Lake Como Recreation Area

Lake Como Recreation Area offers a classic Bitterroot National Forest recreation experience.  Whether you're swimming, fishing, boating, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, or camping, Lake Como caters to a wide range of visitors in a beautiful mountain valley.  

Lake Como is located between Darby and Hamilton, MT.  With over 200,000 visitors annually, the Lake Como Recreation Area is one of the busiest recreation areas in the region. Lake Como is approximately 980 acres, 3 ½ miles long, and has approximately 8 miles of shoreline. However, only ½ mile of lake is accessible by vehicle. 

Memorial Day to Labor Day, vehicles will need to display a recreation pass. The passes are $5/day or $30/season. America the Beautiful Passes (Annual, Access, Military, Senior and Golden Age Passes) cover this fee. 

• Day passes are available on site at two electronic (card) fee stations (located adjacent to the beginning of the road that leads to the Beach area (National Forest Road #1111), and in the Beach overflow parking area) 
• Day passes and season passes are also available at vendors in the valley (Call Darby Ranger Station 406-821-3913 for more details on vendors) 

Campgrounds include Lake Como Campground (Lower Como) with RV/electric sites, Three Frogs Campground with both trailer and tent sites, and Rock Creek Horse Camp that can accommodate tent and trailers and provides horse hitches. The sandy swim beach during the summer is great for swimming with family and friends.  It includes picnic tables, changing rooms, restrooms, and accessible facilities.  

Typically, the floating dock is installed during end of May to August, when water levels permit. Lake Como is an irrigation reservoir.  Water levels fluctuate throughout the year, with the lake typically being at its highest from spring through late-July. Lake Como plays a vital role in irrigation for the Bitterroot Valley. The lake serves as a late-season water source, storing water from Rock Creek and releasing it to the main canal that serves a 72-mile stretch of irrigation to the Valley.

Lake Como was named by Father Anthony Ravalli, who was reminded of the famous lake in his native Italy when he first saw its beauty. Long before that, the area was a significant and sacred place to the Salish people, who have deep cultural and spiritual ties to the lake and surrounding landscape.