roadtripper9182672

From highway 83 take the turn off for Placid & Jocko Lakes.There is one grouping of sites on the north side about 1.5 miles from the highway and another group on the south side another 1/4 mile down the road. Larger rigs will want to take the first access road for the southern camps next to the large tree, the 2nd road further back is a little overgrown and narrow. Rock fire rings and easy access to the creek for fishing. Lots of traffic throughout the day with folks heading to/from Placid Lake but otherwise really quiet. Sites are usually full on the weekends but I had the whole area to myself mid week. The county/state provides port-a-potties that looked fairly clean but I just used my own facilities.

If you prefer boondocking this is a decent option with easy access to the river....as long as you don't mind a stray fisherman or two wandering by your camp.
There are about 11 sites scattered along the two track dirt road. Two entrance points about 2.5 miles and 3.25 miles SW of the Fishtrap Campground along Highway 43. The NE entrance is fairly level and open, the SW entrance has a bit of a hill down from the highway and then a very narrow gate to cross through - I had maybe 6" clearance either side of my jacks. If you have a larger rig you may want to stick with the NE entrance. Locals have no problem getting their 25-30' rigs in here. The road is dirt and can be muddy in the spring and fall. Some of the middle sites may be inaccessible in the shoulder season and all off limits once the snow starts falling.
Sites are in a sage brush prairie, no trees or shade. The area can be windy and expect swarms of mosquitoes most of the summer. Rock fire rings are established in each site. The Big Hole River is just steps away from each site and most of the folks camping here are here to fish. There was a lot of road noise from the traffic passing on the highway but thankfully "heavy traffic" here is no more than 5 cars an hour. There's also some road construction going on this summer so expect more noise/traffic during the work week. Other campers and fishermen were the only traffic who ventured off the highway and the fishermen mainly stuck to parking near the entrances.
I stayed at the most SW site and it was probably the smallest site back here. Plenty of room for my rig and the views of the river are amazing. My usual evening camp routine is to sit by the fire and read but I was more than content to just sit and watch the river.

With only 8 sites and lots of trees and shrubs, this is one of the most peaceful camps in the valley. The road is a bit of a squeeze thanks to the dense shrubs but the Forest Service did come through and try to prune things back a bit last fall.
The sites are all fairly small but a couple of folks did manage to wedge campers in the 25' range into some spots. Basic Forest Service tables and fire rings at each site. One vault toilet located in the northern loop and a hand pump for water. Forest Service volunteers come through daily to clean up and check on the camp. Local sheriff deputy drives through on the busier weekends as well.
This is the only camp that offers any real views and you have a clear view up the valley. Easy access to the river and a large open grassy area. There is a smaller runoff channel/creek that flows through the northern camp. In the spring when the water is high it can flood site #5 and come over the road as well.
With all of the trees and shrubs surrounding each site and the noise of the river its easy to forget there are other campers here.

The sites in this camp are a lot smaller than other camps in the area. Most of the parking spaces would be a tight squeeze for my long bed Chevy and truck camper - not to mention that every site has a minimum 10* slope to it. There are a couple of larger sites able to take on a 20-ish foot camper but you won't have any room to spare in your site!
There are a few tiers in this camp as it descends the hill towards the shore of Canyon Ferry. In the lowest tier are sites 2-10, 10 being an ADA site with a level concrete pad. Its one big gravel area down here with the sites separated by boulders. Sites 1, 13-18, and the camp host site are in the next tier up. Again, its a large gravel area with sites separated by boulders. Sites 19-21 are in the next tier. I was able to tuck myself into site 19 but I had to pull nose-first into 21 first then back up into 19. If anyone had been in 21 I wouldn't have made the turn in. The uppermost tier and main camp loop contains sites 22-38. 22 is an ADA site, 25, 28, 36, and 38 are the largest sites in camp but are very unlevel. The rest of the sites are best for tents and camper vans.
Each site has a newer table and fire ring. All gravel except for the ADA sites. There are two pit toilets in the lower tier, two across from site 22 in the upper tier and one across from 36 in the upper tier. Water taps are available in the summer months as well as trash service. There is a small parking area for day use along the shore of the reservoir and there is a lot of traffic in and out throughout the day. Most folks come racing down the hill so watch out if you or your kids are walking or riding bikes along the main road. There isn't much warning for the turnoff to this camp. The sign isn't visible until you crest the hill. Don't worry, plenty of side roads and other camps down the road in either direction to turn around.

I have camped in Jenny Lake several times over the years and it has always been a great experience. Camp is right on the shores of Jenny Lake and nothing can compare to the views you have just a short walk from camp.

Camp is very busy in the summer and no reservations are taken. To get a spot you need to be waiting at the camp entrance at 8 am when the hosts open the office/kiosk. They will register you and assign you a campsite. If you've never been here before ask if you can drive through first to check things out. They do ask that folks not drive through camp before 8 am. This system works a lot better, it used to be a little crazy in the mornings with cars driving round and round waiting to poach a site as campers were packing up. If you can't be at camp at 8 am check with any of the visitors' centers in the park as they will post campground fill times on a bulletin board so you know if it's worth it to rush to camp and get a spot.

