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Swan Creek Campground is located in the scenic Gallatin Canyon, on the Bozeman Ranger District of the Gallatin National Forest, in southwestern Montana. It is 31 miles south of Bozeman.
The surrounding area offers many outdoor recreational opportunities, including fishing, rafting, hiking and viewing local wildlife.
Great opportunities for hiking, fishing, scenic driving and wildlife viewing are available in the area surrounding the campground. Anglers cast for rainbow, brown, brook and cutthroat trout, whitefish and Arctic grayling on the Gallatin River. Rafting and kayaking are popular activities as well.
Many trails can be found in Gallatin Canyon. The Swan Creek Trail begins within the campground. Golden Trout Lakes Trail begins up nearby Portal Creek Road, five miles south of the campground.
The campground offers single-family campsites. Vault toilets, drinking water and trash collection are provided. Roads within the campground are paved, but parking spurs are gravel. Firewood is available at Greek Creek Campground for $6.00 per bundle.
The campground sits next to scenic Swan Creek, a tributary of the Gallatin River. It is just off Highway 191, at an elevation of 5,800 feet. A beautiful, dense forest of spruce and fir trees covers the campground.
A variety of wildlife makes its home in this scenic canyon. Visitors can often glimpse bald eagles, bighorn sheep, moose, elk, mountain goats, deer and coyotes. Black bears and grizzly bears also live in the canyon.
From Bozeman, travel south on Highway 191 for 30 miles to the Swan Creek turnoff. Turn left and go a half-mile to the campground.
From West Yellowstone, travel 58 miles north on Highway 191. Turn right at Swan Creek turnoff and go a half-mile to the campground.
The first two vehicles are included in the reservation fee and a $8.00 fee for each additional vehicle will be collected at the campground.
Availability is released from Fri, May 26th 2023 through Tue, September 5th 2023. This campground is open as first-come, first-served (FCFS) from Tue, May 16th 2023 through Fri, May 26th 2023. During this time it does not offer reservations in advance.
Had a great time! Saw a moose and plenty of deer, then we went into Bozeman and visited the Grizzley Encounter....... The campground itself was beautiful and shady with forest all around!
True camping!
Awesome. Not enough snow for snowshoeing yet but hiking was pleasant . * Fresh meow'zer tracks on way back down* gate is closed- travel from highway parking lot
Beautiful. Camped with 35 ft RV towing a car. Spacious site 8 was shady and the creek is right there. Also a hiking trail at the end of the road that goes back to a beaver dam and a lake where we watched bald eagles.
One of the best camping experiences I’ve ever had. Was in site #4. It’s relatively isolated and private. Right on the creek so we slept like angels. Hiking behind (east) of the campground was amazing, my girlfriend and I took the hike up the creek and didn’t see a single other person all day. Pretty waterfall and marshy beaver pond back there, then onto wildflowers and more forest. We’ll definitely be back .We camped in a tent through some thunderstorms overnight a couple nights, even without that it was so romantic and perfect. No people and just the sound of the creek and wildlife. 2 small loops make this a gem! You won’t regret staying here.
I want to give this 5 stars for the beauty and incredible plants, trees and creek, but it SERIOUSLY needs some mosquito abatement. We went at the end of June, I don’t know If that was mosquito hatch season or what, but we couldn’t even leave our camper or tent without 5-10 mosquitoes landing on us immediately. We stayed one night and left early (our reservation was longer) the next day, not even the cool of the morning could keep them away long. That being said, when we did venture out in sweat shirts, pants and sprays, we got amazing photos. My advice: just jog everywhere and hope you don’t get bit every time you step outdoors.
