Camping Near Lolo Montana - The Lost Longboarder

From Missoula we headed into the Lolo National Forest to find dispersed camping near Lolo. A few forest roads later we found a great place to boondock! Our new home was situated in a beautiful forested valley right next to South Fork Lolo Creek and a wide open meadow. This spot ended up being very peaceful, quiet and tranquil. But with many opportunities to get out and explore the area.

Lolo is a small town in Montana about 11 miles from Missoula. It’s a gateway to accessing many different adventures in southwestern Montana. Camping near Lolo is a good place to relax, explore and plan your next move.

cooking over the fire while camping near lolo

Heading north from Lolo is a gateway to Missoula and beyond. To the south, Lolo is a gateway to the many adventures to be had in the rugged Bitterroot Mountain Range. And you’ll find the Sapphire Mountains to the east. Of course not too far west from Lolo you’ll cross into Idaho. But before Idaho you’ll find Lolo Hot Springs which makes for a fun stop. Although, camping near Lolo in the national forest turned into a great destination in itself!

Quick Info

Directions: From Missoula, follow the US-12 W/ US-93 S for about 11 miles to Lolo. At the intersection turn right to follow the US-12 W/Lolo Creek Road. After 10 miles turn left onto Elk Meadows Road (FR 451). Follow this dirt road for about 2.5 miles before going left onto South Fork Lolo Creek Trail Road (FR 2160). After about 1.7 miles, the large dispersed spot is on the left before you cross the bridge.

Note: For easier directions, search for South Fork Lolo Creek Trail and the dispersed camp spot is just before it.

Cost: Free

Miles from Town: About 15 miles to Lolo.

Cell Service: None

Where to get Water: We filled up our 5 gallon jugs in Lolo.

Solar: Limited, lots of trees and set at the bottom of a valley.

Ownership: Forest Service; 14 day limit

Road Conditions: The dirt roads are in good condition but there are some bumps and ruts. It is curvy and steep in some places.

Our Experience Camping Near Lolo

Once we got in the Lolo National Forest vicinity, we turned onto Forest Road 451 to hunt for a dispersed camp site. It was a dirt road but in good driving condition. The road first passed fields of cattle and several cattle guards. After we went left, the road curved up and through the woods before it dropped back down into the next valley. We found a dispersed camp site just before the road crossed the bridge over South Fork Lolo Creek.

The spot was spacious, near the river and tucked into the peaceful forested valley. The spot was set back off of the road a bit and where was more than enough room for our 19 foot travel trailer.

Just a short walk on a trail from the edge of the camp spot led us to a big, green, open meadow with a nice camp fire area. This was a very peaceful place to enjoy the sunshine, relax and listen to nature. There were no other dispersed camp spots in close range so we had the area to ourselves.

Not far from this spot was a small parking area for the South Fork Lolo Creek Trailhead. During our week long stay it saw minimal traffic. According to the National Forest website, this trail is 10.4 miles long. We didn’t complete the hike but we did check out the trail. The trail passed through a beautiful forest, hugged a steep rocky slope, and paralleled Lolo Creek.

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During our time camping near Lolo we got curious and continued further on the forest road to check out the area a bit. Eventually the dirt road narrowed and a ways further it crossed into Idaho. The road passed several beautiful clearings, lots of wildflowers and led us to the very serene Lily Lake. We had no idea it was even there since we took the forest road further on a whim! We were pleasantly surprised and appreciative of the lakes beauty. It was so peaceful and wild.

On our way back we checked out another dispersed camp spot just a couple miles from where we were set up. It was big, flat and more open; good to have several options when heading into the forest to boondock.

exploring the trail while camping near lolo

All in all, camping near Lolo was a great place to stay and adventure. We’ve boondocked in a lot of places and we love finding gems like this one. There’s just something about boondocking… Each place seems to have its own energy and sets open minded campers up for a unique experience each time. Sometimes even just finding or getting to a spot can be part of the adventure! This dispersed camp spot was quiet, peaceful and adventurous at the same time. It felt wild and calming. This was our last stop in Montana for now but we look forward to exploring more of this beautiful state in the future.

Check out some more of The Lost Longboarders camping adventures here:

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