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

Swan Creek Campground

Forest Service campground in Custer Gallatin National Forest, Gallatin County, Montana. About 5,800 feet. 22.2 miles from Bozeman.

Managed by
Forest Service Custer Gallatin National Forest
Elevation
About 5,800 ft As the Forest Service states
Sites
13 13 standard non-electric
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

Swan Creek Campground is located in the scenic Gallatin Canyon, on the Bozeman Ranger District of the Gallatin National Forest, in southwestern Montana. It is 31 miles south of Bozeman.

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 in the area surrounding 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.

Many trails can be found in Gallatin Canyon. The Swan Creek Trail begins within the campground. Golden Trout Lakes Trail begins up nearby Portal Creek Road, five miles south of the campground.

Facilities

The campground offers single-family campsites. Vault toilets, drinking water and trash collection are provided. Roads within the campground are paved, but parking spurs are gravel. Firewood is available at Greek Creek Campground for $8.00 per bundle.

Natural Features

The campground sits next to scenic Swan Creek, a tributary of the Gallatin River. It is just off Highway 191, at an elevation of 5,800 feet. A beautiful, dense forest of spruce and fir trees covers the campground.

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 bears and grizzly bears also live in the canyon.

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

What people do here

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

The land around Swan 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.