campgrounds.fyiIndependent · federal campgrounds · no paid placements
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USFSHelena-Lewis and Clark National Forest · Montana

Van Deriet Campground

Located 30 miles west of Augusta, Van Deriet offers 6 sites with a variety of amenities close to the airport.
Sites0all reservable
Elev.5,417ft
Comf.Jun-Sep4 months
Max rigtents
Electricnonesites
From Helena6h58real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27

At 5,417 ft, Van Deriet Campground has a 4-month comfortable window (Jun-Sep). Winter nights average around 18°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. Within about 4 miles: 1 named hiking route, 4 peaks, lake or river access.

The campground at a glance

01 · CHARACTER
QuietCoolRoomyShadeRV-fitReserv.

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
Jun-Sep
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
73%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
Jun 8
Last spring frost; first fall frost Sep 23.
51°F
Average July low. Bring a fleece.

Getting there

03 · ACCESS
01
Helena
105 mi
6h58
02
Missoula
163 mi
8h00
03
Bozeman
200 mi
8h41
04
Billings
302 mi
10h43
By drive time
Helena · 6h58Missoula · 8h00Bozeman · 8h41Billings · 10h43Camp

What's within four miles

05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER

Trails & Peaks

Named hiking routes
1
Trail segments
24
Peaks
4

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.

Check availability on Recreation.gov →