Avalanche Campground — Glacier National Park

Avalanche Creek campground is closed for 2021 according to the NPS website.

Avalanche Campground is our favorite Glacier National Park west side campground in the main area of the park....but it is large with 87 sites and because it is first come first serve which we love, you might have to stalk a campsite that you see packing up to score a site.  It fills up early so do not delay (we have learned this lesson on a trip before).  On our most recent visit we arrived on a Friday morning in July at 8:30 am and found a site but the campground filled up within the hour!  Our site on this visit was a nice pull through site which gave us room to drop the camper and drive around the park. This location in the park is a great basecamp for a drive over the Going to the Sun Road and the trailhead to Avalanche Lake is right at the campground and is a lovely hike! The hike is an easy 4.5 miles roundtrip to a beautiful lake. Leave early as either outing gets really busy!   My pictures are from 2 different visits.

We arrived at 6:30am, which was likely unnecessary for the week after labor day, but we snagged a great spot and were grateful to have picked Avalanche. Just steps away from a pleasant walk at Trail of Cedars and a 10 minute drive to Lake McDonald, the heart of the west side. Flush toilets, dish-washing station, no showers.

We changed our minds the night before arriving about what part of the park to explore so we joined the mad dash before 8 am to find a FCFS campsite! It was stressful as people exited the entrance station and made a mad scramble. We were shut out of our first choice (Sprague Creek) and got one of the last available sites here. But the upside is that we made fast friends with the people who were leaving the site we ended up occupying! The sites in Loop B have pull-through driveways and most are very spacious. Ours could easily fit our van and screen tent with lots of room left over. Lots of trees but not necessarily between sites. We were just so grateful to find a site that it didn’t even bother us (much) that the dumpster was right at our site and we would hear the occasional crash of the lid. The bathroom in the B loop was clean enough but no soap and NO lights (you needed to bring a flashlight even during the day). You do need to purchase firewood outside of the campground - closest location is Lake McDonald Lodge or Apgar. Favorable features of this campground are easy access to a shuttle stop and the Avalanche Lake trailhead.

Beautiful, classic and extremely popular campground in the heart of Glacier National Park, right off the Going-to-the-Sun-Road. Beautiful picnic area on the creek. Good hikes within the camp area. Flush toilets. Water on-site.

Unbelievable scenery right outside your tent. However, because it’s first-come first-served, it’s very hard to get a spot. If you’re lucky enough to get a site, you’ll find yourself in the heart of some of the best parts of Glacier.

I love this campground! On weekends, you should expect to arrive no later than 7AM to find a spot, as this fills up quickly. I love this campground because it's connected to the Avalanche Lake (moderate) and Trail of the Cedars (easy) hikes. The amphitheater at the campground is amazing for star gazing. The sites are big enough to fit one to two cars, or an RV. The first time I went, I think we had 3 tents and 12 people, and we fit just fine. There's flush toilets, sinks, dumpsters, firepits, and picnic tables. Please bring your own firewood, as I believe collecting downed branches is not allowed. Also, don't feed the ground squirrels - practice LNT!

Exceptional life list trails nearby with perfect Glacier NP scenery and wildlife all around. This means you absolutely need to get there early to get a site since there are no reservations at this camp site. The campground has regular ranger programs and modern but simple facilities (at least as of a number of years ago). There were RVs and it was full but it was still pretty serene.

I'm a single mom and decided last minute that we were going on a last minute end of summer trip to Glacier National Park. We had no trouble getting a spot at this camp with no reservation. The camp spots were nice and has trees that were perfect for blocking the wind. The park host were very friendly they had running water and bear proof trash cans near almost all the sites and they provided food storage that was bear proof at each site. Very handy. This was also a middle of the park camp ground meaning it was an easy drive to all the main attractions. My kids and I had a blast we spent 10 days in the park.

Avalanche campground filled up before noon everyday we were there. Some days are worse than others, was during peak season though. This is a great spot. Large campsites, beautiful trees, next to the lake, creek, and several hikes. The shuttle also stops here. Toilet, water available. There was a fire ban while we were here due to the heat wave.

Avalanche Campground is always packed these days. Excellent location though with plenty of good beginner/easier hiking. If you haven't hike to Avalanche Lake, have you even been to Glacier National Park?! If my 2, 4, and 6-year-old cousins can do it, so can you!

Beautiful campsite, large sites and fairly private. Access to water and bathrooms. Close to Lake McDonald and many amazing trailheads. We were here for a fun friends adventure and enjoyed our time here. Huge fans of Glacier NP

We stayed at the Avalanche Creek Campground in Glacier after Labor Day weekend and had a great experience. It is a first-come first-serve campground so you have to get there in the morning especially in the summer in order to get a spot. But we found that after Labor Day it is easier. We stopped there at 2pm and still got a great spot. It is set in the woods and very well kept. Bathrooms left a little to be desired as they didn't have lights, so bring a headlamp and they aren't heated so dress warm. It was a nice quiet campground and very peaceful. The stargazing was great out here.

We camp with a 3 person tent and just one vehicle.

We would definitely stay there again.

A gorgeous campground in the Crown Jewel of the National Park System!

This campground is only open during the summer and fall. It is beautiful. The hike is through a pretty forest with many large trees. The running water in the gorge is so clear.

Cabins available, bathrooms, dirt floor campsites, clean, metal fire pits and running water at this campground. Shaded, insect pests are minimal. This place is like a surreal dream. Ancient turquoise waters as crystal clear as the Glacier ice! Peaceful camp settled among whispering Cedars like a mix of Montana Mountains and Japanese Gardens. It's a beautiful hike the the gorge and lake. A Must see in Glacier Park!!

There's a very short handicap accessible plank trail called Trail of the Cedars at this pull-off and a few mile in and out hike to Avalanche Lake. No solitude, but great easy hike for people of all ages.

GLACIER SUMMER ADVICE: All campsites in the park can and do fill up. Check this website to see what is available and what time the campsites are filling up each day (Hint: sometimes it is 8 a.m.) http://home.nps.gov/applications/glac/cgstatus/cgstatus.cfm