Ackley Lake Campground

Ackley Lake State Park lies just east of the Little Belt Mountains and a short distance to the west of the Snowy Mountains - the final bastions of elevation before giving way to Montana’s flat eastern plains. The 290-acre lake at the center of the park is surrounded by short rolling hills and was a favorite landscape for famed Western artist Charlie Russell, whose paintings popularized the cowboy lifestyle of Montana and the northern Rockies. About a 90-minute drive from Great Falls (one of Montana’s largest cities) and a half-hour's drive from the much smaller community of Lewistown, Ackley Lake remains delightfully uncrowded throughout the year.

When you book an RV in Judith Basin County and get a campsite at Ackley Lake Campground, you’ll need to be relatively self-sufficient. The state park lacks hookups of any kind, though there is a vault toilet available. If you need to empty the tanks on your RV rental, the closest dump station is in Eddies Corner, near the intersection of Highway 87 and 191. For any other necessities, you’ll need to go to Lewistown.

What it lacks in amenities, though, it more than makes up for with pristine natural spaces. If you’re looking for great waterfront camping near Great Falls, Ackley Lake is an excellent choice. Stocked with an ample supply of rainbow trout, the lake is a favorite with locals, but few visitors come from afar to fish its waters.