Family Camping Near Billings: 26 Easy to Access Campgrounds

If you are an experienced backcountry camper who weighs every piece of camping gear in grams instead of pounds, disregard this article. You'll surely scoff at the idea of loading up the family truckster with a BBQ grill, floaties, folding cots, multiple tackle boxes, fishing rods, and 300-pound coolers full of beer and food and calling it camping.

Car camping is still camping.

Not all of us enjoy hiking 42 miles into rugged terrain with everything we need for a weekend on our backs. And that's okay. My family lands in the car-camping category. I have two young kids and a spouse who doesn't exactly love roughing it. We don't have a camper, so tenting it equates to a carload of gear.

There are 26 FWP Fishing Access Sites near Billings that permit camping.

Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks manages 95 fishing access sites that allow overnight camping in Montana. Billings is in Region 5, where 26 public fishing access sites permit overnight camping. All have a maximum stay of seven consecutive days and many have size restrictions for campers/trailers (often 20 feet).

Most of these FAS campsites have at least one pit-style toilet (an outhouse) and some may have water from a hand pump. Many do not have drinking water, so campers should plan accordingly. Power and sewer hookups for RVs are not something you'll find at these mostly primitive campsites.

We don't have room to list all the Fishing Access Sites near Billings that allow overnight camping in this article, but you can see the full list HERE.

Horsethief Station Fishing Access Site - Rock Creek near Red Lodge

Proximity to Red Lodge makes Horsethief Station an attractive option for quick camping getaways near Billings. When the fish aren't biting but the mosquitos are, take a break and head into town for a trip to the candy store.

Manuel Lisa Fishing Access Site - Bighorn River near Hardin

The Bighorn is regarded as one of the best trout fishing rivers in the area. This FAS is near where the Bighorn meets the Yellowstone.

Moraine Fishing Access Site - Upper Stillwater River near Fishtail.

This area is one of our favorite spots in southcentral Montana.

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Grey Bear Fishing Access Site - Yellowstone River near Livingston

Paradise Valley is stunning and securing a campground at Grey Bear may be one of the more challenging sites to get a spot, due to its popularity.

Cliff Swallow Fishing Access Site - Stillwater River near Absarokee.

I've fished here many times, with various success. The spot is popular for day use, but I've never noticed an overload of tents or campers.

Voyagers Rest - Yellowstone River near Worden.

Just a mile or so northwest of Worden, fishermen can expect to catch anything from bass and trout to catfish.

Big Rock Fishing Access Site - Boulder River near Big Timber.

The beautiful Boulder is a special place. When the fish aren't biting, take a break from camp and go check out Natural Bridge Falls nearby.

Pelican Fishing Access Site - Yellowstone River near Greycliff.

Multiple Fishing Access Sites along this stretch of the Yellowstone River, (essentially from Livingston to Columbus) allow overnight camping. You may hear occasional highway noise from I90 or the random rumble of a train, but these spots are easy to access for a quick, overnight family camping adventure relatively close to Billings.