A Guide to Floating and Camping on Montana's Smith River
Important Updates: Since writing this article there have been several updates to the Smith River Drawing Rules and Floater Information Packet, which is provided by Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. We recommend visiting the official website for updates as they unfold. For the sake of this article, we've outlined the most important information you should know before floating Montana's Smith River.
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Starting in 2024, FWP implemented a Human Waste Pack-Out requirement. All Smith River floaters (private and commercial) are required to pack out their human waste from the corridor. FWP has compiled a list of approved, portable, hard-sided toilets found on this page. There is a machine at the Eden Bridge takeout for user-friendly disposal.
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The Floater Registration process now takes place by phone, two days in advance of permit holder's launch date. Full registration info can be found in the Floater Registeration Process document found on this page.
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There is a new Bonus Point System where a person may purchase one bonus point per year for the Smith River draw. Residents get a better deal on this bonus point than non-residents. Additionally, there's a 10% cap on nonresident permits, meaning the number of permits that can be purchased by nonresidents may not exceed 10% of the overall available permits.
Words by Sam Wike
I’ve been lucky enough to float Montana's Smith River quite a few times, and it’s still fun to plan the 58.9 mile drift down this beautiful limestone-walled waterslide. However, there aren’t too many, if any, resources that actually show and explain what to expect when camping at any of the 52 campgrounds you can choose from during your three to five-day journey downstream. So, this is our attempt to break these campsites down for you, one by one. They are all worth visiting, but some are just better than others. We hope this info will allow you to make educated decisions as you perpare for and embark on your unique Smith River float trip. A word of warning: If you decide to float the Smith at 100 cubic feet per second (CFS) or less, which is not recommended, you will probably encounter the same challenges I did while gathering images and information for this blog. Fact is, me and a friend ground down the bottom of our kayaks on salmonly and caddis casings as we moved our way downstream. Still, it was a memorable trip, as all Smith River floats are, and we thoroughly enjoyed our camping sites and the dry-fly fishing for the Smith's solid brown and rainbow trout. This is what I got.
Campgrounds of the Smith River
Camp Baker (0 Miles)
- Boat launch where your Smith River adventure begins
- This is now a "day use only" site. No overnight camping, except for the period of Sept. 1 through Nov. 30.
- In the past this is where you would pick campgrounds. Now, rangers call you two days prior to your launch date to select your campsites
Spring Creek (4.4 Miles)
- This is the first campground you'll encounter during the float
- Use caution if flows are low, this is a skinny section of the river with lots of boulders
- If you want to spend time fishing the upper 4 mile section later in the day, you will most likely have the evening hatch all to yourself as most floaters are already downstream
In Lieu (5.6 Miles)
- Located at the entrence to the Smith River canyon
- This campground is close to public lands. Camp here if you're interested in getting a hike in on day one
- Lots of pocket water for fishing with fast currents slicing around boulders
Indian Spring (6 Miles)
- Three campsites (Upper, Middle, Lower)
- Indian Springs water is a drinkable water source and a good place to load up your canteens, water jugs, etc.
- The actual spring is located across the river from the Middle campground
- There is a hiking trail that leads up past the first springs
- Lower campground is just downriver from the actual springs and offers lots of trees and boulders
Upper & Lower Rock Garden (6.8 Miles)
- Great fishing run located below the campground
- First nice views of the Smith River's limestone canyon walls, which the river is known for
- Named for a large rocky section of the river
- Both campgrounds offer privacy
Rock Creek (8.9 Miles)
- One of the most popular first-day campsites
- Excellent fishing opportunities
- Private property - you must stay below the high water mark when fishing here
Upper, Middle & Lower Scotty Allen (12 Miles)
- Three campgrounds - Upper, Middle & Lower
- Popular and busy campgrounds for first-night floaters
- Each campground is very private
- Lower Scotty - Huge campsite with good cover and decent fishing
Syringa (15.2 Miles)
- Similar campsite to Lower Scotty Allen
- There is an amazing fishing spot up-river
- Makes for a long first day if you float to this site, or short second-day float when you camp upstream the first night
Canyon Depth (16.9 Miles)
- It’s just far enough to be a long first-day float, but allows for a short second day float if you camp upstream on night one
- This site has trees and boulders with a dramatic backdrop of limestone cliffs stretching all the way around a bend in the river
- Lots of great walk and wade fishing upstream and downstream from the campsite
- There is a huge eddy at the bottom end of the campground--fish live there
Two Creek (17.8 Miles)
- Lots of small and beautiful limestone cliffs
- Open 360-degree views
- There is skinnier water here than found at upriver campgrounds
Sheep Wagon (18.4 Miles)
- Campground is on river right just past a riverbend
- Located across the river from smaller limestone cliffs
- Camp has sun and shade opportunities
- A private cabin is located within view of camp
Upper, Middle & Lower Cow Coulee (22.8 Miles)
- Upper campsite is a wide open field with a few trees
- Middle camp is located on the bend of the river with more tree cover
- There is a large, stillwater pool near these campsites
- Lower camp is located a ways downstream on a bench with some trees
- All campsites are across from several smallish limestone cliffs
- There are decent fishing opportunities at each campsite
Upper, Middle & Lower Sunset Cliffs (23.6 Miles)
- If the water is high, make sure to stay river right or the current pulls you towards the limestone cliffs and away from the boat pullouts
- These campsites are across the river from a massive and stunning orange cliff face
- The Middle and Lower sites are in close proximity to each other
- The Lower site is a lot larger campsite
- Middle gets the least amount of sun
- If you get the chance to stay at any of these three, do it. We recommend the upper campground, though
- It is the signature Smith River campground
County Lines (25.5 Miles)
- Open campground boxed in by mountains and small cliffs
- Last campground before Heaven on Earth Ranch. You can book a stay at Heaven on Earth Ranch if you want a hot shower, to play golf, or sleep on a real bed.
