Horse Prairie Campground (Clark Canyon)
Free primitive camping on Bureau of Reclamation land at Clark Canyon Reservoir, about 20 miles south of Dillon, Montana and right off I-15 -- a genuinely free stop on a stretch where most options charge. Reclamation runs this reservoir itself, and its own records show no camping fee, no entrance fee, no boat-launch fee and no parking fee anywhere on it. The ONE exception on the whole reservoir is the Lewis & Clark Campground/Marina, which has full RV hook-ups and a self-pay fee station -- that is a different campground from this one, and it is the only site Reclamation's own map marks with its "$ Fee Area" symbol. On the west side of the reservoir, used for camping and fishing access. Shelters, hand pumps, fire pits, and two vault toilets. Reclamation notes the boat ramp here "is available during higher water periods" only -- in a drawdown year it may be unusable. Reclamation does not publish a stay limit for these campgrounds anywhere we could find -- you will see "14 nights" repeated on camping websites, but that number does not appear in any Reclamation document, so treat it as unconfirmed and ask the Dillon Field Office. This is primitive camping: expect a vault toilet and, at most sites, a hand pump rather than tap water -- treat or bring drinking water. The reservoir sits at about 5,500 feet and is exposed, so it can be cold and very windy well into the summer. IMPORTANT: Reclamation's facilities record was last updated in 2017 and the brochure is undated, so confirm current fees and rules with the Bureau of Reclamation Dillon Field Office at (406) 683-6472 before you go. We have not visited this site.
Everything you need — measured from camp
- DDump1 mi
- WWater9 mi
- FFuel13 mi
- MMechanic20 mi
- LLaundry20 mi
- GGrocery20 mi
- @Mail28 mi
- OOutfitter46 mi
- ShShower49 mi
- +Urgent care51 mi
The read: water's a short hop out, fuel & food sit about 13 mi out.
Not within 60 mi: Propane. Plan those before you head up.
One dot per need — the nearest of each kind, straight-line from camp. Places from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Open in Google Maps ↗
The site
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Nearest townRed Rock · ~7.0 mi
- Drinking waterDrinking water · ~8.8 mi
- FuelChevron · ~12.6 mi
- Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
- Dump stationDump station · ~1.0 mi
- GroceriesDell Merc · ~20.4 mi
- Hospital / clinicBarrett Hospital & Healthcare · ~18.8 mi
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- Vault / pit toiletHorse Prairie Campground-Precast Vault Toilet Building · at this camp · BoR
- Vault / pit toiletHorse Prairie Campground-Precast Vault Toilet Building · at this camp · BoR
- Vault / pit toiletCameahwait Campground-Precast Vault Toilet Building · ~0.6 mi W · BoR
- Vault / pit toiletLewis and Clark Overlook-Precast Vault Toilet 2 Building · ~0.9 mi E · BoR
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Cameahwait Campground (Clark Canyon)~0.6 mi
- West Cameahwait Campground (Clark Canyon)~1.1 mi
- Hap Hawkins Campground (Clark Canyon)~1.6 mi
- Beaverhead Campground (Clark Canyon)~1.7 mi
How we know this
What we don’t know
A land record can put you within a few metres of a spot. It cannot tell you any of this — so check it yourself, and treat anything below as the open question it is.
- Road surface & last-mile access
- How many rigs actually fit
- Cell coverage by carrier
- Seasonal & winter access
- Current fire restrictions
- Whether any water here is drinkable
- Shade & wind exposure
- Noise and who else shows up