A gray 4x4 Sprinter with a roof rack on a two-track through a wildflower meadow, cloud sitting on the mountains behind.

Forest Service campground

Red Cliff Campground

Forest Service campground in Custer Gallatin National Forest, Gallatin County, Montana. About 6,200 feet. 26.6 miles from Ennis.

Managed by
Forest Service Custer Gallatin National Forest
Elevation
About 6,200 ft As the Forest Service states
Sites
61 36 standard non-electric, 25 standard electric
Hookups
Electric
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

Red Cliff Campground is located in the scenic Gallatin Canyon, on the Bozeman Ranger District of the Gallatin National Forest, in Montana. Bozeman is 46 miles north of the campground and West Yellowstone is 45 miles south. The campground is adjacent to the Gallatin River and Highway 191.

The surrounding area offers many outdoor recreational opportunities, including fishing, rafting, hiking and viewing local wildlife.

Recreation

Great opportunities for hiking, fishing, scenic driving and wildlife viewing are available around the campground. Anglers cast for rainbow, brown, brook and cutthroat trout, whitefish and Arctic grayling on the Gallatin River. Rafting and kayaking are popular activities as well.

The Elkhorn Creek Trail, for hiking and horseback riding, begins at the south end of the campground.

Facilities

The campground offers single-family campsites, with and without electric hookups. Several sites are also accessible. A day-use group picnic area is available on-site as well, and can accommodate up to 60 people. Vault toilets and drinking water are provided. Roads and parking spurs within the campground are gravel.

Natural Features

The campground sits next to the Gallatin River, at an elevation of 6,200 feet. Most campsites are situated among scattered pine and fir trees. Some sites are located in open meadows further from the river.

A variety of wildlife makes its home in this scenic canyon. Visitors can often glimpse bald eagles, bighorn sheep, moose, elk, mountain goats, deer and coyotes. Black and grizzly bears also live in the canyon.

Nearby Attractions

The west entrance to Yellowstone National Park is located 45 miles south of the campground, in the town of West Yellowstone. Visitors enjoy day trips to the park for unparalleled wildlife viewing, beautiful scenery and unique geologic features.

The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in the town of West Yellowstone is a popular attraction. It showcases live grizzly bears, gray wolves and various birds of prey, and has a variety of exhibits and educational programs.

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
  • birding
  • camping
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • photography
  • star gazing
  • water access
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Red Cliff 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.