This recreation area is managed by the Bureau of Reclamation and is located about 20 miles south of Dillon, Montana. It includes not only a reservoir for rainbow and brown trout fishing but boat launches, picnic areas, and 9 campgrounds. The entrance fee, launch fee, and camping fee is $0.
The closest campground to I-15 and directly west of the interstate is Beaverhead Campground. We were a bit unsure about the potential noise at this campground due to its proximity to the interstate but thought we would check it out first and see. If we weren’t satisfied then we would go check out some of the other campgrounds along the reservoir. Turns out Beaverhead was perfect. We could barely hear the interstate even with the windows open. We loved it there. It is all dry camping at this campground and each site has a picnic table and fire pit. Many of the sites have shelters. There is no dump station but there are hand pumps which are difficult to operate and water was brown. Bring your own water.
There are RV full hookups at the Lewis and Clark campground on the west side of the lake which charge a fee.
Campground: Beaverhead Campground
Location: Dillon, Montana (20 miles south)
Site: 4
Cost: $0
Services: None
Comments: A lovely dry camping campground with large, spacious sites. Road in and out of campground is paved but the camping sites are either on grass or gravel. It may be a bit dicey parking in grass/mud if there is lots of rain and mud. We would definitely stay here again and we were quite tempted to spend the week here.
On a side note we decided to check out the Stuart Mill Bay campground near Anaconda, Montana on our way to Dillon. It sits along Georgetown Lake with a few other campgrounds. We drove Hwy 10A (exit 271) from I-90 to Georgetown Lake and the cut back over to I-90 on Hwy 1. Almost the same distance as traveling on I-90 and it gave us some different scenery to look at instead of I-90 which we drive frequently. But just a note to fellow big rig drivers that there is a slightly steep grade heading south on 10A to Georgetown Lake with some twisty roads. Nothing our big guy couldn’t handle but definitely not a road to drive in the foul winter months with ice and snow. We have marked this area off our list for the winter. Any other time of the year and this area would be a lovely stopping point.
Looks lovely! We’re back at our home base for the winter and I’m already researching for our next travels (spring/summer). We’ll be headed out that way next season (Montana, Idaho, Wyoming). I can’t wait.
Have fun researching. And yes, Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming are perfect for summer camping. Enjoy!