Bass Creek Recreation Area

Bass Creek Recreation Area delivers a rich blend of outdoor settings—wilderness trail access, family- and group-friendly campgrounds, equestrian amenities, and multi-use trails suited to hikers and bikers. With water, restrooms, interpretive trails, and recreation corridor access, it’s an ideal base for exploring the Bitterroot’s scenic and varied landscapes.

Located about 2 miles off Bass Creek Road north of Stevensville, MT, the Bass Creek Recreation Area is a popular gateway to outdoor adventure. It includes Charles Waters Campground, the Larry Creek Group Site, and access to the scenic Bass Creek Trail and Bass Lake—set in the Stevensville Ranger District on the Bitterroot National Forest.

D. C. Bass settled along what is now Bass Creek in 1864, becoming one of the earliest non-indigenous residents in the Bitterroot region. He carved out the area’s first irrigation ditch, marking a major development in agricultural water management in Montana. Harnessing this resource, Bass powered one of the state's first sawmills—situated on nearby Kootenai Creek (formerly known as Mill Creek), the mill and creek lending their name to the site. The creek was later named in his honor, and the adjacent Bass Creek Lake was formed with a dam built in 1898.