Bannack State Park

It helps to book as many days as possible when planning a Glacier National Park vacation. The park is home to over a million acres to explore, including over 700 miles of hiking trails. The main thoroughfare for many explorations is the 50-mile Going-to-the-Sun Road that spans the park from east to west. But like Two Medicine and Many Glacier, other areas of the park also deserve some attention.

Lake Como is a stunning body of water in the Bitterroot Valley of Southwest Montana. It has a beautiful mountain backdrop and a popular swimming beach that's typically packed throughout the summer. The lake is also popular for boating between mid-June and mid-August, with over 40 boat parking spots near the public boat launch.

Woodbine Campground is in Southwest Montana, adjacent to the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness. All 44 sites at this popular campground tend to fill up during the summer season. Reservations are available and all campers have access to potable water and vault toilets.

This lakeside campground and state park is on the Hell Creek Arm of Lake Fort Peck. It's part of the larger Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge surrounding the Missouri Breaks in central Montana. It's a scenic destination and a popular recreation area on the northeast side of the state.

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area encompasses over 120,000 acres straddling the Montana and Wyoming border, making a deep impression on anyone that visits. The thousand-foot cliffs of Bighorn Canyon are the main showcase of this stunning geological wonder, and campgrounds surrounding the canyon often come with a great view.

Missouri Headwaters State Park forms at the confluence of the Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin Rivers. This National Historic Landmark and state park offers the chance to camp where the Corp of Discoveries spent the night on their travels in 1805. The park is easily accessible from Interstate 90 and the city of Three Forks in Southwest Montana, 30 minutes west of Bozeman.

Makoshika State Park is Montana's largest state park and is located on the far eastern part of the state near the North Dakota border. Unlike the mountainous natural areas in Western Montana, Makoshika encompasses a badlands landscape with stark formations and dinosaur fossil remains.

The campground also sits at the south end of Bull Lake. This proximity, alongside a developed boat ramp and dock, also makes water activities popular from the campground. Arrive early during the summer when attempting to secure a site.

It's the adjacent Ross Creek Cedars Scenic Area that draws people to visit and spend the night. This big landscape contains groves of ancient red cedars, some over 1,000 years old. A family-friendly nature trail tours these big trees and is a popular destination throughout the year. Bad Medicine Campground is the closest campground to these biggest trees in Montana.

In northwest Montana near the city of Libby, this first-come, first-served campground is on the banks of Bull Lake with 18 sites available. The spacious, wooded campsites cater to tents and smaller RVs, with no hook-ups available.

Bad Medicine Campground, Kootenai National Forest