Elliston Gulch Dispersed Camping

It was very quite. We liked it, but when turning in I bound my truck and short 5th wheel.

This is a forest road that allows dispersed camping (FR314). It's a little tricky to see the road from the highway. It runs between the bar and the gas station. The road is gravel and in good shape for much of its length. There are stretches of the roadway that are too narrow for vehicles to pass each other. Turnouts are provided at intervals. There was minimal traffic on the road while we were there (one or two ATVs or trucks per day) and we only saw two other campers in the area. It's a fairly dry area without much to offer except space to camp. It's a decent location to access Helena though you will have to go over MacDonald Pass. There is also fishing in the nearby Little Blackfoot River. Most of the sites overlook the valley, so we got good mobile signal. You will get some highway and railroad noise floating up, but it's not too bad.

46.546352, -112.441435 has a spot for a single RV or trailer. It is next to a small creek, however it is directly off the gravel road. If there were more traffic on the road, I would not consider this site palatable. Fortunately the road is lightly traveled.

46.551751, -112.437967 is an open meadow that has room for four to five RVs. The only drawback is that the access from the main roadway is steep. RVs that have clearance issues may want to pass this area by. We did see a Class A tucked back in here, however.

46.552784, -112.452816 has space for two RVs. One site is in the trees near the road (where we stayed) and the other is a hundred feet down the road along the hillside overlooking the valley. The access from the main road is not too steep here, so most RVs should navigate it fine. It is also possible to turn around at the hillside overlook. Do not continue farther down this side road because it ends at a locked gate with no space to turn around.

Once past this last camping area, the road deteriorates a bit (potholes) though is still in acceptable condition. There were a few small areas that might fit a van, but nothing for a trailer or larger RV. There are few opportunities to turn around until you get to 46.535462, -112.470305. I did not investigate further along the road, but it was getting rough.