Hellgate Campground
- Right now
- Nobody has saidNo season, no closure, no bookings to read
- A night
- $10–$20Across the site types the agency prices
- Sites
- 72All of them booked ahead
The place
the agency’s own description · what’s there · 12 notices
In the agency’s own words
Hellgate Campground is located 30 miles east of Helena, Montana, along Montana Highway 284. In July of 1805 the Lewis and Clark Expedition traveled through the Canyon Ferry area exploring and mapping the Missouri River. When Lewis visited the area he described it as a beautiful and extensive plain country of about 10 to 12 miles wide which extended upwards further than an eye could see. In the 1850s the gold rush hit the Canyon Ferry area attracting miners from all over the United States in the hopes of striking it rich. Keep reading
Recreation
Canyon Ferry Reservoir offers a wide range of year-round recreational opportunities. Water related activities include everything from swimming and fishing to sailing and motor-boating. Canoeists and kayakers explore the many quiet backwater bays. Jet skiers, windsurfers and water skiers skim the summer waves, while winter draws ice fishermen and ice skaters.
Facilities
Hellgate Campground consists of 69 campsites and 3 Group Use shelters with overnight Camping. Each standard campsite consists of a gravel camping pad, picnic table, and a fire ring. Campsites are limited to one camping unit is permitted per site unless marked as a double campsite. (double campsites are clearly marked on the site posts). Hellgate Boat Ramp and Day Use Area provides two boat ramps, parking area for boat trailers and several day use picnic sites. There are three Group Use Shelter Areas: Lewis and Clark Group Use Shelter Includes 15 campsites. Each campsites has a fire ring and picnic table. The shelter is 30’ X 60’ with 12 picnic tables, 3 grills, and 2 group use fire rings. 3 vault toilets are easily accessible. York Group Use Shelter Includes 10 campsites. Each campsites has a fire ring and picnic table. The Shelter is 30’ X 60’ and contains 12 picnic tables, and 1 large communal fire ring. 1 vault toilet is easily accessible. (Formerly called Shelter B) Hellgate Bay Group Use Shelter Includes 5 campsites. Each with a fire ring and picnic table. The shelter is 30’ X 36’ and contains 7 picnic tables and 2 grills. and 1 large communal fire ring near the shelter.
Natural Features
Hellgate Campground and Group Use Shelter Area sits along the banks of Canyon Ferry Reservoir in an open valley between the Big Belt and Elkhorns mountain ranges. Along the bank of the reservoir there is a narrow riparian canopy that provides partial shade.
Nearby Attractions
Hellgate Campground and Group Use Shelter Area is located halfway between Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park. The city of Helena, Montana, the state capital, is 25 miles away and the city of Townsend, Montana, is 21 miles away. For up to date events visit, click here Contact Info For facility specific information, please call (406) 475-3920.
What the agency tells you
No show reservations are subject to cancellation after the third night.
Campsites must be occupied each night.
All campsites are to be considered single unit sites unless marked as a double site. Single campsites are limited to one camping / sleeping unit per campsite. An exception will be made for parents with young children; Parents may have one additional tent for children under the age of 18.
Everything else this campground posts · 9
RVs, vehicles and trailers must be parked on the gravel/pavement and within designated areas of the campsite or established parking area provided.
Shelters allowing overnight camping will be limited to the number of campsites allowed at each shelter and restricted to designated campsites at each shelter location.
No electrical source for camp trailers or RVs is available at shelters.
Campsites are available for each of the following shelters: Lewis & Clark Shelter 'A' - 15 campsites $170.00 / night. York Shelter 'B' - 10 campsites $130.00 / night. Hellgate Bay 'C' - 5 campsites $90.00 / night.
Pets must be physically constrained by a leash under 6' in length. Do not leave pets unattended. It is your responsibility to clean up after your own pet.
Quiet hours are from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Be considerate of other campers. Activities and noise should be kept to a level that does not disturb other campers. Generators are not allowed during quiet hours. The use of loud, profane, or abusive language or music is prohibited.
Personal property used to reserve campsites, including RVs and tents will be removed in accordance with 43 CFR Part 423.23.
Check in time is 5pm. Check out is 4pm.
