Emerald Lake Campground
- Jul–Sep
- best months
Is Emerald Lake Campground open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Beartooth Ranger District. It doesn't name Emerald Lake Campground, so check the source for the area it covers (14 listed).
Krueger Pond Wild Horse and Burro Gather Closure Area
Agency closure covering Beartooth Ranger District · Order 01-11-82-27-01 · USFS · Beartooth Ranger District
NFSR #1700 South Plateau Road Closure
Agency closure covering Custer Gallatin National Forest · USFS · Custer Gallatin National Forest
Pine Grove Campground Closure
Agency closure covering Beartooth Ranger District · Order 01-11-82-26-04 · USFS · Beartooth Ranger District
Hyalite Porcupine Buffalo Horn Summer Interim Travel Order and Map and Order # 01-11-00-26-02
Agency closure covering Custer Gallatin National Forest · Order 01-11-00-26-02 · USFS · Custer Gallatin National Forest
Hyalite Porcupine Buffalo Horn Winter Interim Travel Order and Map Order Number: #01-11-00-26-01
Agency closure covering Custer Gallatin National Forest · USFS · Custer Gallatin National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Beartooth Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
- At 6,355 ft
- Beartooth Ranger DistrictCuster Gallatin National Forest
Emerald Lake is in the West Rosebud drainage and is nestled in the trees between Emerald Lake and West Rosebud Lake. West Rosebud Trail (#19), Pine Grove Campground , Emerald Lake Fishing Access and West Rosebud Lake Fishing Access are also located in the West Rosebud drainage. There is a 16 day maximum stay in all Beartooth Ranger District campgrounds. For a road map of the area, with locations of campgrounds, please see our Motor Vehicle Use Map ( MVUM ). Camp sites: 32 Host : No Max trailer length : 30ft Accessible Facilities: Toilet Trash Pickup: Centrally located Bear resistant dumpster Firewood: No. Don't move firewood to other areas or bring in outside firewood. Prevent the spread of tree-killing insects by obtaining firewood near your destination and burning it there. Reservations : No Reservations: This campground does not use a reservation system; it is managed on a first-come, first-served basis. Be aware that the campground is very popular and may fill up on weekends & holidays during the summer months. You should arrive early to ensure there is a space available for the night. There is a 16 day stay limit. Some sites are equipped with bear resistant food storage lockers. This campground is maintained from approximately Memorial Day to Labor Day (call district office for exact season dates). During these dates there is a fee to stay in the campground (listed below). Outside of the peak summer dates (Memorial Day- Labor Day), the campground remains ungated, free, and available for use (no services, not maintained, roads are not plowed). If you visit outside the peak fee season, please bring your own water, toilet paper (outhouse will remain open), and please pack out your trash. Directions from district office: Drive north on US Hwy 212 for 2.1 miles and turn left (west) onto MT-78. Drive 30.0 miles and turn left (west) onto MT-419 towards Fishtail. Drive 4.4 miles (through Fishtail) and turn left (south) onto West Rosebud Rd. Drive 6.5 miles and turn left (south) to continue on West Rosebud Rd. Drive 12.4 miles to the campground, on the left. Information: Beartooth Ranger District 6811 US Hwy 212 Red Lodge, MT 59068 (406) 446-2103
Local outfitters
- Spring Creek Campground40 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
- West Rosebud Lake Fishing AccessPier fishing0.4 mi
West RosebudHikingPhoto: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)2.7 mi- Pine Grove CampgroundCamping3.1 mi
- Phantom Lake TrailHiking3.2 mi
- Phantom CreekHiking3.3 mi
- East Rosebud CampgroundCamping4.9 mi
Beartooth MountainsRock climbingPhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)6.6 mi- South Central RegionRock climbing8.4 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Brd2072-005Camping · Next door
- Brd2072-006Camping · Next door
- Brd2072-007Camping · Next door
- Brd2072-009Camping · ~1 min drive
- Brd2072-004Camping · ~1 min drive
- Brd2072-011Camping · ~1 min drive
- Brd2072-012Camping · ~1 min drive
- Brd2072-014Camping · ~1 min drive
- Brd2072-013Camping · ~1 min drive
- Brd2072-015Camping · ~1 min drive
Also worth it near here
- Emerald Lake Fishing AccessLake fishing · Next door
- West Rosebud Lake Fishing AccessPier fishing · Next door
West RosebudHiking · ~5 min drivePhoto: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
Beartooth MountainsRock climbing · ~11 min drivePhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)
Best time to visit Emerald Lake Campground
Best months: July–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
34° / 18°
8 wet
Feb
34° / 17°
9 wet
Mar
41° / 22°
11 wet
Apr
48° / 27°
12 wet
May
57° / 35°
14 wet
Jun
66° / 43°
14 wet
Jul
75° / 50°
12 wet
Aug
74° / 50°
11 wet
Sep
65° / 42°
10 wet
Oct
52° / 32°
10 wet
Nov
40° / 24°
9 wet
Dec
33° / 18°
9 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Mystic Lake, MT, 1.6 mi away at 6,544 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Emerald Lake Campground
Book on Recreation.gov