Big Nelson Campground
This campground, on the shoreline of Cooper's Lake near Ovando, Montana, is a semi-remote, developed campground which offers shady rest and a beautiful view of the lake and adjacent mountains. The Bob Marshall and Scapegoat wildernesses are 7 miles away by trail. Big Nelson has tent camping only. No camping is allowed in the parking lot and no trailers are permitted.
More like this: first-come in Montana · tent only in Montana
Amenities & rules
| Equipment | Tents |
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Season & status
| Status | Open |
| Forest | Lolo National Forest |
| Booking | No reservations are taken. |
| Rules | Tent camping only. No trailers and no camping in the parking lot. Food storage orders are in place. Please see our Bear Safety and Food storage Information for important information about food storage to protect you and the bears from unwanted encounters. |
Weather by month
Getting there
| Coordinates | 47.0702° N, 112.9221° W · Directions ↗ |
Fire nearby
- PrescribedGill Gulch Piles Rx
19 mi from the campground · 10 acres
- PrescribedRx D6 Horseshoe West Unit 23
21 mi from the campground · 115 acres
- PrescribedRx D6 Horseshoe West Unit 20
22 mi from the campground · 99 acres
- PrescribedRx D6 Horseshoe West Unit 37
23 mi from the campground · 72 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.
Supplies & services
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 21.5 mi |
| RV sales & service | D & D RV Center ↗ | 54.7 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
No site-by-site records, no fee schedule, no directions or photos in the Recreation.gov record. What is here comes from the agency's own listing. The rest lives there.
Checked nightly. Modules appear as soon as the record fills in.
Explore
Video
RVing to Alaska | Campground Review | Triple G Hideaway Fort Nelson BC
Worth a stop
- 1.6 miDry Creek Trailhead ↗Trailhead
Trails nearby
- 0.5 miCoopers Lake3.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
- 1.1 miBear Creek ↗5.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
- 1.5 miBear Creek/ Penney Lake0.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
- 1.8 miDry Creek Trail1.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 2.3 miMcCabe Cr - N Fk Blackfoot ↗28.9 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski
- 2.4 miWindy Pass/ Mineral Creek2.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
Trailheads within three miles
- 1.6 miDry Creek Trailhead ↗Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest
Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.
Public land it sits in
This campground sits inside Lolo National Forest.
- inLolo National Forest ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 2,625,457 acres
- 2.6 miScapegoat Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 259,756 acres
Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.
Other campgrounds nearby
Cabin and lookout rentals nearby
On the National Register nearby
- Monture Guard StationHistoric district · Ovando · 11.5 mi
- Lincoln Community HallBuilding · Lincoln · 13.6 mi
- Lincoln LodgeBuilding · Lincoln · 13.8 mi
Guidebooks for Montana
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
Do I need a reservation at Big Nelson Campground?
No. Big Nelson Campground is first-come, first-served. No reservations are taken. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.
Source: Forest Service
Is Big Nelson Campground open right now?
Open as of Oct 26, 2026.
Source: Forest Service status
Can I bring an RV to Big Nelson Campground?
Big Nelson Campground is listed for tents only.
Source: Forest Service
What if Big Nelson Campground is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Monture Creek Campground (11.2 mi, first-come), Copper Creek Campground (14.3 mi, first-come), and Aspen Grove Group Use Area (19.7 mi).
Source: Campgrounds nearby