While at Canyon Ferry Reservoir: CLEAN, DRAIN, DRY boats and any other recreational equipment that comes in contact with water. Never dump unwanted bait, worms, fish parts or other organisms into the water. For more information visit https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/ STOP THE SPREAD OF INVASIVE SPECIES. REMOVE plants, seeds, animals and mud from boots, gear, pets, and vehicle. CLEAN your gear before entering and leaving the recreation site. STAY on designated roads and trails and use local firewood. For more information visit https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/
Tents and rigs
- Sites
- 72 · 3 group, 3 cabin
- Hookups
- 3 electric
- Longest rig
- 120 ft
- Accessible sites
- 8
- Pets
- Allowed
- Campfires
- Allowed, barring fire bans
- Shade
- Every site
Facilities
- Toilets
- Vault Toilets
- ACCESSIBLE VAULT TOILETS on 1 of 72 campsite records
- Drinking water
- Yes
- ACCESSIBLE DRINKING WATER on 1 of 72 campsite records, WATER SPIGOT on 2 of 72 campsite records
- Boat ramp
- Yes
- Camp host
- On site
- recreation.gov lists “Host”
- Stay limit
- 14 nights
- recreation.gov facility rule maxStay
Around the campground
- On the water
- Reservoir, River, Coast
- Boating
- Fishing
- Swimming
- Water sports
- Wildlife viewing
- Night sky · 454th darkest of 501 in MT
- Bortle 3
No reading yet, book on recreation.gov
Every site here is reservable, and the record lists none held back for anyone who drives up.
No availability snapshot inside the last 36 hours, so this page draws nothing rather than ageing a reading into fiction.
Watch for a cancellation
Full? Watch it.
One email when a night opens, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We read recreation.gov once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time a site in your window is free for the nights you asked for.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
Tell me when the season opens
Watch for the season to open
One email when the season goes on sale, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We check once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time the agency has that season on sale.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.
Every line of the receipt · 16
What you actually pay
Derived by CAMPANAC: the agency’s published rates for this season, $10–$20 a night, plus one $8 recreation.gov reservation fee for the booking. A weekend here means Friday and Saturday night, booked once. Optional charges (an extra vehicle, a second tent, a dump-station fee) are listed separately and aren’t in this total.
Who keeps the booking fee
The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →
How we know this receipt · 5
rules read Sep 9, 2026 · rates Oct 1, 2026 · How we know all this
The sites
72 sites · which ones have room · the site map
The sites, ranked
from 69 mapped sitesAll 72 sites
The price is derived by CAMPANAC, not published per site: the per-night rate this campground publishes for each site’s own site type. 72 of the 72 sites listed carry one, and a site whose type has no published rate sits out of the price rather than being called free.
| A | 11 | standard nonelectric | 45 ft | 135 ft | 189 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| A | 12 | standard nonelectric | 50 ft | 135 ft | 160 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| A | 13 | standard nonelectric | 120 ft | 103 ft | 140 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| A | 14 | standard nonelectric | 100 ft | 95 ft | 140 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| A | 15 | standard nonelectric | 55 ft | 95 ft | 127 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| A | 16 | standard nonelectric | 45 ft | yes | 83 ft | 104 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | |
| A | 17 | standard nonelectric | 60 ft | 83 ft | 92 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| A | 18 | standard nonelectric | 95 ft | 106 ft | 74 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| A | 19 | standard nonelectric | 115 ft | 91 ft | 74 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| A | 20 | standard nonelectric | 35 ft | yes | 88 ft | 75 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | |
| A | 21 | standard nonelectric | 85 ft | 84 ft | 90 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| A | 22 | standard nonelectric | 60 ft | 84 ft | 84 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| A | 23 | standard nonelectric | 110 ft | 80 ft | 78 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| A | 24 | standard nonelectric | 60 ft | 80 ft | 89 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| A | 25 | standard nonelectric | 35 ft | yes | 96 ft | 88 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | |
| A | 26 | standard nonelectric | 104 ft | 76 ft | 70 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| A | 27 | standard nonelectric | 55 ft | 75 ft | 79 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| A | 28 | standard nonelectric | 80 ft | 75 ft | 75 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| A | 29 | standard nonelectric | 80 ft | 111 ft | 43 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| B | 30 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 184 ft | 80 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| B | 31 | standard nonelectric | 40 ft | 60 ft | 72 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| B | 32 | standard nonelectric | 40 ft | 60 ft | 76 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| B | 33 | standard nonelectric | 50 ft | 37 ft | 102 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| B | 34 | standard nonelectric | 50 ft | 37 ft | 116 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| B | 35 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 51 ft | 156 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| B | 36 | standard nonelectric | 37 ft | yes | 38 ft | 121 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | |
