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A white Tacoma with a camper shell parked on a rise above a broad, empty basin under building cloud.

Forest Service campground

Charles Waters Campground

Forest Service campground in Bitterroot National Forest, Ravalli County, Montana. 3,695 feet. 5.3 miles from Stevensville.

Managed by
Forest Service Bitterroot National Forest
Elevation
3,695 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Reservations
Not on Recreation.gov Usually first come, first served. Confirm with the office
County
Ravalli County

The Charles Waters campground is paved asphalt with 26 campsites plus one double site, including 4 pull-through, one bicycle site, and one horse site; there is also one accessible site with electric hook-up. The campground also has water; accessible vault toilets; open meadow for activities and can accommodate RV’s or trailers to 70 feet. Please note that the bicycle site and horse site are reserved for those users until 6 p.m. daily after which time if no one is occupying them then they are considered available on a first come first served basis. A campground host is available Memorial Day through Labor Day. Also associated with the Charles Waters Campground is the Bass Creek Recreation Area. This recreation area includes four picnic sites; an interpretive nature trail; fire ecology trail and numerous trailheads to hiking, biking and stock routes with access to the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. The Larry Creek Group Site is located within the Bass Creek Recreation Area, this large overnight group site is available for reservation through Recreation.gov. The gate will close to the Larry Creek Group Site on Dec. 1. For more information please contact the Stevensville Ranger District at (406) 777-5461.

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • camping
  • picnicking
  • recreational vehicles

The land around Charles Waters Campground

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Nearest campgrounds

Camping near

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated February 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.

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