Piney Campground

This campground is right on the lake, with good access. It has paved road and sites. As others have noted, all the trees have been cut down so all the sites are entirely exposed with no shelter or privacy, which I don't like at all. However, that's a personal preference. No trees means good solar. Lots of sites were open on a weekday in August. There's a lot of activity on the lake.

Pretty nice quiet spot during the week when there aren't many people here. On the weekends it's nuts, filled up with lots of families, with lots of generators and watercraft.

All the pines have been cut down due to pine beetles and subsequent blow downs which makes for great solar conditions and good views. At this point they've left the piles of limbs and debris so it's a bit ugly, if that gets cleaned up it will be much nicer.

Most of the sites are easily big enough for a big 40' motorhome, many are double wide as well, so don't worry about the max published length of 32'. Paved road on the way in with some bad potholes but overall easy. Verizon is 4G and pretty fast although a little bit inconsistent. We had no problems getting work done. Water is available via hand pump only.

Walking areas are pretty limited, there are no trails along the lake so you are pretty much just walking the campground loops if you have dogs. The access down to the lake is easy though with no steep drop offs so great for the dogs to get in.

Moose come through the campground and we've seen bald eagles cruising over the lake. Overall a pretty nice place with access into the Anaconda-Pintler wilderness. If crowds on the weekends don't bother you (we had a terrible neighbor) then it's a pretty good spot. We would definitely try to find somewhere smaller and quieter.

Piney Campground is located on the western shore of Georgetown Lake, a manmade reservoir. Of the half dozen or so campgrounds in the area, Piney is the only campground to have all the lodgepole pines cut down within the campground. This means that you get a spectacular view of the Anaconda Pintlers Wilderness Mountains.

The lake itself is a favorite for fishing, boating, and other water sports. The campground empties out by Monday, but you'll be able to grab a spot on the weekends. For some reason, folks seem to prefer the other campgrounds nestled within the forest. I'd personally rather see mountains (and get some great solar). To get your best view, you'll want to take Loop A, the first loop when you enter the campground. You'll be far away from the busy boat launch, and you'll have quick access to the small beach for anyone who wants to wade into the lake.

Moose and deer also seem to enjoy visiting Piney Campground, but you'll only see them during the week when the campground empties out. Our first encounter with a moose happened on Sunday night. We were standing by our fire when I heard a noise on the other side of the Airstream. Turned to see a bull moose trotting into the campground, down between the campsites, and to the lake. Our next sighting was the night morning. There were 5 of them grazing just across the road from us. And we saw a few more over the next two days.

The camp host is an extremely friendly guy, and he and his wife work hard to keep the campground clean. Toilets are immaculate, fire rings are well tended, and the fresh water pumps are in perfect working order. The closest town is Philipsburg (~20 mins away), which boasts a great brewery, pizza, the Granite Ghost Town (spectacular), and grocery/laundry. The second closest town is Anaconda (~30 mins away), a town steeped in a rich mining history, and affords a bit more in selection for grocery (Albertsons) and food.

Cell service rating is without a booster. Piney is about the only campground in the area with strong service without a booster.