★ Field-verified · Dave's ownUSFSFree
Madison County
Drive-up · U.S. Forest Service · Madison County, MT · 45.47744, -112.06840
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Ask about this camp →Dave's been here. A spot from Dave's own travels on U.S. Forest Service land — free to camp. Conditions still change, so confirm access, stay limits and fire rules before you go.
A free campground in the National Forest east of Sheridan, Montana. The campground was okay, featuring vault toilets, fire rings, and picnic tables. The surrounding forest was amazing, with historical mining ruins and dramatic cliffs and rock faces. Close to Sheridan which is charming Montana town. Poor cell service. Enough room for one or two vehicles per site. There are a lot of other camping opportunities along this road, ripe for exploration. Strongly recommended.
USGS topo — contours & terrain
Aerial — USGS / NAIP
Weather outlook
Loading the latest forecast…
Live NWS area forecast (~2.5 km grid, not elevation-corrected). Camp sits at 6,507 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
- FFuel6 mi
- GGrocery6 mi
- @Mail6 mi
- OOutfitter7 mi
- LLaundry18 mi
- ShShower26 mi
- DDump26 mi
- MMechanic27 mi
- +Urgent care40 mi
- RxPharmacy41 mi
- WWater41 mi
- HHardware41 mi
- AAir-up41 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water is a real 41-mi drive, fuel & food sit about 6 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
6,507 ft
County
Madison County, MT
Coordinates
45.47744, -112.06840
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Resupply lookup unavailable — try the map links below.
From the field — what Dave saw, in person
Cell service
No signal
Getting there
Any vehicle managed it
Fire ring
Yes
Toilet on site
Yes
Tent friendly
Yes
Verdict
Highly recommended
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- Vault / pit toiletMill Creek Campground · at this camp · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletBranham Lakes Campground · ~4.7 mi NE · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletPotosi Campground · ~10.2 mi NE · USFS
- Highway rest areaTwin Bridges · ~13.7 mi W
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Forest Rd 159~2.5 mi
- Balanced Rock Campground~2.6 mi
- Forest Rd 159~2.6 mi
- Forest Rd 158~3.0 mi
Snow, and when this opens
The nearest automatic snow station is Lower Twin at 7,920 ft, about 7 miles away. It sits about 1,413 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.
How we know this
Source
Dave's own travels
Confidence
Researched — The record is detailed and internally consistent, and the coordinates land where the managing agency says this site is.
How it was placed
FIELD VERIFIED by Dave Lalande -- he has stood on this site. Coordinates are his own GPX track point, not a geocode. County and state confirmed against the FCC Census Block API (Madison County, MT). Everything under 'From the field' is a direct observation; nothing here is inferred from a land record.
Field check
Verified on the ground. Dave has stood on this one. Conditions still change — confirm before you commit.
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.
- How many rigs actually fit
- Seasonal & winter access
- Current fire restrictions
- Whether any water here is drinkable
- Shade & wind exposure
- Noise and who else shows up
Before you go
Winter vs summer roads →Water on public land →What “dispersed” means here →How to read this page →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 →