Kintla Lake
The Quick Take
Kintla Lake is Glacier's reward for patience. Reaching this tiny lakeside campground means committing to a long, jarring drive up the North Fork dirt road — the kind of road that makes you question your suspension and your life choices around mile thirty. But that road is the campground's best feature, because it filters out nearly everyone. With barely a dozen sites tucked along a pristine glacial lake, Kintla offers the kind of quiet that most frontcountry campgrounds can only dream about. There are no showers, no camp store, no cell signal — just cold clear water, big mountains, and the occasional loon call echoing off the surface. If you want Glacier's greatest hits and a hot shower, stay at Apgar or Fish Creek. If you want to feel like you discovered a national park campground that time forgot, Kintla is your place. Best for experienced tent campers who consider 'remote' a selling point, not a warning.
Booking
Reserve Your Campsite
13 sites, first-come first-served.
What You Get
Sites & Setup
RV Information
RVs allowed. No electrical hookups.
Accessibility
1 campsite (#13) Unpaved Roads - All vehicles OK in good weather
Pro Tips
Kintla is first-come, first-served and rarely fills even in peak July — but arrive before noon on weekends to be safe. Midweek, you can practically stroll in at dinner and still have your pick of sites.
Stop in Polebridge on the way in and grab baked goods from the Polebridge Mercantile — their huckleberry bear claws are legendary. This is also your last chance to buy forgotten supplies, since there is absolutely nothing between Polebridge and the campground.
Pack everything you need and then some. The nearest services are a long, slow drive away. Bring extra water containers even though potable water is available — the spigots can be unreliable late in the season. And store every scrap of food in the bear lockers, not your car. This is serious grizzly country.
Photos
NPS
NPS PhotoGetting There
Directions
It is located in the upper most northwest section of the park known as the North Fork, approximately 40 miles from the west entrance and the Canadian border. Though the drive is very slow and bumpy on dirt roads, the drive is pleasant. Part of this drive takes you through the tiny community of Polebridge. Kintla Lake is about 14.3 miles from Polebridge.
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