| B | 37 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 65 ft | 185 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| B | 38 | standard nonelectric | 47 ft | 38 ft | 117 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| B | 39 | standard nonelectric | 35 ft | 58 ft | 102 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| B | 40 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 58 ft | 77 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| C | 41 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 185 ft | 98 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| C | 42 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 71 ft | 63 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| C | 43 | standard nonelectric | 32 ft | 71 ft | 47 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| C | 44 | standard nonelectric | 85 ft | 120 ft | 48 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| C | 45 | standard nonelectric | 85 ft | 91 ft | 51 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| C | 46 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 91 ft | 71 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| C | 47 | standard nonelectric | 32 ft | 44 ft | 82 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| C | 48 | standard nonelectric | 40 ft | 44 ft | 125 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| C | 49 | standard nonelectric | 33 ft | 51 ft | 87 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| C | 50 | standard nonelectric | 32 ft | 51 ft | 138 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| C | 51 | standard nonelectric | 32 ft | 111 ft | 107 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| D | 52 | standard nonelectric | 28 ft | 70 ft | 139 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| D | 53 | standard nonelectric | 33 ft | 70 ft | 196 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| D | 54 | standard nonelectric | 41 ft | 51 ft | 108 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| D | 55 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 57 ft | 156 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| D | 56 | standard nonelectric | 49 ft | 51 ft | 100 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| D | 57 | standard nonelectric | 35 ft | 92 ft | 75 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| D | 58 | standard nonelectric | 46 ft | 83 ft | 146 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| D | 59 | standard nonelectric | 32 ft | yes | 83 ft | 110 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | |
| D | 60 | standard nonelectric | 35 ft | 58 ft | 137 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| D | 61 | standard nonelectric | 33 ft | 58 ft | 195 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| D | 62 | standard nonelectric | 35 ft | 59 ft | 139 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| D | 63 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 65 ft | 204 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| D | 64 | standard nonelectric | 40 ft | 59 ft | 139 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| D | 65 | standard nonelectric | 35 ft | 128 ft | 210 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| D | 66 | standard nonelectric | 35 ft | 172 ft | 363 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| D | 67 | standard nonelectric | 38 ft | 125 ft | 388 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| D | 68 | standard nonelectric | 40 ft | 116 ft | 321 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| D | 69 | standard nonelectric | 37 ft | 113 ft | 299 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | ||
| 001 | standard nonelectric | 40 ft | 59 ft | 26 ft | $10–$20 | |||
| 002 | standard nonelectric | 40 ft | 59 ft | 18 ft | $10–$20 | |||
| 003 | standard nonelectric | 40 ft | 96 ft | 18 ft | $10–$20 | |||
| 004 | standard nonelectric | 40 ft | 123 ft | 42 ft | $10–$20 | |||
| 005 | standard nonelectric | 40 ft | 123 ft | 55 ft | $10–$20 | |||
| 006 | standard nonelectric | 40 ft | 66 ft | 62 ft | $10–$20 | |||
| 007 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 66 ft | 53 ft | $10–$20 | |||
| 008 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 91 ft | 38 ft | $10–$20 | |||
| 009 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 98 ft | 32 ft | $10–$20 | |||
| 010 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 469 ft | 101 ftCanyon Ferry Lake | $10–$20 | |||
| Hellgate Bay - Group Use Campsites "C" | group shelter electric | 20 amp | yes | $90–$170 | ||||
| Lewis and Clark Group Use Campsites "A" | group shelter electric | 20 amp | yes | $90–$170 | ||||
| York Group Use Campsites "B" | group shelter electric | yes | $90–$170 |
25 of 72 listed
Getting there
the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number
Where it is
Jo Bonner Campground2.8 mi
Cave Point Group Use Area3.6 mi
Chinamen's Campground4.0 mi
Court Sheriff Campground4.3 mi
Riverside Campground5.2 mi
Bar Gulch CabinHelena National Forest · 5.5 miFrom Helena, MT: Head east along Co Rd 430/Canyon Ferry Rd from Helena, MT, continue for 38 miles to the Hellgate Campground and Group Use Shelter Area sign and turn right. Continue straight until you reach the campground.
From Townsend, MT: Head north on Hwy 284 for 21 miles and turn left at the Hellgate Campground and Group Use Shelter Areasign. Continue straight until you reach the campground.
The weather
the next four days · the thirty-year normal
Next four days, and the thirty-year normal
Forecast
NWS forecast for Spokane Creek, MT
Typical weather
Typical October night 34°F, day 58°F.
Coldest month of the year: typical January night 14°F, below freezing. Bring a bag rated colder than that, and expect ice in the water bottle.
Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or more
A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Julys are colder than the July line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.
The land, and who answers for it
what threatens it · who answers for it
Roadless country, and what’s coming for it
You’re camping on ground somebody wants. We track the threats and the comment deadlines.
Who answers for this land
Hellgate Campground is in Montana’s 2nd congressional district. Its representative, Troy Downing (R), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: F. See every public-lands vote →