0
Pull-thru
USFSBitterroot National Forest · Montana
Alta Campground
Overview Alta Campground is located in a scenic forest in the heart of Montana's Bitterroot National Forest.
Sites149 reservable
Elev.4,970ft
Comf.Jun-Sep4 months
Max rig70 ft
Electricnonesites
From Missoula2h20real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
At 4,970 ft, Alta Campground has a 4-month comfortable window (Jun-Sep). Winter nights average around 17°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. 14 sites total: 9 reservable and 5 first-come, first-served. Within about 4 miles: 3 peaks, lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on shade and reservability. Softest on roomy sites.
Six axes, each scored relative to every other federal campground in the region: quiet (miles to a major road), cool (elevation), roomy (average site spacing), shade, RV-fit (longest rig), and how reservable it is. All six come from data, nothing hand-tuned.
When to go
02 · CLIMATE
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Jul
Jun-Sep
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
79%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
Jun 12
Last spring frost; first fall frost Oct 2.
51°F
Average July low. Bring a fleece.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Missoula
97 mi
2h20
02
Helena
210 mi
4h18
03
Bozeman
236 mi
5h01
04
Billings
377 mi
7h22
By drive time
Picking your site
04 · 14 SITES
Color byShow only
7 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
4
Accessible
0
Prime
14
Sites
★ The standout
Site 12
AREA ALTA CAMPGROUND · shaded.
To neighbor
355 ft
Max rig
55 ft
Type
Standard
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Trail segments
3
Peaks
3
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
Method
We synthesize public data layers: RIDB and Recreation.gov facility and site records, Open-Meteo climate normals, OpenStreetMap roads, trails, and water, OSRM drive times, and USGS elevation. We take no bookings, no ads, and no paid placements. Independence is the entire point.