$14 - $15 / night

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Official

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Nature

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Facilities

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Buildings

Established Camping

Downstream (MT)

13 Reviews

About

US Army Corps of Engineers

Fort Peck Project

Overview

Downstream Campground is located just below Fort Peck Dam on the Missouri River in northeastern Montana. Recreation enthusiasts and sportsmen enjoy the beauty of Fort Peck Lake's 1,500 miles of shoreline. A variety of high quality outdoor activities are available, including camping, boating, fishing, hunting, sightseeing and wildlife viewing.__ Fort Peck Dam, which impounds Fort Peck Lake is the first dam built in the upper Missouri River Basin. The area surrounding Fort Peck was first charted by Lewis and Clark in 1804, and the pristine natural condition of the river and surrounding area awed the renowned explorers. When President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized the Fort Peck project in 1933, thousands of people from all over the country migrated to Montana during the midst of the Great Depression in hopes of earning a living. Today, Fort Peck Lake is a sportsman's paradise with excellent fishing, wildlife viewing and other countless outdoor recreation opportunities.____ For more information, visit the Fort Peck Project Website or call 406-526-3411.

Recreation

The vast size of Fort Peck Lake and its remoteness from major population centers provide a variety of high quality outdoor experiences. Popular recreation activities include camping, boating, fishing, hunting, sight-seeing, picnicking, biking, hiking, photography, watching wildlife and just relaxing.____ Fort Peck Lake: Fifteen hundred miles of pristine shoreline serve as a haven for those wishing to get away from the stresses of modern life. There are 27 recreation areas located around the reservoir. The areas near and around the dam offer paved roads, electricity, showers and playgrounds while facilities around the rest of the lake are more primitive with gravel roads, picnic tables and vault toilets. Access roads to many of the remote areas may be impassable in inclement weather.____ Fishing: Fort Peck Lake enjoys nationwide recognition as a hot spot for walleye fishing. Fort Peck Lake provides excellent boating and fishing opportunities. The lake also offers excellent fishing for sauger, smallmouth bass, lake trout, chinook salmon and northern pike. The introduction of cisco as a forage fish in 1983 proved successful and has increased both the size and number of game fish.______ Wildlife Viewing/Hunting: The Fort Peck Lake Area and the Charles M. Russell Wildlife Refuge provide superb hunting of deer, elk, big horn sheep, and prong horn. The Missouri River Breaks are known for producing large elk and other game animals.Trails: Three miles of paved nature trails wind along the Missouri River and through the surrounding wooded area. This trail area is a popular birding and wildlife viewing area. Disc Golf Course: A disc golf course "The Fortress" was installed in summer of 2021. Discs are available to check out at the gate house.__ Interpretive Center & Museum: The Fort Peck Dam Interpretive Center and Museum offers displays of wildlife dioramas, aquariums, dinosaur fossils and dam construction history. Open Friday through Monday 9am to 4pm.

Facilities

Downstream Campground offers 86 family campsites, 71 of which have electrical hookups; 16 sites are tent-only. One large group campsite is available with electrical hookups. Five day-use picnic shelters are available for reservations, all with electrical hookups as well as two overnight group use areas with shelters.The campground offers flush and vault toilets, showers, playgrounds, a basketball court and horseshoe pits. A dump station and fish cleaning station are located on-site.__

Natural Features

A shady grove of cottonwoods covers the grassy campground, making Downstream a pleasant place during the heat of the summer. In autumn, the leaves turn a beautiful golden yellow. Three fishing ponds, including scenic Winter Harbor, dot the landscape below the dam.

Nearby Attractions

Fort Peck Lake is a Montana treasure for its vast size and outdoor recreation opportunities. Six recreation areas within a few miles of the dam provide access for water sports, fishing and hunting.____ The Fort Peck Interpretive Center and Museum, is located just downstream of Fort Peck Dam. For more information, call 406-526-3493.__ The Leo B. Coleman Wildlife Pasture, located just outside the Town of Fort Peck and Downstream Campground is home to Fort Peck's Bison Herd and provides an excellent wildlife viewing auto route.__ __The Historic Fort Peck Theater is located in the town of Ft. Peck is a popular historic destination in summer months.____ The 1.1 million acre Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge surrounds Fort Peck Lake and helps preserve the natural habitat for numerous wildlife species.

contact_info

For facility specific information, please call (406) 526-3224.

