Canyon Ferry Lake · Montana
Overview Hellgate Campground is located 30 miles east of Helena, Montana, along Montana Highway 284. In July of 1805 the Lewis and Clark Expedition traveled through the Canyon Ferry area exploring and mapping the Missouri River. When Lewis visited the area he described it as a beautiful and extensive plain country of about 10 to 12 miles wide which extended upwards further than an eye could see.
Sites at Hellgate Campground are reserved through Recreation.gov. Sites here can be reserved in advance through the official system, and they are claimed fast — cancellations then trickle back all season, unannounced, at any hour of the day or night.
| Total sites | 72 |
|---|---|
| Site types | Standard, Group, Shelter |
| Hookups | Electric hookups at some sites |
| Location | Helena, MT |
| Book through | Recreation.gov |
| Official listing | Recreation.gov |
Because sites are booked months ahead, a steady share of reservations get cancelled as trips fall through. Each cancellation instantly returns that site and those nights to the official calendar — first-come, first-served, no waitlist, no announcement. Refreshing the booking page yourself, every few minutes for weeks, works in theory. In practice, the people who get these sites are the ones who hear about the opening first.
ItOpened scans the Recreation.gov calendar for Hellgate Campground around the clock. When a site matching your dates and your vehicle opens, you get a text with a direct link to it. You book it yourself, in your own account, at the normal price. We never book, hold, or resell — your fee pays for monitoring, and openings are first-come, so speed is the whole game.
| Court Sheriff Campground | Cancellation alerts available |
|---|---|
| Chinamen's Campground | Cancellation alerts available |
| White Earth Campground | Cancellation alerts available |
| Riverside Campground | Cancellation alerts available |
| Jo Bonner Campground | Cancellation alerts available |
| Cave Point Group Use Area | Cancellation alerts available |
| Indian Road Group Use Shelter | Cancellation alerts available |
Page data refreshed 2026-10-29. Site facts come from the official directory listing for Hellgate Campground; cancellation statistics come from our own scanning logs.