The Gateway FamCamp is located at Malmstrom AFB, near Great Falls, Montana. They don't take reservations and we knew we were taking some chances when we sopped by in prime busy season in June 2019. The directions we had were a bit confusing and we ended up driving a few miles down heavily tree lined streets. I've updated the driving directions on the website, which will take you directly to the FamCamp without the issues we had. We arrived mid-week at late afternoon. The main FamCamp is located off-base, near the main gate. They also have an "annex" to the FamCamp located on-base at the back. We went directly to the newer off-base FamCamp. You check-in with the host at the entrance to the FamCamp.
We were greeted by Bill, the very friendly camp host. He assigned us a site, which was the last one available. You don't pay the host. Rather, you pay by envelope into a fee tube. Unfortunately, the site was already occupied. The occupants of the site extended their stay, but failed to tell the host. Bill felt eal bad and gave us the choice of moving to the annex campground on base, or staying in the parking lot (overflow) for the night. Since we were going to stay for 4 nights, we elected to stay in overflow and move to a FHU site the next day. By morning, three other RV's had stayed in overflow.
The main Gateway FamCamp is well maintained. There are 25 full hook-up sites, all with 50amp electric. Every site is about a 75' long paved pull-through site with paved roads. Sites are "buddy sites", meaning your entry door faces your neighbor's entry door and you share the grassy space between. The rate during our stay was $25 a night, or $130 for the week. There is a 21-day stay limit, but can be extended if space is available. During our stay, the FamCamp was full almost every evening. During the busy summer months, I suggest arriving by 1300hrs and you shouldn't have problems getting a site. The restrooms, showers, and laundry room at the FamCamp were modern and clean. The small laundry had only 2 washing machines and four dryers. There's no fenced in pet area, but there is a designated on-leash dog area.
The "Annex" FamCamp is the original FamCamp at Malmstrom AFB. It's located on-base, near the back fence. It's a tad rustic, with gravel sites and roads. There's 30 FHU sites with 30amp electric. There's also a small, old, wooden restroom with one stall for men and one stall for women. There's no showers or laundry at the Annex. The rates here were $20 a night, or $100 for the week. They also have overflow/tent sites available in this FamCamp for $8 a night.
Malmstrom AFB was very quiet with very little noticeable activity going on. Most likely, this is due to the main mission of the base maintaining supporting Minuteman Missile sites spread put over hundreds of miles. The Exchange and Commissary are small, but adequate. There's plenty of shopping, including a Walmart nearby. There's no diesel ful available on base, but Walmart and many other nearby stations do.
Gateway FamCamp is a good place to stop if you're visiting Glacier National Park. The FamCamp is also close to a few things to do in the area: Malmstrom Museum and Air Park; Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center; River's Edge Trail; and C.M. Russell Museum to name a few. We greatly enjoyed the base museum and the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. We enjoyed our visit very much and wished we had the time to stay the entire 21-days allowed. Whenever we get back to the Great Falls area, we won't hesitate to stay at Gateway FamCamp again.
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