USDA Forest Service · Montana
Vigilante Campground
USDA Forest Service · Montana, United States
- Cost
- Overnight Use: Single Site: $15 per night Additional Vehicle: $5 per night
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Elevation
- 4,455 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile none · AT&T none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Access road
- VIGILANTE CAMPGROUND (NFSR 1108) · crushed aggregate or gravel · moderate degree of user comfort
- Nearest town
- York and Helena, MT
Season dates aren't confirmed for this campground yet - opening and closing dates haven't been verified. Check the operator's page or call ahead before you plan a trip.
Site map
The imagery of the campground. Press and hold the map to drop your own pins and notes; the operator publishes no site points here. Your ratings, notes, pins and photos are kept with the campground on your Saved list, the same list the camping map and the drive page keep.
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About
US Forest Service campground. Vigilante Campground is located approximately 24 miles northeast of Helena in the Big Belt Mountains. To access the campground travel northeast of Helena on Highway #280, across the Missouri River to the small community of York. At York continue driving straight on Road #4 to the campground. This 7 acre campground provides access to the Hanging Valley National Recreation Trail and the scenic Trout Creek Canyon Trail. Pack out what you pack in. Not reservable through Recreation.gov, so plan on first-come, first-served; check with the ranger district for current conditions and fees.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 16° | -33° | 43° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 31° | 12° | -28° | 47° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 42° | 24° | 0° | 56° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 46° | 28° | -6° | 69° | 10 of 11 |
| May | 58° | 40° | 30° | 77° | 3 of 11 |
| June | 69° | 47° | 37° | 93° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 83° | 57° | 43° | 94° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 81° | 56° | 47° | 94° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 71° | 49° | 35° | 86° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 56° | 38° | 24° | 75° | 5 of 10 |
| November | 42° | 29° | -8° | 61° | 9 of 10 |
| December | 33° | 18° | -6° | 47° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Trails nearby
- FRENCH BAR RECREATION SITE · 8.6 mi as the crow flies · Drive there
- BROWNS RIDGE TRAILHEAD · 8.9 mi as the crow flies · Drive there
- WARD RANCH TRAILHEAD · 9.0 mi as the crow flies · Drive there
- MCMASTER HILLS EAST · 9.6 mi as the crow flies · Drive there
All 56 trails in BLM lands in Montana
Trailheads the Park Service and the Forest Service map, within 10 miles as the crow flies; each trail's page has its length, climbing and the Service's description.
Nearby campgrounds
- Indian Flats Cabin · USDA Forest Service · 4 mi · 1 sites
- Bar Gulch Cabin · USDA Forest Service · 5 mi · 1 sites
- Devil's Elbow Campground · Bureau of Land Management · 9 mi · 49 sites
- Spokane Bay · Bureau of Land Management · 10 mi
- Black Sandy State Park · Montana State Parks · 11 mi · 35 sites
All public campgrounds in Montana · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-08-06. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.