Black Sandy State Park
- Status
- Status not postedOpen 24 hours
- Entrance fee
- $8 per dayAnnual pass available
- Day-use reservations
- None mentioned
- Dogs
- Statewide rule — see below
- Camping
- Yes
- Official site
- fwp.mt.gov(May 15-September)
Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current
Overview
Covering about 43 acres, Black Sandy State Park lies in Lewis and Clark County, about 12 miles northeast of Helena.
Popular activities here are ice fishing, winter sports, boating, swimming, and fishing. Water access includes a boat ramp. For overnight stays there are campsites (RV sites and tent sites).
Hours
Park, gate, office and facility hours are listed separately because they often differ. Alerts above override normal hours.
| Facility | Days | Hours | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Park | Open 24 hours | ||
Official wording
Open 24 hours/day all year for day use and camping. May 1- Nov 30: electrical hookups available Dec 1 - May 1: Limited facilities available
Open during business hours May 15-September 15
Open all year
Potable water: Approximately May 15-October 10 (as weather allows)
Source: official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Times are local to the park (America/Denver).
Fees and passes
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Montana residents who pay the (resident) | $9 · year |
| Day use entrance fee with a vehicle | $8 |
| Day use entrance fee as a walk-in, bicycle or bus passenger | $4 |
| With a Nonresident Entrance Pass (nonresident) | Free |
| Campsite fees range from | $4 · night |
| Campsite fees range from | $34 · night |
Official wording
Montana Residents • Montana residents who pay the $9 state parks fee with their annual vehicle registration have no daily entrance fees to state parks. For residents who don't include this in their vehicle registration, non-resident day use fees apply. Nonresidents • Day use entrance fee with a vehicle: $8 • Day use entrance fee as a walk-in, bicycle or bus passenger: $4 • With a Nonresident Entrance Pass: Free Campsites • Campsite fees range from $4-$34 per night, depending on season and available amenities. • Montana State Parks offers hike/bike, rustic, tent, rv, and boatslip campsites. To check prices or reserve individual Black Sandy campsites, click here.
Montana park passes
- State parks fee with Montana vehicle registration — $9 per vehicle per year (residents). No daily entrance fees to state parks for that vehicle Details
- Nonresident Entrance Pass (12-month) — $50 per vehicle. Free entrance and discounted camping ($10-$12/night) for one year from month of issue Details
- 7-Day Nonresident Entrance Pass — $35. Entrance for 7 consecutive days and discounted camping; sold at parks only Details
From the Montana state guide. Confirm which passes this park accepts.
Reservations
- Day use
- No day-use reservation requirement mentioned
- Booking system
- ReserveAmerica (montanastateparks.reserveamerica.com)
- Phone
- 1-855-922-6768
We link to the official booking system rather than showing live availability, which changes minute to minute.
Pets
See the park’s wording
Pets Allowed (amenity list)
Service animals are generally permitted where pets are not. Check with the park for specific areas.
Camping
Black Sandy State Park is an extremely popular weekend boating, fishing, camping and water skiing location. Boating, fishing, swimming, camping (electrical hookups are available May 1- November 30), picnicking, bicycling, and mountain biking are available. Black Sandy State Park has 29 campsites with electricity and one tent site that can be reserved, and 5 tent sites without electricity that are first come-first served.
From the official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Site counts and prices can change; confirm when booking.
Things to do
BoatingCampingFishingHikingIce fishingWinter sportsPicnickingSwimmingWildlife viewing and birding
Amenities
Facilities
- Restrooms
- Flush toilets
- Picnic areas
- Parking
Water
- Boat ramp
Camping
- RV dump station
- Tent camping
- RV camping
✓ listed by the park · ✕ the park says it is not available. Anything not shown here isn’t mentioned by the official source — that means unknown, not unavailable.
Accessibility
Amenities: ADA Accessible
Conditions change. Contact the park to confirm specific accessible features before your visit.
Getting there
- Address
- 6563 Hauser Dam Road
Helena, MT 59602 - Nearest town
- Helena — about 12 mi northeast (straight line)
- Coordinates
- 46.7455, -111.8862
- Phone
- (May 15-September)
- cputchat@mt.gov
Nearby state parks
Sources and freshness
- Montana State Parks — park page — last checked Oct 29, 2026
- Montana State Parks Find a Park list, joined with FWP 'State Park Locations' ArcGIS layer
- Wikidata
- USGS PAD-US 4.1 (boundary and acreage)
“Last checked” is when our system last read the official source. No change has been detected since this page was first published. Hours, fees and rules can change without notice — confirm with the park before you go. Methodology