The Best Camping Near Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park is one of our nation’s most unique parks. Not only does it contain large populations of grizzly bears, bighorn sheep, and wolves, but the park is famous for its 25 active glaciers.
The park runs along the northern border of Montana and is the sister park of Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada. The two parks together make up the Glacier-Waterton International Peace Park. Each park is made up of towering portions of the Rocky Mountains, alpine lakes, hundreds of hiking trails, and a summer full of wildflowers.
Due to its northern location, the camping season in Glacier is a little short. Most of the roads are covered in snow from late October until June. The main road through the park, the steep and winding Going to the Sun Road, sometimes won’t be cleared of snow until early July.
Because of this, the campgrounds inside the park can fill up very quickly during the high season. It is a best practice to book a site about six to eight months ahead of time if you plan to stay inside the park.
However, there are a variety of other places that allow RV camping near Glacier National Park and can actually have spots available when in-park locations don’t. These locations are less popular than the campgrounds inside the park, but they can still fill up quickly in July and August. So it is best to book a spot as soon as possible.
West Glacier KOA
Glacier National Park can be a challenging place to go camping. Weather is unpredictable in this area surrounded by mountains and the flat plains and grasslands of the American Midwest. However, it’s great to know that there are RV parks nearby like the West Glacier KOA.
Located on the west side of the park, this KOA is full of amenities such as 50 amp hookups, laundry facilities, pools and hot tubs, and a convenience store. You can even book local tours of the park and nearby areas at the front desk. This KOA is right outside the West Glacier entrance of the park and has some stellar views of the park’s mountains.
Youtubers RV Homeschool shared a great review of the West Glacier KOA in this video:
NOTE: The East Glacier KOA is also an amazing choice for RVers, but due to pandemic, the East entrance of the park is closed for 2020.
Mountain Meadow RV Park & Cabins
Mountain Meadow RV Park is also located close to the West entrance of the park. It has some beautiful grounds and offers 56 large RV sites. This park also has stationary RVs and wooden cabins for rent.
The park also has a stocked trout pond and over 30 acres of land to roam around on. The gift shop offers supplies, Glacier-themed items, and locally made food and gifts.
Robinson’s Roost
This private RV camping area is located near the town of Whitefish on the West side of the park. Booked via Hipcamp, Robinson’s Roost allows parking for up to three RVs, vans, or truck campers.
While there is some limited space, the cost for parking your RV here is only $25 per night and comes with WiFi—rare in this more remote part of the state. If you are a fan of Hipcamp, another option in the same area is this private property offering several backyard sites for campers and trailers.
West Glacier RV Park
West Glacier RV Park is the place to go if you want extra special amenities and don’t mind paying a little more for them. Located just steps away from the park entrance, this RV park is located in the popular West Glacier Village. The village is where many of the park’s visitors can find dining, shopping, and park information.
This RV park has it all: from a dog park and playground to complimentary WiFi. The large pull through sites have 50 amp power and full hookups and there are plenty of them. The resort also has laundry and shower facilities, and RV supplies and propane on hand at the store.
Whitefish Lake State Park
If you want to see a different part of Montana, apart from Glacier Park, Whitefish Lake is the epitome of the Treasure State. Located about 45 minutes from West Glacier, this state park has 25 campsites for both RVs and tents, bathrooms, and picnic areas.
The park also has access to Whitefish Lake’s swimming area and kayak and paddleboard rental services. For a state park, the other amenities are pretty substantial. The park allows for pets, has bear-resistant food lockers, showers, and firewood for sale. Some of their sites are also ADA accessible.
Glacier Campground
Glacier Campground is located closer to the park than other RV resorts. This park offers private, treed sites that start at $40 a night for electric hookups. Water and electric sites are only $50 per night, as are their small rental cabins.
Glacier Campground has WiFi, a playground, camp store, recreation room, showers, and on-site laundry. The resort also has a cafe and a lounge with a fireplace for RVers who want to visit during the more chilly months.
Plan your trip to Glacier National Park
The best way to find camping near Glacier National Park is by planning your travels on RV LIFE Trip Wizard. The trip planner has implemented reviews, photos, and campground information from the vast RV LIFE Campgrounds database. The planner will also show you additional points of interest such as nearby gas stations, RV dump stations, and more. RV LIFE Trip Wizard is now included with the RV-safe GPS directions on the RV LIFE App as part of RV LIFE Pro. Learn more here.
While you’re camping near Glacier National Park, be sure to check out these special places.
