Agency-listedUSFS

Madison River Campground

Drive-up · U.S. Forest Service · MT · 44.87875, -111.57286

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U.S. Forest Service lists this site. On most of their ground you can camp away from developed sites pretty much anywhere — so treat this as a known-good spot, not the only one allowed. The unit sets stay limits and how far off road and water you must be. What changes is conditions — roads, gates, closures, fire rules. Check those with the unit before you commit to the drive.

USGS topo — contours & terrain

USGS topographic map of Madison River Campground

Aerial — USGS / NAIP

Aerial image of Madison River Campground

Weather outlook

Loading the latest forecast…

Live NWS area forecast (~2.5 km grid, not elevation-corrected). Camp sits at 5,909 ft.

Fire & smokeNIFC · AirNow

Checking active fires & air quality…

Active wildfires from NIFC (within ~50 mi); air quality from AirNow. Always confirm current fire restrictions with the managing office before you go.

Everything you need — measured from camp

Straight-line miles · bearings approx · roads run longer

Nearest of each

FFuel21 mi
WWater23 mi
@Mail23 mi
LLaundry27 mi
GGrocery28 mi
HHardware28 mi
ShShower28 mi
DDump28 mi
OOutfitter28 mi
MMechanic31 mi
+Urgent care47 mi
RxPharmacy60 mi

≤30 mi30–4545+water

The read: water is a real 23-mi drive, fuel & food sit about 21 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

Access

Drive-up

Land

U.S. Forest Service

Elevation

5,909 ft

State

Coordinates

44.87875, -111.57286

Cost

Fee

Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)

Resupply lookup unavailable — try the map links below.

Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)

Vault / pit toiletMadison River Campground · at this camp · USFS
Vault / pit toiletRiverview Campground · ~0.3 mi NW · USFS
Vault / pit toiletWest Fork Campground · ~0.8 mi NW · USFS
Vault / pit toiletKirby & Eagle'S Nest Fishing Access Sites · ~1.0 mi SE · USFS

Open this spot elsewhere

Google satellite →Gaia GPS →CalTopo →Back to the map →

Other camps nearby

If this one is full, gated or washed out.

The unit that manages this camp

Stay limits, road closures and fire restrictions are set by the unit, not by the campsite — check there before you go.

Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest →

Snow, and when this opens

The nearest automatic snow station is Tepee Creek at 7,950 ft, about 9 miles away. It sits about 2,041 ft higher than this camp, so treat it as a guide rather than a reading for this spot. We do not repeat a depth here, because any number we stored would be stale by the time you read it — the station publishes today's.

Tepee Creek snowpack, from NRCS →

How we know this

Source

U.S. Forest Service recreation data

Confidence

Likely — The record is good enough to put a pin on, but thin in places. Treat the details as a starting point, not gospel.

How it was placed

Developed FEE campground (not free) - review | auto:usfs-fee 2026-08-20: US Forest Service developed campground, agency coordinates, agency states a fee. No dollar amount in the agency record -- expect a charge and confirm the current rate before you go. Not field-verified.

Field check

On the agency's books. The land manager inventoried this site, so its existence is not in question — current conditions are. Nobody from here has camped it recently.

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

Before you go

Finding water out here →What “dispersed” means here →Dumping grey & black →Camping with a dog →All field notes →

Been here? Tell us what changed. This page is built from public records, so the fastest way it gets better is somebody who has actually pulled in. Road washed out, site gone, gate locked, or it is exactly as described — all of it useful. Send a report →