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

Forest Service campground

Hood Creek Campground

Forest Service campground in Custer Gallatin National Forest, Gallatin County, Montana. About 6,700 feet. 14.3 miles from Bozeman.

Managed by
Forest Service Custer Gallatin National Forest
Elevation
About 6,700 ft As the Forest Service states
Sites
24 23 standard non-electric, 1 group standard non-electric
Longest rig
45 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

Hood Creek Campground is located next to scenic Hyalite Reservoir, on the Bozeman Ranger District of the Gallatin National Forest. It is 17 miles south of the city of Bozeman, Mont. The surrounding area offers many outdoor recreational opportunities, including boating, canoeing, fishing, hiking and climbing.

Recreation

Hyalite Reservoir offers many recreational activities, including boating, canoeing and fishing. Anglers fish for Yellowstone cutthroat, Arctic grayling and brook trout. Hyalite Creek offers fishing as well.

Many hiking trails are found in Hyalite Canyon, including the popular Hyalite Peak Trail. This 7.5-mile one-way trail gains 3,450 feet in elevation as is climbs past numerous waterfalls to the beautiful Hyalite Lake and Hyalite Peak.

Facilities

The campground offers sites for both overnight camping and day-use picnicking. A GROUP AREA (SITE 28) for overnight camping is also available for reservation, and can accommodate up to 80 people.

Picnic tables and campfire rings are provided, as are vault toilets, drinking water and trash collection. A boat ramp is located on-site. Roads and parking spurs within the campground are gravel.

Natural Features

The campground is situated on the banks of scenic Hyalite Reservoir, at an elevation of 6,700 feet. Some campsites lie in open meadows along the shoreline, while others are located among scattered pine and fir trees.

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

What people do here

  • backpacking
  • berry picking
  • biking
  • birding
  • boating
  • camping
  • canoeing
  • day use area
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • kayaking
  • mountain biking
  • mushroom picking
  • off road vehicle trails
  • photography
  • picnicking
  • star gazing
  • swimming
  • water access
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Hood Creek 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.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

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.

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