The camp itself is pretty small. Tenters only and most of the parking spaces are a tight fit for larger SUVs and trucks. Lots of trees in the sites as well so be careful opening your doors. Each site has a gravel tent pad, table, fire ring, and bear box. There are flush toilets located near the entrance (no other bathrooms in camp so it can be a bit of a hike if you are on the far end of the loop) and trash/recycling dumpsters. There are several potable water taps throughout the camp. The camp hosts on-site will be manning the office most of the day but are available if you need them.

There are several walking and biking paths that lead from the camp to the lake. And the Jenny Lake Ranger Station, Visitor Center, Boat Tours dock, and General Store are located nearby. This is both a blessing and a curse. It's great if you need any supplies or info that the camp hosts can't provide but it means there is a ton of vehicle and foot traffic in the area from dawn to dusk. Traffic on the park road tapers out at night but campers tend to wake up pretty early (5 am) to get their day started. And the idling cars waiting in line at the entrance of the camp aren't great either if you're not an early riser. The garbage truck also shows up pretty early to dump the dumpsters. The sites closest to the entrance are the noisiest.

There is a lot of wildlife in the area so be watchful for elk, bison, and bears. In my most memorable stay here I had a bull elk who decided to camp with me and bedded down about 20 feet away from my tent at 3am.

the RV dump is located at the far NW edge of the property. No signage or anything so its easy to overlook. There is a concrete curb and water tap. The sewer plug sits about 8-10" above ground so unless you have something to support the weight of the hose you're going to have some issues here. Not sure who designs these things but they obviously aren't campers....

I only stopped here because I absolutely had to - all gauges reading full and several days left in my trip.
There is a $5 fee, honor system with a payment box next to the dump. The dump is adjacent to Lindey's Steakhouse and the area was spotlessly clean. There was a threaded tap for fresh water too, no hose.
My only complaint for this site was the angle of the parking lot. My bubble level was pegged out with my rear end up in the air. My tanks drain to the back so I had to use my "parking legos" to try to level out a bit but I know I didn't leave here completely empty.

While this camp is fully booked during the summer months the off-season is much calmer and free. Once the camp hosts leave the water is turned off, trash service stops, and no fees are charged. There are still daily patrols by both the Bureau of Reclamation and the local Sheriff dept. to clean and keep an eye on things.
Overall it's a very nice camp with paved parking pads. Each site has a concrete table and fire ring (it looked like someone had come through and vacuumed out the fire rings, they were spotless!). There are 6 pit toilets spaced around the camp and they were still clean in the offseason. Water taps are also scattered around but the water was turned off for the season while I was there. Most of the sites in the left-hand loop are in full sun and the middle section and right-hand loop have partial shade. All but two sites are back in. Helena is approx. a 20-minute drive from camp. There is no boat dock/ramp and no dump station here. Access to the water was a bit difficult due to low water this late in the season but in the summer the lake is just a few steps from most of the sites along the shore. The camp is close to the highway and you do get a bit of noise from that but traffic does die down at night.
My only complaint about the camp is the awkward layout of the sites. I know they were trying to maximize the number of waterfront sites but the spacing/orientation leaves most of the sites overlooking the neighbor's camp. Some sites back into another site so closely that you end up just a step or two from your neighbor's table or fire or camper. Better hope everyone minds their manners and are polite campers. And that they keep their curtains closed - privacy is not something you're going to find here. The camp also has 5 walk-in tent sites but again, awkward layout. There is a central parking area for those sites so you have to haul your stuff in. And even though they are tent sites there is no dedicated tent pad at a couple of them.

It was a nice camp but I'll keep my visits limited to the offseason when it isn't so busy just so I can have a little elbow room between myself and the neighbors.

article in the local Seeley Lake news says that the dump station is closed indefinitely due to ongoing maintenance issues. The system is too old and outdated to repair so it needs to be replaced but there's no money budgeted for it.
https://www.seeleylake.com/story/2021/05/27/news/clearwater-junction-rv-dump-site-remains-closed/7377.html

If you're looking for a convenient spot for a night or two and want to be right along the Big Hole River this would be a decent choice. There isn't much here - a few ancient tables and rock fire rings. Some are hard to get to due to the overgrown weeds blocking your path. The road is gravel as are the pads. All but two spots are in full sun due to there being very few trees. The lock on the bathroom doesn't work, didn't look like it had been cleaned recently either. No trash, no water. While all but one spot was occupied when I stopped in there wasn't anyone around - I think folks take advantage of it being free and use it as storage for their rigs through the week. The only site that had someone present looked a bit sketchy and I didn't feel comfortable staying there as a single female.
The boat ramp and day use parking area have plenty of room for several rigs. There are a couple of picnic tables along the river here too.
As mentioned in the other review, don't trust the name/location on google maps. The GPS coordinates here are correct. The camping marked east bank (on the west bank) on google is just a dispersed area accessed through the Bryant Creek turnoff just a bit east on the highway.