West End Tent and Trailer Campground

West End Tent and Trailer Campground is nestled on a hill on the north shore of Fort Peck Lake. It features 13 campsites with electrical hook-ups as well as an overflow section, and tends to be quieter than the main campground, which makes it popular with fishermen thanks to its proximity to a few boat ramps. Each of the 13 designated campsites has electrical hookups, a picnic table, and a fire ring; some of the overflow campsites have picnic tables and fire rings as well. Shower facilities with flush toilets are found within the campground, along with a vault toilet. Water spigots are available throughout, and a dump station is located approximately 5 miles away near the Downstream Campground. Fort Peck Dam, which impounds Fort Peck Lake, is the first dam built in the upper Missouri River Basin. The area surrounding Fort Peck was first charted by Lewis and Clark in 1804, and the pristine natural condition of the river and surrounding area awed the renowned explorers. When President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized the Fort Peck project in 1933, thousands of people from all over the country migrated to Montana during the midst of the Great Depression in hopes of earning a living. Today, Fort Peck Lake is a sportsman's paradise. The lake provides almost 400 square miles of recreation, including boating, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and swimming, with two boat ramps within two miles of the campground. The Beaver Creek Nature Area is five miles away and provides three miles of trails to hike and bike. Fort Peck Lake enjoys nationwide recognition as a hot spot for walleye fishing, and also offers excellent fishing for sauger, smallmouth bass, lake trout, chinook salmon, and northern pike; the introduction of cisco as a forage fish in 1983 proved successful and increased both the size and number of game fish. The Fort Peck Lake area and the Charles M. Russell Wildlife Refuge provide superb hunting of deer, elk, bighorn sheep, and pronghorn, and the Missouri River Breaks are known for producing large elk and other game animals. The campground sits on a hill overlooking the lake, and most campsites provide at least a partial view. It is not uncommon to see deer visit in the evening, and the location provides a great view of thunderstorms as they pass over the lake from the safety of a camper. Six recreation areas within a few miles of the dam provide access for water sports, fishing, and hunting. The Fort Peck Interpretive Center and Museum is located just downstream of the dam, and tours of the Fort Peck Powerhouse are regularly scheduled. The Leo B. Coleman Wildlife Pasture, just outside the town of Fort Peck and the Downstream Campground, is home to Fort Peck's bison herd and provides an excellent wildlife viewing auto route, and the historic Fort Peck Theater in town is a popular destination in the summer months. The 1.1 million acre Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge surrounds Fort Peck Lake and helps preserve the natural habitat for numerous wildlife species.