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Devil's Elbow Recreation Area is situated on the picturesque "Devil's Elbow" of Hauser Lake. Just a short drive from Helena, the area offers stunning views of the Big Belt and Elkhorn mountains. The area is overflowing with outdoor adventure opportunities. Whether you're into fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing, hiking, mountain biking, boating or all of the above; all of these things are immediately accessed from (the greater) Hauser Lake Recreation Area. There is surely an activity for everyone! While just a short drive from Helena, the state capital; the feeling of seclusion and abundant nature is sure to impress.
Devil's Elbow offers excellent recreational access. Devil's Elbow has a small beach area, picnic areas, as well as a ramada/pavilion with power and lights, available by advanced reservation. There are vault toilets located in convenient locations throughout the area. There is a network of non-motorized dirt, gravel and paved trails throughout Devil's Elbow, Two Camps Vista and Clark's Bay that allow you to walk or bike around the area without contending with vehicles. There are multiple trails within the larger Hauser Lake Recreation area, as well as multiple fishing access sites, hunting access, wildlife viewing and of course, boating. There are several world class mountain biking trails in the area as well. The recreation opportunities in the area are truly boundless.
Devil's Elbow offers several amenities that will make your stay enjoyable and comfortable. Devil's Elbow is a 48-site campground that has spacious and level gravel parking pads that accommodate RVs, camper trailers and tents. Of the 48 sites, there are five sites that are specifically designated for tents. Reservations are available for Loop A and Group Site-Loop C, which accommodate both RVs and tents. Each campsite is large enough to accommodate any size RV or camper trailer in addition to extra room for tents and parking.
Devil's Elbow features a large concrete boat launch with a courtesy dock, as well as day use and overnight dock slips for campers. The docks are first-come, first-served with no assigned slips. A fish cleaning station is available near the day-use parking at Devil's Elbow. There are men's and women's vault toilets located in each loop of the campground as well as near the boat launch. There is potable water provided throughout the campground and day use areas, as well as garbage dumpsters. Every campsite contains a fire ring with a grill grate in addition to a picnic table. There are also picnic tables and small pavilions throughout the areas and benches along the lake to take in the views. There is a small marina, general store with gas and a bar/restaurant just a half mile away.
The campground and day use areas are situated in a shrub-steppe landscape, mostly comprised of sage brush and bunch grasses. Every campsite has a view of the lake and mountains. While there are some ponderosa pine and deciduous trees throughout the area, they are scarce and do not provide a large amount of shade, but the lake does help keep the temperatures down a bit on those hot summer days.
Devil's Elbow is located in a prime location to get out and recreate outdoors, or within the capital of Montana. There are hundreds of miles of trails, Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service lands, state parks, the Lewis and Clark Trail and so much more.
Helena (only a short drive away) has all the amenities of a large city with small town charm. There are great restaurants, museums, the capitol building, old mining settlements, Last Chance Gulch, Reeder's Alley and a vibrant downtown with a walking mall area.
**Reservation Cancellations & Changes**
• Cancelling a Reservation: Customers may cancel their reservation prior to arrival both on-line and through the call center. A $10 service fee will be withheld from any refund for a cancellation. Depending on when you cancel in relation to your arrival day, it may be considered a late cancellation (see below).
• Group Facility (including Cabins and Lookouts): Customers who cancel a group overnight facility reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee.
**Late Cancellations or Cancellations within the Cut-off Window**
• Individual Campsites: A customer who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee.
The recreation.gov cancellation policy can be found here: https://www.recreation.gov/rules-reservation-policies
Devil's Elbow Campground is located at 5965 York Road, Helena, Montana 59601. From Interstate 90 driving from Bozeman, exit at Exit: 274 US 287 Helena/Ennis; right turn to continue north on 287 and continue for 57 miles. Turn right onto Lake Helena Drive, then turn right in 450 feet to stay on Lake Helena Drive. Continue for 4 miles through the roundabout. Turn right onto York Road and drive 6.2 miles to Devil's Elbow Recreation Area. From Helena/Butte/Great Falls: Drive to (or exit from I-15 onto) Custer Avenue, head east on Custer Ave. Take left turn onto York Road. Continue on for 16 miles to Devil's Elbow Recreation Area; or take the Lincoln RD exit on I-15, Head East on Lincoln Road until it intersects with Lake Helena Dr (T-Intersection). Take a right (South) on Lake Helena Dr (this route contains portions of dirt and gravel roads) and continue until the road turns back into pavement, take a left (East) on Deal Lane and follow the road until it terminates at York Road. Take a left (North) on York Road and continue for about 2 miles to Devil's Elbow.
Additional Camping Units: $15 per day/night
Loop C: $50 per reservation for the Ramada/Pavilion plus $15 per night for each site. Max of 2 RVs or tents per site. Each RV/tent costs $15.
***** You must occupy your campsite every night that you have reserved. If you do not show up for 24 hours from "Check-In Time" (2:00 PM), you forfeit the use of that site and are not entitled to any refunds or discounts. *****
***** You must occupy the site you reserved and cannot change sites, or move to a different loop of the campground.*****
We stopped here for the night as it's midway between Yellowstone and glacier parks. We also went on the gates of the mountain boat tour nearby. This campground was a super surprise. The views and walkways throughout are gorgeous. The only reason I'm not giving 5 stars is that the bathroom is only an outhouse with no showers or running water. That said, even that was a pleasant surprise. Considering it was an outhouse, it was airy, clean and well lit. My kids and I enjoyed walking the trails around the grounds and the beautiful views. I would absolutely visit this campground again if I find myself in the area.
This is a beautiful campground with no services. Spots are large and level. About 20 minutes from Helena, it’s worth the drive if you don’t need hookups or more than vault toilets.
Very peaceful campground. $15 a night. Loop C closed. Loop A only reservations. B and D first come first serve. Very quiet. All spots are big enough for the longest RV. There are also tent camping spots. About 4 or 5 of them overlooking the great MO. There are volt toilets. Probably the cleanest volts I've ever seen or smell. I didn't meet the host but we waved and from his energy, they seemed like very nice people. Currently no fires allowed. Every spot has picnic tables. No showers and pets allowed.
My husband and I only went water boarding and fishing. But it was a nice place. We did not catch any fish due to there being a lot of boats around, but still a relaxing day in the sun.
Me and my husband had a great time camping out. We've never been to devil's elbow before our first time. The host was very wonderful. I would recommend if you are going there with just couple like Vibess go on the weekdays. Because it really does get filled up with family and friends on the weekends.