Charges & Cancellations

Reservation changes and cancellations can be made on Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777.____ For more information on rules and policies regarding reservation cancellations and changes, please visit: https://www.recreation.gov/rules-reservation-policies.______

Fee Info

<p>Camping and shelter reservations can be made at Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777.</p>

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Location

Downstream (MT) is located in Montana

Directions

From Nashua, MT, travel on Highway 117 south for 10.5 miles continue straight onto Yellowstone Rd for 1 mile and the campground will be on the left. From Glasgow, MT, travel on Highway 24 south for 18 miles to Fort Peck Dam. Turn Left onto Highway 117 travel 2.5 miles. Turn right at intersection onto Yellowstone Rd continue 1 mile and the campground will be on the left. From Interstate 94, Glendive/Circle exit, take MT highway 200 west to MT highway 24 north 55 miles; turn right onto Yellowstone Rd drive 1.5 miles and campground will be on the right.

Address

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS DOWNSTREAM CAMPGROUND 123 YELLOWSTONE RD
Fort peck, MT 59223

Coordinates

48.006718 N
106.428098 W

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site
Walk-In
Park in a lot, walk to your site.

Stay Connected

WiFi
Fair
Verizon
Good
AT&T
Good
T-Mobile
Poor

Site Types

Tent Sites
RV Sites
Standard (Tent/RV)
Group
Cabins
Tent Cabin

Features

For Campers

Trash
Picnic Table
Firewood Available
Phone Service
WiFi
Drinking Water
Electric Hookups
Toilets
Alcohol
Pets
Fires

For Vehicles

Sanitary Dump
Sewer Hookups
Water Hookups
Pull-Through Sites
Big Rig Friendly

SEE WHAT'S AVAILABLE

$14 - $15

/ night

First Come - First Served

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Contact

General Info

Lee D.

Legend

Reviewed Nov. 1, 2023

Education and Recreation

General: 86-site US Army Corps of Engineers Campground located on the Missouri River in four loops, each with a different name: Lismas, New Deal, Wheeler, and Faranuf. Wheeler is for tent sites, the camper pads are gravel, and there are no electric hookups; the other three loops have mostly 30-amp but several 50-amp sites and the camper pads are paved. Faranuf has pull-thru sites that can accommodate larger RVs.

Site Quality: All sites are level and are spaced a decent distance apart from each other. There are some trees for shade but still many are in full sun.

Bath/Shower House: The New Deal and Wheeler loops have vault toilets and Lismas, and Faranuf have flush toilets and showers. The restroom in Faranuf is air-conditioned! The one in Lismas appears new (the old one is still standing but roped off) but points off for no soap! Also no hand sanitizer in the vault toilet in New Deal.

Activities: There is a paved recreation path that circles the campground and is about 2.5 miles. Other recreation activities include basketball, volleyball, horseshoes, cornhole, disk golf, and two playgrounds (one in Faranuf and the other in the day-use area). Recreation equipment is available to borrow. There is also a wonderful interpretive center where you can learn about the history of the dam, as well as past and present wildlife. In the summer, it is open Friday– Monday, 9 am– 4 pm and the hours are less in other seasons. A must if you have kids! Many in the campground had boats. Kelly, the volunteer at the gatehouse, was effusive about all the area had to offer.

We were only there for one night passing through, but we did visit the interpretive center, and run on the nature trail. The only bummer about this campground was the persistent wasps that made eating and sitting outside challenging.

Site58

Month of VisitSeptember

(14) View All

Robert R.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 24, 2023

Nice and Clean, But Barely any River or Lake Access Without a Boat

Very spacious campground. I was impressed with the sites - lots of mature trees, and they have a reasonably long (4ish mile) nature trail.

