Community Forums

fisher99 · 06-08-2020, 12:53 PM

We are going to be in eastern Montana this summer and are considering heading up to Whitefish Mt and visiting Glacier National Park. Yeah, I know - it's a bit late to start planning, but with Covid-19 things have been uncertain.

I'm not looking to stay inside the park. Our trailer is 34' so too big for most campgrounds inside the park. We prefer "State Park type" campgrounds to RV parks due to the fact that they usually have more space, but would be interested in hearing about any of your favorite campgrounds or RV parks around the Whitefish/Glacier Park area (preferably on the East or South side of the park). We are fine with not having hookups, although hookups are always nice.

Thanks!

Gladie · 06-08-2020, 01:18 PM

We also prefer state parks to RV campgrounds, but sometimes it’s nice to have full hook ups. In 2015, on our way to Alaska, we stayed at Glacier Meadows Campground for a couple of nights and explored GNP. It accommodated our 32 ft Jayco and Jeep.
The park is somewhat small, quiet, and clean. There is a dump station and they offered pump out while we were there, which we took advantage for no fee. At dusk, we saw elk coming out of the forest which surrounds a big open field.

Tuquala · 06-08-2020, 01:57 PM

There are some decent Nat Forest CGs on the west side. Big Creek is one. Takes reservations, but also has drop-ins. Water, trash bins, no dump. Fairly easy drive to the park, and if you want, up to Polebridge, MT. Our 280RKS fit in just fine.

South of the park are 3 or 4 NF sites, but not easy park access. East side is sparse for simple campgrounds, and the Nat Park CGs are hard to get, and sometimes hard to get a trailer our size into!!! But there are a fair amount of private CGs around Saint Mary area. Haven't used any, so no comments aboot!!

Plan on early drives into park if it is as busy this year as last. Bumper to bumper traffic, and dodging bikes, even after the timed shut down for bikes on the GTS road!!!

fisher99 · 06-08-2020, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fisher99

We are going to be in eastern Montana this summer and are considering heading up to Whitefish Mt and visiting Glacier National Park. Yeah, I know - it's a bit late to start planning, but with Covid-19 things have been uncertain.

I'm not looking to stay inside the park. Our trailer is 34' so too big for most campgrounds inside the park. We prefer "State Park type" campgrounds to RV parks due to the fact that they usually have more space, but would be interested in hearing about any of your favorite campgrounds or RV parks around the Whitefish/Glacier Park area (preferably on the East or South side of the park). We are fine with not having hookups, although hookups are always nice.

Thanks!

Oops! I meant that we were looking to be on the WEST side of Glacier, not the East side.

Suprz · 06-08-2020, 03:44 PM

West glacier KOA, beautiful campground, close to the park

twogypsies · 06-08-2020, 11:16 PM

Be sure to stay up-to-date with the park's opening policies during this virus if you're planning on taking the shuttle bus or red bus tours, hiking, etc. Here's the web site:

https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/statusupdate.htm

The campgrounds are closed at this time but we fit our 40' motorhome and Jeep in Apgar c.g. in the park. It's a very convenient campground.

Look up Montana State Park's site. There's Wayfarer's St. Park, Whitefish Lake St. Park, West Shore State Park, Yellow Bay, Finley Point, Lone Pine State Park and others in the area.

We have stayed on Hwy 83 at Swan Lake campground, Flathead Nat'l Forest - large paved sites - very nice.

https://www.campgroundreviews.com/re...und-usfs-13851

R.Wold · 06-08-2020, 11:26 PM

Check out McGregor Lake CG on Hwy 2 West of Glacier. Forest Service CG. Had a pleasant couple days there in a lake-side site last July. No hook ups but nice spacing between sites. One website says 32’ max trailer recommended but we were 44’ with my Coach and utility trailer and had no problems. The lake side sites are the pull-off-the-road types so plenty of room. For others you might have to disconnect but you probably will anyway.

SeeTheUSA · 06-09-2020, 06:38 AM

We stayed a couple of time at the Columbia Falls RV Park. It has been several years, but the owners back then were outstanding ... has a new owner since, sure hope the standards are still very high!

https://columbiafallsrvpark.com/

Playinthru · 06-09-2020, 07:42 AM

When everything is back up and running
west Glacier KOA is great. Red Bus comes into the park to pick you up.

scubadude62 · 06-09-2020, 07:51 AM

We've stayed at the North American RV Park and Yurts in Coram, just 10 minutes from the part entrance. We've stayed there several times and have had good experiences.

fisher99 · 06-09-2020, 11:52 AM

This is great info! Will start checking sites and making some decisions!

Thanks!

scenic route · 06-15-2020, 01:50 PM

We've visited GNP twice and both times stayed at Mountain View RV Park, just west of Columbia Falls. Whitefish is a nice drive to the west(not far). The campground is convenient to CF restaurants and many tour companies and outfitter shops.

Hungry Horse Reservoir's road is good for a drive in the toad and has a few small waterfalls...saw our first moose on the perimeter.

Further east is the s/w entrance to GNP...'Going to the Sun' road is not to be missed(toad). Spectacular mountain views and really good ice cream on the other side in St. Mary. After the 'sugar high', I'd recommend going back the same way...It's amazing how much different the scenery is in the opposite direction. As value added, there's also a free toad wash(if you're not too afraid of getting close to the rocks) from a waterfall on the way back...don't forget to roll up the passenger's window.

scbwr · 06-15-2020, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suprz

West glacier KOA, beautiful campground, close to the park

We were there in 2014 and it was a great KOA considering it's fairly large and always very busy.
Good luck with the trip...beautiful country out there!

doc · 06-17-2020, 02:55 PM

"Glacier CG" just outside the park in W Glacier was pretty nice but no sewer a few years ago. Thirty amp but the weather was so cool when we were there that A/C was not needed. Sites were not big at all, but then we only slept there. Restaurant on the property was good.

Had a bear rambling behind our site but never saw him. They put some sort of live trap thing on a trailer and baited it with dogfood. Bear was smarter than they were and never came back that we know of