White Sandy Campground
Overview
White Sandy is located on the west side of Hauser Lake at the confluence of Prickly Pear creek. White Sandy faces Eldorado Bar and the beautiful Big Belt mountains. It is in an ideal location for outdoor recreation, wildlife watching, water sports, camping and swimming.
Recreation
White Sandy offers excellent recreational access. There is a beach area, picnic areas, as well as a ramada/pavilion with power and lights, available by advanced reservation. There are vault toilets located in convenient locations throughout the site. There are trails throughout White Sandy as well as in the surrounding area. Additionally, there are multiple trails within the larger Hauser Lake Recreation area, as well as multiple fishing access sites, hunting access, wildlife viewing and of course, boating. World class mountain biking trails abound in the area as well. The recreation opportunities are truly boundless.
Facilities
White Sandy offers excellent recreational access. There is a beach area, picnic areas, as well as a ramada/pavilion with power and lights, available by advanced reservation. There are vault toilets located in convenient locations throughout the site. There are trails throughout White Sandy as well as in the surrounding area. Additionally, there are multiple trails within the larger Hauser Lake Recreation area, as well as multiple fishing access sites, hunting access, wildlife viewing and of course, boating. World class mountain biking trails abound in the area as well. The recreation opportunities are truly boundless.
Natural Features
The campground and day use areas are situated in a shrub-steppe landscape, mostly comprised of sage brush and bunch grasses. Every campsite has a view of the lake and mountains. While there are some ponderosa pine and deciduous trees throughout the area, they are scarce and do not provide a large amount of shade, but the lake does help keep the temperatures down a bit on those hot summer days.
Nearby Attractions
White Sandy is located in a prime location to get out and recreate outdoors, or within the capital of Montana. There are hundreds of miles of trails, Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service lands, state parks, the Lewis and Clark Trail and so much more.
Helena (only a short drive away) has all the amenities of a large city with small town charm. There are great restaurants, museums, the capitol building, old mining settlements, Last Chance Gulch, Reeder's Alley and a vibrant downtown with a walking mall area.
Charges & Cancellations
Reservation Cancellations & Changes
• Cancelling a Reservation: Customers may cancel their reservation prior to arrival both on-line and through the call center. A $10 service fee will be withheld from any refund for a cancellation. Depending on when you cancel in relation to your arrival day, it may be considered a late cancellation (see below).
• Group Facility (including Cabins and Lookouts): Customers who cancel a group overnight facility reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee.
Late Cancellations or Cancellations within the Cut-off Window
• Individual Campsites: A customer who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee.
The recreation.gov cancellation policy can be found here: https://www.recreation.gov/rules-reservation-policies
Photos
Accessibility Description (ABA/ADA)
Visitors access this BLM site via a paved road. There is a shaded information kiosk that has a digital fee station (credit card reader) and sits on concrete near the main entrance to the site. There is no running water or cell phone service at this site.
Parking. Each campsite has its own parking spur. In addition, there are 3 paved and striped parking lots for the day-use area, with a total of 3 accessible spaces.
-
The south lot near the group pavilion has 7 striped spaces, 1 of which is marked as accessible and has an access aisle for a van with a mobility device ramp or lift.
-
The middle lot has about 15 striped spaces, 2 of which have access aisles.
-
The north parking lot near the boat launch has about 40 striped, extended spaces for RVs and 7 other spaces, but none are marked as accessible.
Toilets. There are 4 accessible double vault toilets, 1 in the middle of the main camping area and 1 in each of the parking lots for the day-use portion of the site.
Shade structures. There are 4 shade structures in the day-use area. Of these, 2 sit on concrete pads next to the middle parking lot. When vehicles occupy the parking spots in front of them, access may be a challenge. Another shade shelter, between the south and middle lots, can be reached by a paved path on one side. All 3 of these shade structures have picnic tables that can accommodate wheelchair users. The 4th shelter, farther to the south and entered via the sandy beach, is not accessible.
Group pavilion. The group pavilion is at the south end of the south parking lot, next to an accessible parking space. It provides shade for picnic tables that can accommodate wheelchair users.
Campsites. Asphalt paths lead to 2 main camping loops.
-
The east loop has 24 campsites, 3 of which are accessible. These 3 sites have paved parking spurs and accessible picnic tables. The middle site is closest to the toilet.
-
The west loop encompasses the 5 campsites in the group pavilion. One of these campsites is accessible. It is the campsite closest to the toilet and is available only by reservation in advance.
NOTE: Descriptions and photos uploaded January 2025. Please note that actual on-the-ground conditions may vary due to natural events (e.g., weather, wildfires, erosion), normal wear and tear, or site improvements.
Phone
Activities
Addresses
Geographic Coordinates
Directions
From Helena drive north, from Great Falls drive south on I-15 to the Lincoln Road exit, turn east on Lincoln Rd and continue to the T-intersection with Hauser Dam Rd, turn left (North) and continue about 4 miles until you reach White Sandy Recreation Area directly in front of you on the right hand side of the road. If you get to Black Sandy state park, you have gone too far.
Fees
$25 per night per camping unit per site, with a maximum of 2 units per site. Group Loop-C Loop with Ramada/Pavilion is $140 per night with a maximum of 2 units per site (x6 sites = 12 units) with no additional fees.
*** You must occupy your campsite every night that you have reserved. If you do not show up for 24 hours from "Check-In Time" (2:00 PM), you forfeit the use of that site and are not entitled to any refunds or discounts. ***
*** You must occupy the site you reserved and cannot change sites, or move to a different loop of the campground.***