooded segments and open meadows near the creek.
Morrison Road Dispersed
A scenic national forest corridor offering quiet dispersed camping opportunities along Morrison Road.
Muddy Creek Forest Road
A scenic Forest Service road corridor navigating through the Shoshone National Forest, offering primitive roadside dispersed camping opportunities.
Painter Gulch Road Dispersed
A scenic mountain road winding through Shoshone National Forest land near Red Lodge, offering primitive dispersed camping options along the corridor.
Palisades Campground
A scenic, small, free developed campground nestled alongside a rushing creek at the end of Palisades Road, just below Red Lodge Mountain. The campground serves as a popular trailhead for the Willow Creek and Palisades trails, featuring 6 heavily shaded sites equipped with picnic tables, fire rings, and bear-resistant food storage lockers.
Parkside Campground
Highly popular developed forest service campground alongside Rock Creek with excellent trail connectivity. Featuring mature aspen and evergreen trees, this site often remains open later in autumn than surrounding loops with fees waived after water systems close.
Peak Overlook
A scenic overlook spot managed by the U.S. Forest Service, providing impressive regional vistas.
Perry’s RV Park and Campground
This privately managed RV park and campground sits along the scenic Beartooth Highway right next to Rock Creek. Sites feature water and electric hookups with an on-site dump station, and the rushing sound of the river is audible throughout the park.
Pilot Creek & Willow Park Dispersed Camping
A highly scenic dispersed camping corridor situated along the Clarks Fork Yellowstone River off the Beartooth Highway, providing multiple large pullouts, grassy meadows, and forested pockets. It offers convenient access just east of Yellowstone National Park under the dramatic backdrop of Pilot and Index Peaks. Due to intense regional grizzly bear activity, local forest service regulations strictly prohibit ground tents, restricting overnight stays to hardside vehicles and RVs only. Rodent activity is highly active in the grass and riverbanks during summer and autumn, requiring campers to take precautions against mice.
Pleasant Drive Dispersed Camping
A scenic dispersed camping area tucked off the spectacular Beartooth Highway. The forest corridor offers beautiful views and peaceful sites among the pines, just a short drive from local lakes and hiking trails.
Rattin Campground
A small, quiet campground situated on the banks of Rock Creek beneath the shadow of the Beartooth Range. Surrounded by a forest of aspen and pine, it offers excellent access to local trout fishing and nearby wilderness trailheads.
Rattine Campground
A developed forest service campground nestled in a scenic pine setting near Red Lodge, offering shaded campsites and convenient access to local trails.
Red Lodge Creek Dispersed
Scenic dispersed camping corridor located along the Red Lodge Creek access route within the Custer Gallatin National Forest, offering primitive streamside and forested spots with views toward Burnt Mountain.
Red Lodge Dispersed Site
A quiet dispersed roadside spot located just outside Red Lodge. It offers a convenient base camp for exploring the nearby scenic areas.
Red Lodge Urban Corridor
This urban zone covers municipal parking opportunities along Airport Road near services and businesses in Red Lodge.
Reef Creek Road Dispersed
A scenic corridor running along Reef Creek Road near the mountain edge, providing access to stunning vistas of the surrounding peaks.
Robertson Draw Road Dispersed
Dispersed camping corridor located along Robertson Draw Road within the Custer National Forest.
Sheep Corral (FR 416)
A scenic mountain corridor situated just off the Beartooth Highway, offering pine forest camping with stone fire rings. Positioned near Long Lake and Little Bear Creek, this area provides an excellent natural buffer from highway traffic and serves as a reliable base when surrounding developed campgrounds are full.
Sheridan Campground
A small, quiet developed USFS campground situated along the scenic Beartooth Highway. It features single-family sites nestled in a wooded setting alongside the Main Fork of Rock Creek, offering easy access to hiking, trailheads, and excellent trout fishing.
Silver Run Plateau Dispersed Area
This dispersed camping zone sits adjacent to the scenic Silver Run Trailhead area within Custer Gallatin National Forest, serving as a primary access point for exploring the Silver Run Plateau. Quiet forest settings offer an excellent mountain staging ground near Red Lodge.
Spring Creek Summer Homes Road
A scenic gravel forest road corridor situated in the Custer Gallatin National Forest near Red Lodge. It serves as an access route to private summer homes and nearby hiking and climbing destinations, with potential opportunities for dispersed camping or roadside parking along the public portions of the corridor.
Top Of World Store Access Road
A gravel forest access corridor situated within the scenic Shoshone National Forest area, providing convenient motorhome access during the warmer seasons.
Trail Creek Road Dispersed
Scenic dispersed camping corridor located along Trail Creek Road within Shoshone National Forest near Red Lodge. It features beautiful wooded sites along a well-maintained native material road that is accessible to passenger vehicles during the open season.
Twin Lakes Overlook Dispersed
High-elevation overlook corridor providing native surface pull-outs for dispersed camping near the scenic Beartooth Highway.
Upper Cache Creek Trailside
Remote wilderness hike-in location situated along Upper Cache Creek in the Custer Gallatin National Forest.
Vista Point Road
A scenic mountain access corridor providing panoramic views of the surrounding peaks and canyons within the Custer National Forest.
Warm Spring Meadow Backcountry Camp
Backcountry trailside clearing near Warm Spring Meadow, surrounded by scenic forests.
Water Birch Campsite
A pleasant riverside fishing access site campground offering multiple large campsites with picnic tables, fire rings, and a clean vault toilet. Located along a scenic creek and river, it provides easy access for travelers, though some highway noise is present.
West Fork Rock Creek Corridor
A scenic mountain valley corridor running along the West Fork of Rock Creek within the Beartooth Mountains, providing direct access to hiking trails and high-country recreation.
Wild Bills Lake Parking
A scenic mountain lake access and parking area offering access to Wild Bill Lake trail and a fishing dock.
Willow Creek Dispersed
A scenic wilderness setting along Willow Creek in the Custer Gallatin National Forest, offering primitive backcountry access.