- Pretty wide spot in the river with shallow water
Upper and Lower Bear Gulch (29 Miles)
- Located just downstream of Heaven on Earth Ranch
- Both sites are fairly open grass fields with some trees and tall bushes
- There may be more fishing pressure here due to the nearby public access
- In an emergency, this is one of the easiest places to exit the river if you or one of the members of your group requires care
Upper, Middle & Lower Trout Creek (30.3 Miles)
- These three campgrounds are really close together and all offer great views
- You are almost surrounded by cliffs and a steep hill with tall trees
- I think lower campground has the best overall view
Crows Foot (32 Miles)
- This campground's layout allows 280-degree views
- There isn’t a lot of cover from passing floaters
- Experience would vary based on the weather
- This is a huge bend in the river so quick access to a lot of fishing
Upper, Middle & Lower Table Rock (33.5 Miles)
- Named after the rock formation that looks like it's going to tip over with a slight nudge
- The water here is gentle and slow
- Campgrounds are really close together with limited cover and not much, if any, privacy
Upper, Middle & Lower Fraunhoffer (35.4 Miles)
- Amazing limestone face directly across from the campground
- You are now entering cattle country and there can be cows that visit the area behind the campground
- There is a great view downriver as well
Upper Parker Flat (37.5 Miles)
- Upper Parker Flat is a more open campground featuring just a few very tall trees. Offers imited cover
- You are on a riverbend with a great cliff across the river
- There are some good fishing opportunities here, especially later in the afternoon
Parker Flat #1, #2 and #3 (37.9 Miles)
- #1 is on the next river bend on the opposite riverside
- It is surrounded by the start of a cliff, with trees behind the campground, and a large rock bar to park boats
- #2 is in the middle of the cliff started at #1
- It has a large tree backdrop with cliff views across the river
- #3 is at the end of the flat just before the river bends again
- It also features cliffs across the river with a thick tree backdrop to the campsite
- All of the campgrounds are relatively close together, but do have lots of cover and pretty adequate privacy
Deep Creek (38.7 Miles)
- Deep Creek has plenty of fishing opportunities against the large cliff face across the river
Paradise Bend (39.5 Miles)
- This campground borders private property
- Camp is kind of located in the open, with a large field behind it and not a lot of protection
- The campground is located just upstream of an island that splits the river and offers good fishing
Staig Miller (44 Miles)
- A semi-open campsite located immediately after a river bend
- Go around the corner after you see the sign to hit the boat take out
- Current is strong here when the water is high so be ready to pull off quickly
- There are some trees for cover, but the tent sites are mostly in open grass
- This campground is also next to the forest, which creates a nice atmosphere
Merganser Bend (44.5 Miles)
- On the map, it says, “This camp is easily missed.” Guess what, I missed it.
- Up to this point, I had never actually heard of this campground
- If you have any photos or information about this site and your trip in general, send our way HERE
Upper and Lower Black Butte (44.8 Miles)
- These sites require a semi-steep but short hike uphill to reach
- They are on a high bench across from some abrupt cliff faces that offer cool views
- Be a little cautious about the landing sites in high water
- At 100 cfs, you have all the space you could need
- Sites are close together so privacy may be limited
Upper, Middle & Lower Ridgetop (45 Miles)
- The Upper is its own campsite and is located at the start of a tight riverbend with cliffs on the opposite side of the river
- Upper Ridgetop and the Black Butte camps are visible to each other, but are on the opposite sides of the river and slightly staggered
- The Middle and Lower are the two closest camps to each other
- You also have two of the longest hikes from the water’s edge to reach those campsites.I.e., you'll have to haul your gear a ways
- Those sites have tons of tree cover with a large, forest canopy
- These sites offer an elevated scenic view of the river different than any of the campsites
- You may be greeted by wild turkeys across the river
Upper & Lower Givens Gulch (47.2 Miles)
- Stay river left around an island to access both Givens Gulch campgrounds, which are located on a long river bench
- Upper is a little challenging for boat parking, but offers a lot more cover than the lower campground
- Lower is on the river bend flat after one of the Smith’s “rapids”
- It’s the most significant rapid on the whole river, especially when flows are below 350 cfs
Upper & Lower Rattlesnake (47.4 Miles)
- Last boat camps before Eden Bridge takeout
- Upper Rattlesnake is just around the bend from Lower Givens Gulch
- It has very limited tree coverage but a beautiful cliff wall is just across the water
- There are some decent fishing opportunities beyond the faster water and along the cliff's edge
- Lower Rattlesnake has zero tree coverage; it is just an open field of grasses and rocks
- There is still a beautiful cliffwall across the river
- Rattlesnake campgrounds have their name for a reason, but we have never seen any snakes when camping here
Eden Bridge (58.9 Miles)
- Last takeout for the permitted section of the river
- Be ready for a fast pull in just before the bridge
- If you pass the bridge, you have gone too far
- A SCAT machine (Sanitizing Containers with Alternative Technology) is provided at takeout for disposal of human waste and to clean approved waste systems
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