West Cameahwait 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. Reclamation calls it "the last campground before leaving the reservoir along the west shore". One large covered shelter, vault toilets, fire pits, and one hand pump. The big shelter can be reserved for groups by calling the Dillon Field Office, so on a summer weekend expect a reunion or a wedding party to have it. 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
- DDump2 mi
- WWater8 mi
- FFuel14 mi
- GGrocery20 mi
- MMechanic21 mi
- LLaundry21 mi
- @Mail29 mi
- OOutfitter46 mi
- ShShower49 mi
- +Urgent care50 mi
The read: water's a short hop out, fuel & food sit about 14 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)
- Water featureHorse Prairie Creek (stream) · nearby
- Nearest townRed Rock · ~7.1 mi
- Drinking waterDrinking water · ~7.8 mi
- FuelChevron · ~13.6 mi
- Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
- Dump stationDump station · ~2.1 mi
- GroceriesDell Merc · ~20.5 mi
- Hospital / clinicBarrett Hospital & Healthcare · ~19.8 mi
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- Vault / pit toiletWest Cameahwait Campground-Precast Vault Toilet Building · at this camp · BoR
- Vault / pit toiletWest Cameahwait Campground-Precast Vault Toilet Building · at this camp · BoR
- Vault / pit toiletCameahwait Campground-Precast Vault Toilet Building · ~0.5 mi NE · BoR
- Vault / pit toiletHorse Prairie Campground-Precast Vault Toilet Building · ~1.1 mi NE · BoR
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Cameahwait Campground (Clark Canyon)~0.5 mi
- Hap Hawkins Campground (Clark Canyon)~1.1 mi
- Horse Prairie Campground (Clark Canyon)~1.1 mi
- Beaverhead Campground (Clark Canyon)~2.8 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