Our visit to 7th Ranch RV Camp was not part of our original West trip itinerary, but after a cramped stay in Cody, Wyo., Montana’s Big Sky Country was calling our name. 7th Ranch RV Camp in Garryowen seems to be a popular stop-over site for those traveling on I-90, or a base-camp to explore the nearby Little Bighorn Battlefield. We used this great campground for a day of relaxation and regrouping, and if we ever travel back through this part of Montana, we will definitely stay again!
Campground: This campground, which is situated on a working ranch, is very well maintained and manicured. The owners and employees take pride in their campground and they can be seen working around the campground making sure guests have an enjoyable stay. Their attention to detail starts at check-in with free ice cream for everyone in your party.
All sites are pull throughs that appeared to be fairly level or with only mild slope. While the sites do not have a ton of space between them we noticed the first night that the office tried to leave an empty site between campers (unless it was a busy night and they start to fill up–like our second night–and then they do put campers next to you).
Almost all of the sites have a great view of Montana sunrises and sunsets. If you want the best views I suggest sites that are at the top of the hill. There is a minimal amount of road noise from I-90 that can be heard from sites higher up on the ridge, as well as railroad noise from the other side of the valley. The sites at the bottom of the ridge have more grass on the passenger side and are below a hill that blocks some of the road noise from I-90.
The main road into the campground is a dusty gravel road, so you’ll want to take it slow. Also note: The campground does have a policy that campers arriving after quiet hours (even those with prior reservations) have to wait in the parking area outside the campground overnight so as not to disturb other guests.
Bathrooms: The bathhouse like the rest of the campground was immaculate and they even play music in the bathrooms. We noticed that the custodian spent over an hour cleaning the bathrooms–no wonder they were so clean!
Amenities: The campground offers a small laundry area. When you check in, the office staff will tell you that they have very soft water and to only use 1/4 of the normal amount of laundry detergent. Make sure to heed this warning or you will be using a lot of extra water to get the soap out of your clothes. Outside of the laundry area is a dishwashing station. In the middle of the campground there is a play area for the kiddos–our kiddos loved the airplane sea-saw. Additionally, there was a picnic pavilion and a group campfire area. We found the WiFi to be reliable when the campground wasn’t too busy.
Touring: We did not do any touring while at the 7th Ranch as we used our time to relax. Nearby, though, is the Little Bighorn Battlefield, which history fans will recognize as the location of Custer’s last stand.
Cost per night: $36.17 per night (with Good Sam discount)
Date of stay: July 5-7, 2015
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