0
Pull-thru
USFSHelena-Lewis and Clark National Forest · Montana
Thompson Guard Station
Overview Thompson Guard Station is located in the Big Belt Mountain Range in Helena National Forest.
Sites1all reservable
Elev.6,493ft
Comf.Jun-Sep4 months
Max rigtents
Electricnonesites
From Helena1h56real 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 6,493 ft, Thompson Guard Station has a 4-month comfortable window (Jun-Sep). Winter nights average around 15°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. All 1 sites are reservable in advance, so plan ahead. Popular weekends book out. Within about 4 miles: lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on shade and reservability. 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
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Mar
Jun-Sep
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
72%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
Jun 14
Last spring frost; first fall frost Sep 22.
51°F
Average July low. Bring a fleece.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Helena
55 mi
1h56
02
Bozeman
93 mi
2h25
03
Missoula
169 mi
3h54
04
Billings
168 mi
4h18
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 10.8 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 1 SITES
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
0
Accessible
0
Prime
1
Sites
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Trail segments
4
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
10.8 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.