My husband and I are going to attempt to take quite a few one-night camping trips to nearby locations this summer. One night means we won't miss any days in the garden and greenhouse, but also gives us some time to explore and play.
I thought it would be fun to provide an overview of the campgrounds we visit. I'm also going to make clear we aren't really roughing it. We have a self-sufficient 19+ foot camper-van with all the amenities we need - a kitchen, bathroom, shower, queen sized bed, heat, air conditioning, solar, etc. That being said, I'll provide information about whether the campground being reported on is good for tent and RV camping as well.
Big Arm Campground
Big Arm CG is located on the southwestern shores of Flathead Lake, the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi. The lake is known as a great place for fishing, sailing, kayaking, jet skiing and exploring. The views from the campground are amazing, especially if you get a site right on the water.
There are 41 campsites in the park, three of those are tent sites, and the rest are excellent for RVs. There are no hookups here, so if you need power, you'll need to provide your own. Of the 41 sites, all but 10 are on the water. Each comes with a fire ring and picnic table. Most include a pull-off area for your RV so you can just pull in and pull out easily. No backing up required.
Other information includes the following. Pets are permitted but must be restrained with 8' maximum leash. (As you can see from the photo, Hercules was enjoying the lake views also.) There is no dump station here and any garbage you might want to get rid of needs to go in the bear proof containers provided. There are primitive toilets in various parts of the park.
The area not only offers camping, but also allows some easy hiking options and swimming, fishing, and boating access. This particular park is located within the Flathead Reservation, so in addition to a normal MT fishing license you will need a tribal fishing license if you plan to drop a line in the water. If you're a Montana resident, that costs around $20. This is the link to get your license.
And as for the hiking, which we tend to gravitate towards when exploring any area, there are a few trails but hiking is minimal. There are two basic options, the Bluebird Boulevard Trail and the Juniper Jaunt trail. Both are easy with some incline but nothing extravagant. Total walking mileage is probably somewhere around two miles. That being said, the trails are well cleared and the views can be very nice.
To find an available camping spot, click this link. In the summer, weekends are the first to become unavailable followed by weekdays. If you're traveling on a weekend and just stop by to see if something is available, you will probably be disappointed. That being said, if you do just drop by, you can drive into the campground and see if any of the sites are free that night - they will have a small note on them that specifies whether they are available or not. So you can certainly try!
And that's the overview of this campground! When we were there, most of the other sites were empty. If I had to use one word to describe our experience, it would have been "peaceful." Listening to the waves in the lake, and looking out at the mountains across the water, and hearing all the bird sounds made it peaceful. If full of other campers, I may have described it differently.
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