Free Camp Guide
Aerial view of South Van Houten Campground

Montana Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest

South Van Houten Campground

Free to campSet campsiteToilet
Free to camp The Forest Service record for this site says there is no charge to camp, as of August 2026. Records get old, so look for a sign when you pull in.

About this place

This campground sits across the lake from North Van Houten Campground, surrounded by lodgepole pine.

The toilets are accessible. There is water, and there is fishing access.

No trash service, so take what you brought home again.

The facts

Cost
Free to camp
Toilet
Yes
Type
Specific campsite
When it’s open
June to October
Managed by
Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest

Getting there

Coordinates 45.244510, -113.475500

Open in Google Maps Agency page

What is near here

Nothing nationally famous is close. These are the landmarks nearby.

Every distance on this page is the driving distance. A short distance can still take a long time. The road may be closed for the season, covered in snow, or washed out. Many of these roads are dirt. Plan your route before you leave home. Out here there is often no phone signal to look it up on the way.

Nearest town and supplies

Salmon is big enough that you’d normally expect fuel and somewhere to buy food. Nobody from here has been to check, so don’t count on it if you’re running low.

Have you been here?

Fees and access change, and the records do not always keep up. If you have been, tell us what you found.

Add road notes for this site

The thing we cannot get from any government record is what the drive in is actually like. If you have done it, this is the most useful thing you can leave behind. We read everything before it appears, and we print a first name with it if you give one.

Where this information comes from

The description on this page is ours. The facts in it, and the fee and facility details below it, come from the Forest Service’s own records, read in August 2026.