Flathead National Forest campgrounds opening

Flathead National Forest campgrounds start opening this weekend. Big Creek, Emery Bay, Holland Lake, Swan Lake and Tally Lake campgrounds and the Doris Point Boat Launch will open to the public Friday, May 11. These campgrounds and recreation areas are operated by the forest concessionaire Big Sky Recreation.

• Big Creek Campground is about 20 miles north of Columbia Falls on the North Fork of the Flathead River. There are 22 camp sites and a group site. The camp sites are first-come, first-serve, and the group site is available by reservation online at www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777.

The fee is $13 per camping unit per night and an additional fee for the group site. The day-use area, which includes a boat launch, has a day-use fee of $4 per vehicle or a season fee of $30. For more information, contact the Hungry Horse-Glacier View District at 387-3800.  

• Emery Bay Campground is located on the east shore of the Hungry Horse Reservoir off Forest Road 38, about six miles south of Martin City. There are 26 camp sites and two group sites. Amenities include a boat ramp and water.

Single units are $13 per night. The camp sites are first-come, first-serve, and the group sites are available by reservation online at www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. For more information, contact the Hungry Horse-Glacier View District at 387-3800.

• Holland Lake Campground is located southeast of Bigfork, about 10 miles south of Condon, on Highway 83. There are 27 camp sites available on a first-come, first-serve basis and 13 individual camp sites. The fee is $15 per camping unit per night. A group site is also available for reservation. Reservations are available online at www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777.

The Forest Service’s Owl Creek Packer Camp is about half a mile away with corrals, water and feed troughs available on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information, contact the Swan Lake District Office at 837-7500. 

• Swan Lake Campground is located directly south of the community of Swan Lake, about 15 miles southeast of Bigfork on Highway 83. The campground offers 36 family-sized camp sites and a group site. Eleven of the family sites and the group site are available by reservation. The remaining camp sites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The fee is $15 per camping unit per night. There is a $25 fee for the group site plus a $15 fee for a vehicle at the group site. The day-use area, across the highway from the campground, includes a boat launch, beach and a day-use group site that can be reserved. The day-use fee is $4 per vehicle or a season pass for $30. Reservations are available online at www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777, and a day-use season pass is available from the concessionaire. For more information, contact the Swan Lake District Office at 837-7500. 

• Tally Lake Campground is about 12 miles west of Whitefish, and offers a wide variety of recreation facilities and activities. The campground has 40 camp sites and a boat launch, an open-air pavilion, beach area, picnic site, and water. A camp host is on site during the summer months.

The site has parking for 50 vehicles, a double-vault toilet, picnic tables, fire grills, group fire ring, horse pit, volleyball court and nature trail. There are several trails nearby and two trails within the campground. One group site (site 39) and the pavilion can be reserved online at www.recreation.gov. There is an accessible dock at the boat launch, parking for 15 boats/trailers and vault toilet. For more information, contact the Tally Lake District Office at 758-5204. 

• Doris Point Boat Launch site is about 8 miles south of Hungry Horse on the West Side Hungry Horse Reservoir Road. The site features a two-lane boat ramp with a dock, parking for about 70 vehicles with trailers, two vault toilets and a day-use picnic area. The day-use fee is $4 per vehicle or a season pass is available for $30. For more information, contact the Hungry Horse-Glacier View District at 387-3800.

• Other campgrounds will open later in the month. The Doris Creek and Lost Johnny Campgrounds are scheduled to open Friday, May 18. Depending on weather conditions, the Lid Creek Campground is scheduled to open Thursday, May 24.

Forest campers and visitors are reminded that by law, all food and food-related items must be stored in a bear-resistant manner. The Flathead National Forest is home to grizzly and black bears, and responsible human actions will help with unwanted bear encounters.

Campers are also reminded to be careful with fire. Never leave a fire unattended, and be sure the fire is “dead out” before leaving.

For more information about campgrounds and food storage regulations on the Flathead National Forest, contact a local forest service office or visit online at www.fs.fed.us/r1/flathead.