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Montana Free Camping Rank and Rules

Montana ranks #30 of 50 for free camping

Montana ranks #30 of 50 for free camping, with 4.5 known dispersed sites per 1,000 sq mi.

Data as of

Montana free camping in numbers

Montana ranks #30 of 50 for free camping, with 4.5 known dispersed sites per 1,000 sq mi.

Rank
#30
Known dispersed sites per 1,000 sq mi
4.5
Known dispersed sites
662
Land area
145,546 sq mi
Developed campgrounds
1,298
State-land rule
Not confirmed
Forest restrictions tracked
1

Dispersed camping in Montana

Can you camp on Montana state land?

Not confirmed. We could not confirm the rules for state trust or state forest land. The option we did check here is federal National Forest and BLM land. Every state, with the rule behind each answer: dispersed camping on state land, state by state.

Where is dispersed camping restricted in Montana?

We track one National Forest restriction on dispersed camping in Montana. Read it before you camp nearby.

  • National Forest System land in Montana, Every forest in the state (Region 1). A cap on how many nights you can stay. It says nothing about where you may camp.

How far from a forest road can you camp in Montana?

  • White River, Rio Grande, San Juan, Apache-Sitgreaves, and Custer Gallatin (About 300 ft, confirmed). Each of these prints roughly 300 ft on its own pages. That is the best kind of evidence we have, because the forest says the number itself instead of leaving you to assume the national one.

Each restriction, cited and dated: where dispersed camping is restricted.

How the rank works

We divide the known dispersed campsites in a state by its land area, in square miles, and multiply by 1,000. The rules above sit beside the rank but never change it. The count includes only sites that public sources map, so mapping effort affects the result. Roadside camping corridors and the points we place inside state wildlife and forest areas are not counted.