Sam Billings Memorial Campground

(Stayed here 8/20/21): Easy road in, however, google maps tried to route us through a private road (note: we were southbound on highway 473). DO NOT TURN ON BOULDER CREEK RD. From the highway, look for signs for Sam Billings CG, FS road 5631 (google maps shows FS 5731 & iPhone maps shows Sam Billings Rd). On the correct path, you’ll immediately see another large brown sign for the campground and forest service road number, 5631. If you find yourself driving down a narrow and winding road with lots of houses on both sides, you’re on the private path. Turn around and head south on the highway. The correct path does meet up with the private path about 3/4 of a mile in (Sam Billings Rd appears to change to Boulder Creek Rd further up the path). Look at your maps before following the directions. Google maps tries to find the shortest route, but it isn’t always the best route. I’ve posted a photo of the map showing the correct path.

Well spaced campsites, complete with tables, fire pits and lots of trees for shade and hammock action. Clean bathrooms nearby. Boulder Creek hiking trail at the end of the campground too! Some mosquitos but they weren’t horrendous. Very quiet and very clean.

The only con I can come up with for this camp is the heat. I don't know why but once things heat up for the day it stays hot in here. The wind can only seem to hit the tops of the trees and offers no relief for those on the ground. It was over 90 degrees before 10 am and wasn't much better at 10 pm. Check the forecast for the surrounding area and if the high temp is above what you deem comfortable to sleep in, don't come here.

The camp itself is amazing. 20 miles from Darby, MT, 1 mile off of a paved highway. It is so quiet back here you would swear you were 100 miles from civilization. The sites are gravel but most are pretty level. I was in #5 and was able to park completely level with a truck camper, there was a bit of a slope at the forward part of the site. #4 is a designated handicap accessible site which I think is just because there is no slope between the road/parking pad/table fire ring. #1, 3, and 12 are also level with easy access. Each site has a basic table and fire ring. Some have the charcoal grill stands. There is one pull-through site but its small, best for tenters, and one group site. A couple of the sites could take a larger rig in the 30' range but most are smaller. There is also a separate section for folks with horses and horse trailers. Those sites have hitching posts and what-not in addition to the basic human campsite needs. There is no garbage service - pack it in, pack it out. And the three pit toilets are well maintained. There is no water here except for the creek and its a bit of a haul to get down there. With the heat, fire danger is elevated here. Make sure you're prepared to make the trek down to the creek for a bucket of water before you light your campfire. There is plenty of deadfall on the ground for firewood.
Last year there was a host on-site but not this year. There is a FS ranger station another 1/2 mile or so up the paved road. They do make regular patrols through here.

No cell service in camp but you can get a signal at the Job Corps campus just down the road.

Since it is so quiet back here please be mindful of your noise. Generators, pets, kids can be heard throughout the camp. There is no background noise to mask what is made by other campers.

Best part of all....this camp is situated in the middle of a huckleberry patch! So, if you time it right and know what you're looking for, you can enjoy a nice treat fresh picked from the forest.

I know the FS was considering charging a fee for this in the future and I would be OK with that - I just hope they use the fees to add a water pump.

This is one of my favorite campgrounds--not just because it's in a beautiful, old-growth ponderosa pine stand with plenty of space between sites. It's also named for Sam Billings, one of the fine old forest rangers I knew in my youth, along with his wife Florence. A WWI vet, he made a special effort in the '40's to preserve this flat from logging, because it had "everything a campground should have." It's about a mile from the paved road, on a gravel access road that can have a few pits and washboard, but is no problem if taken slowly. There are several sites that will accommodate our 20' trailer, and several pit toilets. There's a group site with 3 tables and 4 or 5 vehicle pads. It's near the trailhead for Boulder Creek, which is a nice walk, however far you go up. Only 1/2 mile up the Boulder Creek trail is one of those great granite "sluices" where the creek rushes and tumbles across bare rock. The Boulder Creek Falls is about 5 miles up the trail. We stayed 2 nights this time, and visited 3 areas of the West Fork. Next year the FS proposes a $10 fee for use. I support this plan, if the fee goes to maintain this great campground, access road, and trailhead.