We “babymooned” Memorial Day Weekend (2015) at Seeley Lake before our first was born. I was 30-some weeks pregnant, and we camped in a tent. Fast-forward 4 years, and we were back at the River Point Campground at Seeley Lake for Memorial Day Weekend with an almost 4 year old and an almost 2 year old camping for the first night in our new-to-us pop-up camper. The only similarity between the two experiences was that Seeley Lake remained beautiful. 😛
We weren’t able to get out camping last summer because of work on the weekends. Meaning we’ve never camped with the two boys together! What??! So this summer we decided we are going to try to camp as much as possible. When deciding where to go on our first camping trip with two little ones, Seeley Lake was at the top of the list.
The lake itself is beautiful, and the campgrounds are right on the lake. Every evening after dinner, we would spend at least an hour down at the water throwing rocks. Next time we’ll also bring our canoe.
Walking (or biking) from the campground, there are some nice trails to enjoy. One of them (see map below) even leads you to the oldest known western larch tree in the United States (affectionately named Gus). The tree is 1,000 years old, and it’s humbling touching and taking in something that has lived that long. This one-mile nature trail was so fun for the boys. The trail is soft (not rocky). It’s easy to hike or bike. The trees are enormous. The wildlife (deer, squirrels, plenty of birds) and wildflowers are present. A great way to start or end the day.
There are also several other hikes within a 30 minute drive from Seeley Lake. Our boys fell asleep (which was definitely needed!) on our way to the Holland Lake/Falls hike, so we still have not done that one, but I have heard nothing but great things about the family-friendly hike. The Morrell Falls NRT is also nearby. It is an easy hike that ends at some beautiful falls (especially during the spring/early summer). But really, grab a Montana Road and Recreation Benchmark atlas, and you’ll see all the hikes nearby!
This camping trip we took it easy. We hiked some of the nature trails near the campground, and then simply found some National Forest land just south of Seeley Lake off of Hwy. 83 on Gravel Pit Road. We also searched for Morrell mushrooms where the Rice Ridge fire burned two years prior. No destination, just some exploration and time to connect with nature. It was perfect.
One thing to be aware of at Seeley Lake is that the mosquitos can be pretty vicious. Maybe not for Minnesotans, but for those of us hailing from arid Helena, Montana? Yes. Plenty of mosquitos. 🙂
Seeley Lake will be one of our go-to camping spots for us because of its proximity to us, kid-friendly activities, and variety of hikes nearby. Have you camped at Seeley? What did you enjoy about it?