Camping Near Bozeman – Hyalite Canyon
If you’re looking for camping near Bozeman, Montana, you’ll find several options. Hyalite Canyon is a gorgeous nearby area that’s perfect for a camping trip. There are several developed campgrounds in the canyon as well as free forest service designated camp sites. A quick half hour drive from Bozeman will lead you to the mouth of beautiful Hyalite Canyon. From here you’ll meander along the curves of Hyalite Creek as it snakes through the pretty forested canyon.
In addition to camping in Hyalite Canyon there are many other recreation opportunities. Hyalite Creek runs through the canyon and as you follow Hyalite Canyon Road you’ll reach the beautiful Hyalite Reservoir.
Some recreation opportunities include fishing, kayaking, hiking trails, rock climbing, and backpacking to name a few. And a bonus! Hyalite Canyon Road made a fun and scenic longboard run as well!
Basic Camping Info
Ownership: Forest Service; 14 day limit
Cost: Free
Directions: From Bozeman, take S 19th Avenue for 6.5 miles. Turn left onto Hyalite Canyon Road and follow it for 6.3 miles. Turn right onto Jeep Road (Forest Road 1046). Once you cross over Hyalite Creek there will be numbered designated campsites. We followed Forest Road 1046 to the intersection with Forest Road 682 and took the spot on the right.
Miles from Town: About 15
Cell Service: None
Solar: Limited, the designated spots are among the trees.
Where to get water: There is a hand pump for water at Langohr Campground about 1 mile back towards Bozeman on the left.
Road Conditions: Hyalite Canyon Road is paved with mellow curves. Once you turn onto Jeep Road it becomes dirt but is in good condition. Past the designated camp sites the road conditions worsen so scout ahead and continue with caution.
Our Experience Camping Near Bozeman
We found free camping near Bozeman that was situated in scenic Hyalite Canyon. Just the drive in through the canyon was very scenic and wild. About 15 miles from Bozeman, past Langohr Campground, we turned onto Jeep Road. Here, the road turned to dirt but was in good condition. We then crossed over Hyalite Creek and noticed the numbered posts designating several Forest Service campsites.
Several of these designated spots were taken when we first arrived. The spot that we did find was a tight fit for our 19 foot travel trailer. These designated sites are small and won’t accommodate large rigs. Luckily, we managed to squeeze into this available spot before driving further up the forest roads to look for other dispersed camp spots.
The road conditions worsened and steepened! We didn’t find anything promising, though we did pass two other trailers back in the woods that looked like they had been there awhile. So we made do with our designated spot.
There was a fire ring, a lot of shade and a pretty view of the meadow across the way. We did notice some traffic but overall our stay was pretty peaceful. Free camping near Bozeman seemed to be sparse so these designated free forest service sites were well known and desirable. Most of the designated spots were in use a lot of the time. Which leads me to the next thing to note about camping in Hyalite Canyon…
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The second morning of our stay as we were eating breakfast, a Forest Service Volunteer came to our door, asked us a lot of questions and let us know that we could only stay for 14 days. We told them that we were well aware of the rules and we wouldn’t be a problem. No need to remind them that there was a sign a foot from our front door indicating the 14 day limit.
Every morning thereafter, the volunteers stopped in front of our site, making it clear that they were keeping track of our days. We thought it a little overkill but let it go. Then a few days later a law enforcement ranger stopped, knocked on the door and told us how many days we had left. This ranger was in full gear, gun on hip and K9 in the SUV. We understand the 14 day limit, did not exceed the 14 days yet were being treated as if we were doing something wrong.
Needless to say, that got a little frustrating and unwelcoming. Which was obviously the point… It seems like maybe a friendly reminder on the 13th day would have got the point across? Why provide designated camp spots and then treat people as though they’re not allowed to camp there? After Googling the area, I learned that the Bozeman Ranger District has cracked down on regulating and limiting dispersed camping in the Hyalite Canyon vicinity. Just a heads up of what you may encounter here.
Outside of the rangers, this camp spot was peaceful and chill with great accessibility to many recreational opportunities in the area. The drive into Bozeman wasn’t too far either. When the time came to move on, it was welcomed.
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