Sometimes some of the best campgrounds are ones you come across unexpectedly. West Cameahwait Campground is one of those discoveries.
We needed an overnight campsite for our RV after visiting Bannack State Park in Montana.
We found just the place in West Cameahwait Campground on the Clark Canyon Reservoir in western Montana.
West Cameahwait Campground
When we stayed, we were the only campers at this particular campground.
The campground is easily accessible from highway I-15. It is located on the Clark Canyon reservoir, which is a body of water surrounded by Montana’s farmland and recreation areas.
We had read about several other campgrounds in the area, including the Cameahwait Campground, Horse Prairie Campground, and Beaverhead Campground, but when we arrived in September 2018, those were relatively full, or at least the best campsites were already taken for RVs by the water.
We decided to continue around the reservoir until we found a less crowded campground.
Camping is allowed for 14 days, per signage at the campground.
The West Cameahwait Campground is right next door to the Cameahwait Campground.
To access this campground location, drive around the reservoir past the other, more popular campgrounds.
Once you see the sign for the West Cameahwait Campground, turn left onto the gravel road that takes you to the camping areas.
The gravel road into the campground goes down a hill, but is level and accessible for all types of RVs.
We travel with an Airstream travel trailer, but large class A motorhomes would likely find this spot easy to access as well.
You will likely not be able to see the camping spots from the main road.
But once you turn on the gravel road, you’ll see the reservoir and the available camping spots.
This is dispersed camping on public Bureau of Reclamation land, and campsites are not well marked.
We took the liberty of deciding upon our own camping spot down by the reservoir, given that we were the only campers there and didn’t see another soul (except for one solitary fisherman who was there for a few hours) during our stay.
Campground Amenities
The campground has several amenities, including a large group picnic area with a BBQ grill.
It also includes several areas with individual picnic tables with campfire type cooking grills.
When we visited, there was even some extra firewood left laying around for future campers.
The West Cameahwait Campground also has several pit toilets available for men and women, including some handicap accessible toilets.
Water is also available via a water pump from a well.
This is a hand pump, meaning that you must continuously pump the well in order to get water.
We highly recommend having at least one portable water tank with you when you dry camp so that you can fill up your water tank when water faucets are not available for you to directly hook up your camper to a water source.
We have gotten extensive use out a portable water tank, and recommend that you have one available as well if you intend to do any sort of dispersed camping.
As a bonus feature, it’s perfect for putting out campfires before you go to bed.
This campground also has several small trash cans available where you can safely dispose of your trash.
View from the Rocks above the West Cameahwait Campground
The area around the reservoir is beautiful and peaceful.
If you climb up to the rocks next to the campground, you’ll be treated to some spectacular sights.
You’ll see the Cameahwait Campground on the other side of the rocks.
At the top of the rocks, you may find the survey marker marking this location from the U.S. Department of the Interior.
When we visited, it was so silent that a solitary duck in the water was the only sound to be heard.
Be careful, however, as we found a dead snake that had been run over by a car on the gravel road into the campground, so there are snakes in the area. (We’re not snake experts, but we don’t think this one is poisonous.)
The views from the top of the rocks were spectacular.
When we visited, there was smoke in the area from wildfires in the surrounding regions, so the view was somewhat hazy.
On a clear day, it must have been amazing.
