Devil's Elbow Campground

there was no water for our campfires, we were told we would have to go to the lake to get it. I am 66 yrs old with a bad back. Also the irrigation system does not appear to have been used since everything is all dried up. We have been coming to this campground for years and it is in the worst condition we have ever seen it, It is sad to see it in such bad conditions.

there was no water for our campfires, we were told we would have to go to the lake to get it. I am 66 yrs old with a bad back. Also the irrigation system does not appear to have been used since everything is all dried up. We have been coming to this campground for years and it is in the worst condition we have ever seen it, It is sad to see it in such bad conditions.

there was no water for our campfires, we were told we would have to go to the lake to get it. I am 66 yrs old with a bad back. Also the irrigation system does not appear to have been used since everything is all dried up. We have been coming to this campground for years and it is in the worst condition we have ever seen it, It is sad to see it in such bad conditions.

Great place to stay if you don’t mind dry camping. Boat slips are nice and campsites are large in size. Pit toilets are the cleanest I have ever used.

Devil's Elbow campground was a delight, with only a couple hickups. I am going to discuss those first.
1. The Recreation.Gov site indicates there is water on site. And there was. However, all of the public hydrants were locked up due to 'not being tested'. However, in talking with the folks who worked there, it turns out the water to the Camp Host and BLM Supervisor's house / building come out of the very same well, and they seemingly were dealing with the testing issue just fine. When the temps are knocking on the door of 100 every day, water would have surely been nice to have for the numerous tenters and campers there that couldn't carry their own.
2. Minor ... the directions given for getting there were overly complicated and arguably dangerous to follow in the middle of the night for someone who doesn't know the area. There is a turnoff in Helena that takes one straight to the campground. All paved, no narrow windy gravel roads.

Now the Good. My son is in a powered wheelchair, the paved trails were an absolute godsend for him. He put no fewer than 20 miles on his chair over the four days we were there.
2. The site was wide, easy to back into, and, best of all, flat!
3. The campground was as close to spotless as a BLM campground with high traffic can be. The hosts did a great job of keeping the grounds clean, latrines stocked, and helping people when they could.
4. Quiet hours were enforced, and while it would have been nice to have another hour to run the A/C on those hot nights, I very much appreciated the quiet at night and in the nice, cool mornings.

And, a word of advice. I forgot to rent a boat for our trip. There are a number of excellent boat rental places in and around Helena. If you don't have one, I strongly suggest renting one for a day .... it may seem expensive but, trust me on this, that expense is a heck of a lot less expensive than owning one! Been there, done that. A fun Place, but bring water!

Great place to stay if you don’t mind dry camping. Boat slips are nice and campsites are large in size. Pit toilets are the cleanest I have ever used.

Devil's Elbow campground was a delight, with only a couple hickups. I am going to discuss those first.
1. The Recreation.Gov site indicates there is water on site. And there was. However, all of the public hydrants were locked up due to 'not being tested'. However, in talking with the folks who worked there, it turns out the water to the Camp Host and BLM Supervisor's house / building come out of the very same well, and they seemingly were dealing with the testing issue just fine. When the temps are knocking on the door of 100 every day, water would have surely been nice to have for the numerous tenters and campers there that couldn't carry their own.
2. Minor ... the directions given for getting there were overly complicated and arguably dangerous to follow in the middle of the night for someone who doesn't know the area. There is a turnoff in Helena that takes one straight to the campground. All paved, no narrow windy gravel roads.

Now the Good. My son is in a powered wheelchair, the paved trails were an absolute godsend for him. He put no fewer than 20 miles on his chair over the four days we were there.
2. The site was wide, easy to back into, and, best of all, flat!
3. The campground was as close to spotless as a BLM campground with high traffic can be. The hosts did a great job of keeping the grounds clean, latrines stocked, and helping people when they could.
4. Quiet hours were enforced, and while it would have been nice to have another hour to run the A/C on those hot nights, I very much appreciated the quiet at night and in the nice, cool mornings.

And, a word of advice. I forgot to rent a boat for our trip. There are a number of excellent boat rental places in and around Helena. If you don't have one, I strongly suggest renting one for a day .... it may seem expensive but, trust me on this, that expense is a heck of a lot less expensive than owning one! Been there, done that. A fun Place, but bring water!

Great place to stay if you don’t mind dry camping. Boat slips are nice and campsites are large in size. Pit toilets are the cleanest I have ever used.

Devil's Elbow campground was a delight, with only a couple hickups. I am going to discuss those first.
1. The Recreation.Gov site indicates there is water on site. And there was. However, all of the public hydrants were locked up due to 'not being tested'. However, in talking with the folks who worked there, it turns out the water to the Camp Host and BLM Supervisor's house / building come out of the very same well, and they seemingly were dealing with the testing issue just fine. When the temps are knocking on the door of 100 every day, water would have surely been nice to have for the numerous tenters and campers there that couldn't carry their own.
2. Minor ... the directions given for getting there were overly complicated and arguably dangerous to follow in the middle of the night for someone who doesn't know the area. There is a turnoff in Helena that takes one straight to the campground. All paved, no narrow windy gravel roads.

Now the Good. My son is in a powered wheelchair, the paved trails were an absolute godsend for him. He put no fewer than 20 miles on his chair over the four days we were there.
2. The site was wide, easy to back into, and, best of all, flat!
3. The campground was as close to spotless as a BLM campground with high traffic can be. The hosts did a great job of keeping the grounds clean, latrines stocked, and helping people when they could.
4. Quiet hours were enforced, and while it would have been nice to have another hour to run the A/C on those hot nights, I very much appreciated the quiet at night and in the nice, cool mornings.

And, a word of advice. I forgot to rent a boat for our trip. There are a number of excellent boat rental places in and around Helena. If you don't have one, I strongly suggest renting one for a day .... it may seem expensive but, trust me on this, that expense is a heck of a lot less expensive than owning one! Been there, done that. A fun Place, but bring water!

Love this BLM park! The hosts were over the top great. The pit toilets were the Ritz Carlton of dry camping. The lots were twice the size of a regular Rv lots and nicely laid out. We saw lots of boating campers and while we are not boat owners we could see how this park would be great for camping and boating. Nice paths to walk and only only 15 minutes from Helena. Nice city with lots to offer. Also some great hiking in the area.

We would definitely stay here again and highly recommend to others.