Bowman Lake Campground

This gem sits on the edge of Bowman Lake and has 46 sites. It only fills about 50% of the time, so your chances are much better at getting a site here than other campgrounds in the park. There are vault toilets and potable water available. We were in site #38 on our visit. Despite mosquitos as large as birds we loved this quiet less crowded part of the park. The deer were nearly as plentiful as the mosquitos, and pretty tame, hanging very close to the campsites!

Once you pass the Polebridge Ranger Station you will be on a very dusty, narrow dirt road until you reach the campground. The dust can be so bad that if there is another car on the road the dust clouds will obscure your view for several minutes. Drive slowly and with your lights on, approach curves with caution. Trailers are not allowed and I'm sure the Ranger guarding the entrance station will redirect you if you have a large motorhome or trailer.
I stayed here during the 4th of July holiday and got one of the last available spots. The campsites were clean and semi-private. There are only a few bear boxes scattered in the camp so be prepared to leave everything in your vehicle or share a box with a few other campers. Pit toilets were clean and well stocked. No garbage service in the area so you'll need to pack everything out. Drinking water available as well. There was a camp host on site and they had set up an information station with maps for hiking in the area. Lots of mosquitoes - bug spray and a screen tent are a must.
There was a lot of traffic through the camp during the day - lots of folks passing through camp instead of stopping at the trailhead/picnic area to park. Access to the lake for boaters (canoes and kayaks) requires driving through camp as well. There is a 5mph speed limit in the area to help reduce the amount of dust but almost no one paid any attention to that. Once traffic tapered out later in the day the air cleared and the camp was much more pleasant.
The views of the lake were amazing and I plan to return just for the views alone. Preferably in the fall when the larch trees are turning golden yellow.
Bears aren't the only wildlife you need to watch out for here - there was a small buck deer that liked to hang out in camp, watch out for him if he's still around. He tried to give my hammock a nibble while I was in it. As soon as I moved he backed away but he was way too comfortable around people. He later returned and stole a t-shirt my neighbors had hung out to dry.

This campground was great for Glacier NP visitors who are trying to avoid the crowds. It takes over an hour on a potholey dirt road to get here from Apgar, but is definitely worth it. Bowman Lake is beautiful and there are several trails nearby. The campground was standard - medium privacy, clean pit toilets, available water. There is a take it or leave it book box in the visitor tent along with information about nearby hikes. I would definitely stay here again! But be sure to bring the heavy duty bug spray, as mosquitos here are no joke.