Picnic Spring Campground

Stayed here in the summer of 2021 as an overnight in between Jewel Cave NM and Theodore Roosevelt NP. Stayed in a large site on the north end that was close to some cliffs where you could check out the views, relax, and watch the sunset. We had two picnic tables at our site, which was near the north pit toilet, and there were great trees available to hang hammocks. The kiddos were able to run around and have fun while the adults relaxed a bit. There is plenty of room between campsites so our generator usage didn't impact our neighbors. It's quiet, except for wildlife sounds and some cattle moving about, and we enjoyed our stay here.

We would definitely stay here again.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/custergallatin/recarea/?recid=60847

About six miles from highway 85 down an easy dirt road is one of the most beautiful and secluded campsites we've discovered. There are maybe 12-14 sites, almost all with picnic tables & fire rings, and a few even have little wood burning ovens (Something we've never seen at a campsite, another reviewer posted a photo of one) Most of the sites are somewhat level, and with our leveling blocks we got almost plumb. Most of the sites are situated near the edge of the bluff that the whole campground sits on, with spectacular views down the 50-100 foot sandstone cliffs out across the forest and pastures below. Deer and many cows can be seen roaming below in the meadows surrounding the area. Two pit toilets are positioned at opposite ends of the loops, but we did not use them during our stay.

There is water, though it is unconventional and somewhat difficult to access. to the west of the first pit toilet is a small sign on the side of the road that simply says "WATER". Upon close inspection you will notice a footpath leading down into an overgrown gully. follow the meandering flagstone path down until you are just out of site of the road and you will stumble on a little gurgling spring! It is literally a pipe sticking out of the rocks. the water comes out somewhat slowly so you might need a bucket and a funnel to fill any water jugs or jerrycans you're using, and it will be tiresome to haul it back up the path to your campsite, but it is there if you really need it!

We would have stayed longer but it reached 90 degrees on our third day so we had to evacuate. We were the only occupants of the whole place for two of the three days, though some other reviews have said it gets quite crowded. We stayed Sunday to Tuesday so that may have had something to do with it.

There was almost no one here so we could pick from almost all the spots. No trouble bringing a 23’ airstream up here, but it was about 10 miles of dirt roads and eventually some cool climbs up to the campsite which is nestled in a lightly wooded field at the top of a butte.
The campsites were well-maintained, all have fire pits and even some sort of wood-burning stove along with a picnic table. There are a few sites that sit up on a cliff and are amazing.
Only noise was birds and deer. Stars were fabulous.

I concur with the former review: the cliff side surprise nature of this place requires those with children to either teach them well, so that they may heed your warnings not to approach a fifty plus foot drop surrounding most of the sites, or tie them to a tree to ensure their safety. Our 9 year old also crashed in the thick shale loop that comprises this campground’s inner circle, resulting in the need for not one but two Star Wars band aids, fashioned into an X shape like old Pop Eye cartoons.

Beyond that, and despite the fact that seventeen minutes out it seems implausible that a National Forest could exist here, this remote little campground was full save for one space at 5:30 on a Saturday in August.

We scouted the road—not on Google Maps—which leads beyond the campground’s entrance, and though the roads were clearly real and not incredibly difficult to navigate in a van (for a large RV, this would not be the case, and certain death is likely), and even despite finding a spot with a campfire ring, the tall grass made it undesirable to stay there. Not to mention the actual Picnic Springs Campground is apparently free this year. We looked all over and saw no signs asking for payment, no campground host, and no iron ranger.

Though we snagged the last spot, they’re mostly all spaced very far away from one another, 1/8th of a mile apart at times even. Cell service came briefly and went, and though the sound of generators humming all night was not exactly quiet, the multitude of Northern Plains Nighthawks and enough Milky Way to fill every Saturday morning cartoon bowl of cereal on the planet made up for it.

Beautiful place. Quite a few camp spaces near to drop off of cliffs. I thereby would recommend that it’s not so outfitted for children. Sufficient, plenty of room to back in your rv, nicely set up with picnic tables, bench, stove and fire pit. Some bathrooms throughout and plenty of hiking trails to explore. Bring a coat-gets pretty windy up there.

Nestled in the pines on top of basalt cliffs lies this hidden gem of a campground just 6 miles off Hwy 85. Don’t let the dirt road leading here detour you as it was easy access in. The sites are fairly spread out so your neighbors are not close. Each site has picnic tables, a fire ring and fairly level driveways. Pit toliets are conveniently placed around the campground loop for easy access. Some sites are good for solar others not so much. We are traveling with a friend and we were both able to use the same looped site to share a site but even though we are close we each have our own privacy. Such a gem considering the terrain in the area. Would definitely stay here again. Verizon is 1 bar of LTE boosted at 3mbps on the down. Nothing on the up. Able to stream with little buffering. AT&T data line boosted has 1.45 mbps down and 1.0 mbps up. T-Mobile is roaming on AT&T network.

This has always been one of my favorite campgrounds. It's been 15 years since our last stop. The Forest Service has improved the roads and there are new vault toilets.

The campground is located on a plateau with cliffs on 3 sides. Most of the sites are near the cliff edge. The sites are mostly wide apart; our nearest neighbor would have been at least 200 yards away. The canyon sides are wooded with pine and the center of the loop is mostly grassland. We love the privacy and solitude.

Since this spot is rather isolated, it gets very little use. We were the only campers the three nights we were here.

The water is from the spring and is not certified for drinking. It is pack it in - pack it out for trash. There is a 14 day limit but no fees.

One final note: There are no signs on US 85 or any of the nearby roads. The first camping sign is at the entrance.