U.S. Forest Service · Kootenai National Forest · Libby, MT

Mcgregor Lake Campground

McGregor Lake Campground is located approximately 53 miles southeast of Libby, Montana, on Highway 2 at the west end of McGregor Lake in the Kootenai National Forest. This area is about halfway between Libby and Kalispell in the heart of the Thompson Chain of Lakes, a premier fishing and hunting area.

Some sites take reservations on Recreation.gov. Others are first-come, first-served.

More like this: electric hookups in Montana · first-come in Montana · reservable in Montana · big rigs in Montana · pets allowed in Montana · group sites in Montana

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
MCGREGOR LAKE CAMPGROUNDMCGREGOR LAKE CAMPGROUNDMCGREGOR LAKE CAMPGROUNDMCGREGOR LAKE CAMPGROUND
Photos via Recreation.gov

Site mix

Standard, no hookups26
Group sites2
Some sites take reservations on Recreation.gov. Others are first-come, first-served. For the first-come sites, arrive early on a weekday and take what is open. The booking page shows which of the reservable sites are open. The first-come playbook

Site guide

Will my RV fit

The longest site here provides 40 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter.

Have the trailer VIN? It carries the trailer length.

28 sites in 4 loops. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteLoopTypeEntryFits, ftSurfaceShadePowerWater / sewerPeople / vehiclesFiresRating
Group SiteGroupPull-through40GravelNo25 / 5YesBasic
1McGregor LakeStandardBack-in40GravelPartialNoNo / –8 / 2YesStandard
2McGregor LakeStandardBack-in40GravelPartialNoNo / –8 / 2YesStandard
3McGregor LakeStandardBack-in40GravelPartialNoNo / –8 / 2YesStandard
4McGregor LakeStandardBack-in40GravelPartialNoNo / –8 / 2YesStandard
5McGregor LakeStandardBack-in40GravelPartialNoNo / –8 / 2YesStandard
6McGregor LakeStandardBack-in40GravelPartialNoNo / –8 / 2YesStandard
7McGregor LakeStandardBack-in40GravelPartialNoNo / –8 / 2YesStandard
8McGregor LakeStandardBack-in40GravelPartialNoNo / –8 / 2YesStandard
9McGregor LakeStandardBack-in40GravelPartialNoNo / –8 / 2YesStandard

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.

Amenities & rules

HookupsElectric, water
Max vehicle length60 ft
EquipmentRVs & trailers, Tents
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions

The campground has 27 sites, including one host site, all with tables and fire rings. Most sites offer an average length of 32 feet. Vault toilets, garbage service and drinking water are available during the peak season. The campground campsites are not currently on the reservation system. The reservable group site is available for large groups, this site is a 120' x 140' gravel parking area. Tables and fire ring are located within the site.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

SeasonMemorial Day
ForestKootenai National Forest
BookingAll camp sites are on a first come, first serve basis.
Fees$20.00 daily fee single site; 50% discount with US Golden Age/Access or Interagency Senior/Access Passes Group Area: $50.00 daily fee. Check-in/check-out 12:00 Noon

Kootenai National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Mcgregor Lake Campground20°30°40°50°60°January: 2.12 inches of precipitation, 17.7 inches of snowFebruary: 1.84 inches of precipitation, 14.2 inches of snowMarch: 2.17 inches of precipitation, 14.6 inches of snowApril: 1.62 inches of precipitation, 5.2 inches of snowMay: 2.09 inches of precipitation, 0.5 inches of snowJune: 1.98 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowJuly: 0.78 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.84 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.19 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 2.15 inches of precipitation, 3.0 inches of snowNovember: 2.94 inches of precipitation, 15.4 inches of snowDecember: 2.59 inches of precipitation, 21.9 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 22.7°F averageFebruary: 24.9°F averageMarch: 32.5°F averageApril: 40.1°F averageMay: 48.4°F averageJune: 54.0°F averageJuly: 59.8°F averageAugust: 58.7°F averageSeptember: 50.6°F averageOctober: 39.5°F averageNovember: 29.4°F averageDecember: 22.1°F average0 in5 in10 in15 in20 in25 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Libby 32 SSE, 15 miles from the campground at 3,440 feet, station USC00245020 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 22 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 93 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

From Libby, MT, take US Route 2 east 53 miles to campground sign. Turn right at sign and go 0.2 miles to campground. An alternate route is to take US Route 2 west from Kalispell, MT, for 32 miles to campground entrance.

Nearest townLibby, Montana
Coordinates48.0319° N, 114.9022° W · Directions ↗

Good to know

  • Reservations can be made at Recreation.gov Day use picnic sites with tables and fire rings are located near the beach.

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearRocky Mountain Outfitter ↗29.5 mi
RV sales & serviceBish's RV ↗29.6 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Video

Lake McGregor Campground | Would you camp here? Alberta Camping Review

  • 0.2 mi
    McGregor Shoreline
    2.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

Kootenai National Forest begins about 2.3 miles away, and it is the closest of these.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

Natural features

At an elevation of 3,900 feet, the campground is nestled among young pines at the west end of McGregor Lake in the Fisher River Area. The lake spans 1,240 acres, making it the largest lake in the Kootenai National Forest. The Fisher River Area is the watershed formed by the four forks (West, East, Silver Butte, Pleasant Valley) of the Fisher River and Wolf Creek. Within it is the Thompson Chain of Lakes, which consists of more than 20 lakes.

Recreation

McGregor Lake is host to a prime mackinaw trout population and offers excellent opportunities for a trophy-size catch. There is a boat ramp on-site for access to the lake. Swimming and water skiing are also popular activities. Hikers can walk the 2.9-mile McGregor Lake Shoreline Trail.

Guidebooks for Montana

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Best Tent Camping: Montana
    Vicky Soderberg and Ken Soderberg, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Moon Montana, Wyoming and Idaho Camping
    Becky Lomax, 2015
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Camping Montana
    Kenneth L. Graham, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Mcgregor Lake Campground?

For some sites. Some sites take reservations on Recreation.gov. Others are first-come, first-served.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Mcgregor Lake Campground?

$20.00 daily fee single site; 50% discount with US Golden Age/Access or Interagency Senior/Access Passes Group Area: $50.00 daily fee. Check-in/check-out 12:00 Noon

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Mcgregor Lake Campground?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Mcgregor Lake Campground have?

28 sites, including 26 standard sites without power and 2 group sites.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Mcgregor Lake Campground?

The longest site here provides 60 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.

Source: Will my RV fit

Does Mcgregor Lake Campground have hookups?

Yes, electric and water hookups at some sites.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are pets allowed at Mcgregor Lake Campground?

Yes, pets are allowed at Mcgregor Lake Campground. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Mcgregor Lake Campground?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions.

Source: Recreation.gov

What is there to do at Mcgregor Lake Campground?

McGregor Lake is host to a prime mackinaw trout population and offers excellent opportunities for a trophy-size catch. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Mcgregor Lake Campground?

Libby, Montana.

Source: Getting there

What if Mcgregor Lake Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Pleasant Valley Campground (18 mi, first-come), Fishtrap Lake Campground (18.2 mi, first-come), and Sylvan Lake Campground (19.2 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby