Forget Glacier, Visit Montana's Under-The-Radar State Park With Water Sports And Lakeside Camping

Perched at 3,835 feet on the western edge of the Hauser Reservoir, just a few miles from Hauser Dam, is a small state park with campsites and boating access. The 43-acre Black Sandy State Park takes its name from the black sand on its small beach. Its lakeside location with serene views and wildlife (if you're lucky, maybe you'll see an eagle) makes it a great alternative to Glacier National Park.

With over 3.1 million visitors in 2025, Glacier is definitely on the radar. Glacier has been subject to over-tourism for years, so much so that tourists are being warned to avoid it. The crowds may only get more difficult to manage with the 2026 dropping of the staggered reservation system that popular parks like Glacier and Yosemite have used to deal with seasonal surges. Part of Glacier's new visitor control system includes a three-hour limit on parking at Logan Pass and a ticketed shuttle between there and Going-to-the-Sun Road, which might add extra costs and anxiety to an already stressful experience.

For those who want to enjoy a more low-key and relaxing time camping and doing water sports, consider Black Sandy State Park instead. It's essentially a lakeside RV campground with boat launch points since there aren't rental houses for boating or water sports. That makes this location much more under-the-radar than somewhere like Glacier, and its 4.4 stars on Google prove it's still a gorgeous spot. But since the Hauser Reservoir doesn't have many public parks on its shores, the cat is starting to get out of the bag about Black Sandy State Park, an increasingly popular summer weekend destination.

One of the most appealing parts of Black Sandy State Park is its campground that's right on the water. It currently has 29 campsites with electricity, plus a handful of first-come, first-served tent sites all on asphalt, so it's especially ideal for RV campers. The site has a maximum trailer length of 35 feet, and the electrical hookups are available from May 1 to November 30. You can make RV site reservations online.

Amenities include vault and flush toilets, fire pits, and dump stations, although there aren't any showers on the premises. While the location is tranquil, some note that the experience of camping at Black Sandy State Park can be less than ideal, especially when it's busy in the summer. The campsites are a bit cramped and close together, and privacy is further encroached upon by the position of fire pits and picnic tables near them. Regardless, you can enjoy a lovely lake view that some say is best enjoyed from the overlook in the morning. 

Black Sandy State Park is great for families. If you're camping, you can jump right into the water with the kids (but note that there's no lifeguard on duty). And for non-campers, it has 16 boat slips, making it ideal for those who want to go boating, fishing, or do water sports like water skiing or tubing. For something besides lakeside activities, you can check out the Missouri River Walk trail, set up a picnic, or bike along the reservoir.

Black Sandy State Park is open year-round, and each season has its benefits. Summer is more crowded, but in August, you might catch sight of a bald eagle since the park has one of the highest concentrations of them west of the Mississippi at that time. It's less populated in the spring and fall, which is a benefit considering how close the camping spots are, and weekdays are also a good option to find fewer people. 

Feel free to bring your dog, so long as it's on leash, and keep in mind that the area doesn't have great cell service, so download whatever you need beforehand. Currently, the day-use fee for those who aren't Montana residents is under $10 for cars and under $5 for walk-ins. Residents of Montana who pay the extra state park fee with their car registration can visit Black Sandy State Park for free.

Located just 25 minutes from Helena, the best place to live in Montana, Black Sandy State Park is accessible via a gravel road that requires some caution when driving. History buffs may be thrilled to know that this site is located on the Lewis and Clark Trail, since the explorers came through this area in 1805. If you want to dig deeper into that era of Montana's history, drive 25 minutes north to take the boat cruise to see the Gates of the Mountains, one of the West's best stretches of river, which Lewis and Clark named after passing through it in 1805.