Wade Lake (MT)

We reserved site #20 which was beautiful, private & very serene. However, trying to get this reservation was dam near impossible! If you want to spend every morning ready to click "Add to Cart", then rec.gov is your place to go!! I spent countless days trying to get ANY site reservation. When I did get one for 7 days, I tried to reserve a site for my daughter & family for 2 nights. The website would not le me reserve another one in my name because I already had one!! BS!!! there were many campsites reserved campsite reserved with no one in them!! This reservation system does not work & shoud definitely be revamped to work for the people, not against them!!! And most of the reservations are taken by out of staters! What about Montana residents?! We shoud always have first picks at our campsites!

Lovely place. We stayed at site 25 which was super close to another campsite, but everyone was respectful and it was totally fine. We could walk down to the lake easily from there. I can’t get over what a beautiful place this is. We rented a canoe from Wade Lake resort for the day and had a blast. Couldn’t have been better weather and no bugs.

Beautiful clear lake in which swimming trout are visible.

As always I had a wonderful experience in my spot close to the lake, I'll come back again next year!

It was fun having our own lake access and a place for kids to explore. We were also close to the bathroom which kids accessed it easily.

Great spot, camp ground showed booked but there were empty spots. The sound of generators all night makes it less than appealing. We will be back, just at a less busy time

Phenomenal staff dedicated to managing the gorgeous lands of the Madison RD. Papoose trail 355 up to the cradle lakes is phenomenal, and always in good shape.

Wade Lake has a special place in my heart because over 60 years ago my family camped there often. The road was rough and unpaved all the way from the highway to the lake. We waterskied in that cold water and fished, trolling the deepest portions of the lake and catching many good sized trout, but never a lunker like the 29 lb brown trout that held the state record until recently. Being older, I appreciate the serenity that comes with limiting the motor boats on the lake. My recent visit, the first in 43 years, was better than I expected. It was quiet, I hiked a little, watched the kayakers and paddleboarders, wishing I had my own so I could fly fish in the early morning when the fish were rising. A thunder and lightning storm came through one night along with a good rain, that dampened the potential fire danger. The storm ended in a magnificent sunset. Bug repellent is essential. Bear spray is recommended if you plan on getting away from the campsite on the hiking trails. There are bears that frequent the area all summer. I definitely plan on going back later in the summer, more prepared to enjoy this nostalgic area that holds so many memories.

The upper sites especially were extremely disappointing
Specifically site 19 shared with the one above. The tent spots were 6’ apart and the tables were next to each other. If we had tents, there would have not been a spot for them unless it was 5x5 max. I am not okay with literally sharing a spot with random strangers. Around the fire pits also wasnt leveled and so you couldn’t really sit around the fire. The flies were also terrible but i understand that isnt controllable

Wade Lake is beautiful and the campground is well maintained. It is an excellent place for family recreation.