One thing I found disappointing was that there is very little river or lake access nearby without a boat. I could barely find any place to let my dog cool off in the lake. Even the nature trail never gets closer than about 50 yards to the river, and is separated from it by a swampy, mosquito infested, cattail laden barrier. They need to provide more beach access. The only swimming beach is a few miles up the road, and as you guessed, NO DOGS ALLOWED. That's a shame, because my dog is cleaner and better behaved than most people.

Be aware that this part of Montana is the Great Plains, and it gets very hot in the summer. Right now, July 24th we're supposed to have a high of 102. And my particular campsite has NO SHADE whatsoever.

This is a much better place to stay if you have a boat, as the lake is really the only attraction here. It's just too bad there is such limited access unless you have a boat.

The nearest town is Glasgow, some, 20ish miles away, and there ain't much there. Fort Peck is closer, about 4 miles, but there's nothing there but a little convenience store.

IMPORTANT: If you're coming in from the east or west on US 2, BE SURE YOU TAKE THE "TRUCK ROUTE" Highway 42 down to the lake, NOT the regular Highway 42, which has a VERY LOW CLEARANCE BRIDGE. I had to stop, and flag down a sheriff's deputy who graciously held traffic up so I could back out of my predicament. There's no warning sign. I made a right hand turn onto 42, and BOOM, there it was a block up the road. 12 feet, 2 inches. My 5th wheel is 13'6".

**NOT FUN**

**IMPORTANT: Don't be tempted to park under the cottonwood trees. Your vehicle will be COVERED with some kind of sap...took two car washes to get it off.
**

Site61

Month of VisitAugust

Mimi

Legend

Reviewed Jun. 21, 2022

Beautiful!

This is an amazing campground on the shore of the Missouri River by Fort Peck Dam. Nice big sites. Bathhouses are less that 2 years old. Great park like seeing with playground, volleyball net, basketball court and horseshoe pits. They even lend out the equipment you need!

It's a short walk to a really wonderful interpretive center - definitely worthwhile to visit! And there's a great trail system to walk on and enjoy the views.

Site82

Month of VisitJuly

(10) View All

Chris L.

Guide

Reviewed Jun. 20, 2022

Peaceful stay

Very nice, spacious campground. Clean grounds and facilities, with a new shower house. Electric only at the sites, but fresh water fill and dump station available.

Site25

Month of VisitJuly

Robyn B.

Guide

Reviewed Sep. 22, 2021

Very nice COE campground

Great staff at gate. Sites are very well spaced. Half full at best in mid September. Nice bike and walking trail, and view of the dam. Interesting history. We had electric. Clean restrooms and showers. I loved the space around us and it was really quiet. Agree with another reviewer that it would be a great dark sky park. That is the reason for four instead of five stars.

Site44

Month of VisitOctober

Jessica B.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 11, 2021

Great camping area, clean, quiet, friendly

Always friendly, helpful people, well kept and clean. Biking, walking trails along river with fishing ponds. Nice park area for playing. Sites are well spaced and decent size. Easy drive to boat and swimming access.

Chip K.

Ranger

Reviewed Sep. 29, 2020

Beautiful park

Well cared for. Most sites are electric. Didn't see any with water or sewer hookups besides the host sites. Hosts were super friendly. Only con is i wish they would move to more dark sky lighting standards, there are a lot of bright lights around the park that make it difficult to see the night skies.

Jim

Traveler

Reviewed Sep. 23, 2020

great spot

very quiet, very clean and well kept, staff are very friendly and helpful. the camp has a network of great bike trails and would be a swell spot for a family vacation. loved it.

Jim

Traveler

Reviewed Sep. 22, 2020

very nice

this is a great place. spots are spaced out and well kept. staff are extremely friendly and helpful. this was a great stay

Clayton B.

