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TUCQUALA's avatar
TUCQUALA
Explorer
Jun 03, 2016

Yaak River MT Dispersed Camping??

Heading up to the Yaak River area in NW Montana just after the 4th. Looking for any leads to dispersed sites in the Kootenai Nat Forest along or near Hwy 508/FR 58. Any local info appreciated!!!


Gerry
  • So why don't you call the Three Rivers Ranger district in Troy MT? A google search will provide you with a number. They will be able to tell you what you need to know and will probably send you there travel map which will show areas for dispersed camping if they even have areas set up and it's not the usual camp where you can deal.
  • TUCQUALA wrote:
    We camp almost exclusively in "dispersed" sites in WA & OR, and know that they are not marked nor official!! Our trailer is about 34ft long and I always try to find out some local info and use any map sources to help with the chase and try to not get into a bad situation. I am asking here as an additional source of info from anybody that has been in that area, lives in or near that area, or may have used any sites. We may end up using a NF campground, will see.

    Sorry to sound unappreciative, but like most topics on this board, there are always the unhelpful answers with no real info!! Such as: "Good luck! Sometimes you only get what your own effort will provide". This IS part of my own effort!!!

    I will accept that maybe nobody has any info, even Montanans!! We'll see.
    Sorry we tried to help!!!:S
  • Well, I just followed my advice above and in ten minutes found 11 promising spots that could be confirmed with a little on the ground recon. I guess I can only help myself.
  • We camp almost exclusively in "dispersed" sites in WA & OR, and know that they are not marked nor official!! Our trailer is about 34ft long and I always try to find out some local info and use any map sources to help with the chase and try to not get into a bad situation. I am asking here as an additional source of info from anybody that has been in that area, lives in or near that area, or may have used any sites. We may end up using a NF campground, will see.

    Sorry to sound unappreciative, but like most topics on this board, there are always the unhelpful answers with no real info!! Such as: "Good luck! Sometimes you only get what your own effort will provide". This IS part of my own effort!!!

    I will accept that maybe nobody has any info, even Montanans!! We'll see.
  • In my experience dispersed sites are not marked, as most of the land is open for dispersed camping as long as the rules are followed, so there are no official 'sites'.
  • I've camped at some of the campgrounds along the Yaak, but not dispersed. They are forest service and quite nice along the river, some being riverfront. There are quite a few forest service roads off the hiway and I would think that there would be spots on those road to camp. Good luck, Bill
  • Regarding the 2 above responses, neither have any info I am looking for!! Thanks, but uscampgrounds.info only shows Nat Forest established campgrounds, not dispersed sites, and the MVUM maps do not show dispersed sites. They do have dispersed info and rules, but no sites are noted.

    I am looking for any local info or info from members who have camped in dispersed sites outside of the NF campgrounds. Very little info for the Yaak available!!!!