Bureau of Reclamation · Montana
Canyon Ferry Dam and reservoir are located in Montana about 50 miles downstream from where the Gallatin, Madison, and Jefferson Rivers join to form the Missouri River. The reservoir has approximately 35,200 water surface acres, 9,360 land acres and 76 miles of shoreline, and offers excellent fishing opportunity for rainbow trout, perch, ling, and walleye. There are three marina concessions (Goose Bay Marina, Kim's Marina and Yacht Basin Marina) on the reservoir which provide a variety of public recreation facilities and services such as boat launching, camping, rental docks, small stores, etc.
Reservations for Canyon Ferry Lake are made through Recreation.gov. In peak season, the most popular campgrounds are typically claimed within minutes of each release — which is why the park reads as "sold out" for most of the year.
Sold out is not final, though. People book far ahead and plans change, so cancellations return to the official calendar throughout the season — with no announcement, at any hour. A cancelled site is bookable by whoever sees it first.
| Managed by | Bureau of Reclamation |
|---|---|
| Book through | Recreation.gov |
| Location | Helena, MT |
| Campgrounds | 8 |
| Official listing | Recreation.gov |
Set a watch on the whole park, or go straight to the campground you want — each one has its own availability and cancellation pattern:
| Hellgate Campground | 72 sites |
|---|---|
| Court Sheriff Campground | 48 sites |
| Chinamen's Campground | 38 sites |
| White Earth Campground | 37 sites |
| Riverside Campground | 28 sites |
| Jo Bonner Campground | 17 sites |
| Cave Point Group Use Area | 1 sites |
| Indian Road Group Use Shelter | 1 sites |
We scan the official Recreation.gov calendar for Canyon Ferry Lake around the clock. The second a site that matches your dates and equipment opens up, you get a text with a direct link to that exact site. You book it yourself, in your own account, at the normal price. We never book, hold, or resell anything — monitoring is all we do, and it's what your fee pays for. Openings are first-come, so a text beats an email every time.
Page data refreshed 2026-10-29. Availability facts come from the official directory listing for Canyon Ferry Lake; cancellation statistics come from our own scanning logs.