Traveler

Reviewed Sep. 2, 2020

Large Open Sites

Fort Peck Downstream Campground is a real gem. My son and I were there for four days, 8/29-9/1/2020. My son is a quad and uses a power chair.

Benefits: This campground is run by the Army Corps of Engineers, and it shows. Well paved roads, wide spaces, lots of room between spaces, laid out logically and well, and plenty of power. The service buildings are clean and well kept, and one of the shower / lavatory buildings is brand new with easy wheelchair access. Surrounding the camp are roughly five miles of mostly paved trails, perfect for early morning or late night walks. Night time and clear skies bring out great star gazing. The campground easily accommodates the largest rigs, with spaces large enough to handle 45' Coaches / Toads / and Boats all together. There is also a 'group' space that could handle, I'm guessing, around 200 people. Most electrical hookups are 30A; roughly 1/3 are 50A. There are tons of things to see, and walking to the town of Fort Peck is ok for those in reasonable shape (I'm 57 and .. eh .. well rounded ... ); if you have a bike it is a snap to get there. The very small town does have a grocery, restaurant, and hardware store. Glasgow is just 30 minutes up the road.

Tradeoffs: This is not a campground one can just show up at and get in. Being a Federal facility, it is, of course, a Federal process to 'check in'. One must, without exception, set up an account with the website recreation.gov ... note it is 'gov' not 'com'. Next, one must pick dates and location ... a difficult process without any knowledge of the layout of the campground or what sites are close to what ... like playgrounds ... or bathrooms for those traveling without. It is critical one does this BEFORE getting there ... as cell service is spotty at best and the folks at the gatehouse are not allowed to help or use their phone. Don't ask how I know this, just take my word for it. Trying to find cell service on a narrow two lane road in the middle of no where driving a 12 ton bread box is not a good time. Just saying. Once in, however, it is great. This campground is on the high prairie ... it can be very windy, and storms come in fast. If mountains and lots of pine trees are what you are looking for, this isn't it. There are, however, lots of cottonwoods and tons of birds. The campground is at the foot of the largest earthfill dam in the United States, and amongst other things, it produces power. Which means that, especially at night, one can hear the steady hum of the generators outside. Being male with selective hearing, didn't bother me a bit. However, it might bother you. In the summer, it can be very hot and dry, mid 90's are not unusual. Night time lows are usually in the low 60's on down. If you are there in the fall, it may well get into the lower 30's / upper 20's.

Things to be aware of: Make your reservation before you get there. (Recreation.gov). There is no water at the sites, however, spigots are scattered throughout the camp, if one has 50 feet of hose they can probably get to a spigot to 'top off the tank' ...

There is a dump station on the road into the camp, there are no full service sites. The dump station is at most a mile away, and easy to get to if your teenager takes a twenty minute shower and fills the tank ... be aware that there are nice showers on site, at both ends of the camp. The camp hosts are very friendly and helpful, even to old cranks like me who show up not knowing about making a reservation.

For those who are in a wheelchair, this campground is a real treat. There are miles of relatively flat, paved, walkways, including to fishing ponds. The showers and facilities are handicap accessible, and one shower is specifically set up for folks in wheelchairs.

Site40

Month of VisitSeptember

Jessica S.

Traveler

Reviewed Jul. 25, 2019

Great campground!

Great, well kept campground. Great views, great walking paths. Wildlife sightings were abundant!

Reliable hook ups, clean showers. Go back every year!

Month of VisitJuly

(5) View All

Cat T.

Traveler

Reviewed Oct. 11, 2018

Peaceful

Camped in early September. Beautiful campground with large trees. Quiet and peaceful. Has power at most sites. Sites are large and level. Will have new restrooms open next year. Army Corps of Engineers so less than $20. Half price for seniors.

Month of VisitOctober

Samantha L.

Traveler

Reviewed Aug. 3, 2018

Clean, quiet, shady, fun.

We love going to the Downstream campground at Fort Peck Dam.

There are tons of shade trees, many different types of camping spots, fishing ponds, walking/running trails all around the campground, and great shower facilities.

Month of VisitAugust