2
Pull-thru
USFSFlathead National Forest · Montana
Swan Lake Campground
Overview This recreation area is located near the village of Swan Lake at the north end of the scenic Swan Valley in northwest Montana.
Sites4325 reservable
Elev.3,117ft
Comf.May-Oct6 months
Max rig75 ft2 pull-thru
Electricnonesites
From Missoula2h11real 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 3,117 ft, Swan Lake Campground has a 6-month comfortable window (May-Oct). Winter nights average around 23°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. 43 sites total: 25 reservable and 18 first-come, first-served. Of the sites, 2 pull-through, and the longest takes a 75-ft rig. 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
May-Oct
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
79%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
May 10
Last spring frost; first fall frost Oct 15.
56°F
Average July low. Bring a fleece.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Missoula
112 mi
2h11
02
Helena
159 mi
3h02
03
Bozeman
275 mi
4h53
04
Billings
416 mi
7h14
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 0.1 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 43 SITES
Color byShow only
40 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
1
Accessible
1
Prime
43
Sites
★ The standout
Site 022
POND · good location · shaded.
To neighbor
116 ft
Location
Good
Type
Standard
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Trail segments
27
Peaks
3
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
0.1 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.