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USFSKootenai National Forest · Montana

Big Therriault Lake Campground

The Big Therriault Lake campground is located 12.5 air miles from Fortine.
Sites0all reservable
Elev.5,548ft
Comf.May-Sep5 months
Max rigtents
Electricnonesites
From Missoula5h09real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27

At 5,548 ft, Big Therriault Lake Campground has a 5-month comfortable window (May-Sep). Winter nights average around 16°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. Within about 4 miles: 1 named hiking route, 7 peaks, lake or river access.

The campground at a glance

01 · CHARACTER
QuietCoolRoomyShadeRV-fitReserv.

Reads strongest on quiet and cool nights. Softest on cool nights.

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
JFMAMJJASOND
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Jul
May-Sep
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
72%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
Jun 4
Last spring frost; first fall frost Sep 26.
52°F
Average July low. Bring a fleece.

Getting there

03 · ACCESS
01
Missoula
205 mi
5h09
02
Helena
278 mi
6h19
03
Bozeman
393 mi
8h10
04
Billings
534 mi
10h31
By drive time
Missoula · 5h09Helena · 6h19Bozeman · 8h10Billings · 10h31Camp

Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 7.8 mi away.

What's within four miles

05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER

Trails & Peaks

Named hiking routes
1
Trail segments
40
Peaks
7

Water & Access

Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
7.8 mi
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.

Check availability on Recreation.gov →