Campground Review – Hardin KOA, Hardin, Montana

Hardin KOA, Hardin, Montana

Description

The Hardin KOA is conveniently located just a short distance off interstate I-90, north of Hardin, Montana. This nicely shaded park is set in rolling farmland along the Bighorn River valley. This campground makes for a nice stop-over while traveling the I-90 or as a base to explore area attractions, such as the Little Big Horn Battlefield or Pompey’s Pillar National Monument.

Location

Hardin KOA
2205 MT-47
Hardin, MT 59034
Park: (406) 665-1635
Latitude: 45.763510 N, Longitude: -107.613189 W, Elevation: ~2,907 ft (886 m)

Details

We stayed for seven nights at the Hardin KOA in mid August of 2017. The campground staff was friendly and helpful during our stay. This is a basic, clean, and well maintained campground set in wide open farmland, not far from the Big Horn River.

Cost

For seven nights at a 50 amp full hookup pull-thru site, we paid about $45 per night, including tax and our KOA Value Kard Rewards Discount. There were no charges for an extra vehicle or pets.

Amenities On Site or Nearby

The campground offers the basic amenities expected from a KOA, including full and partial hookup sites, dry tent sites, rental cabins, RV dump station, propane, restrooms and showers, game room, laundry room, playground, horseshoes, tether-ball, Kamp Kitchen, and swimming pool. The park has a small general store with basic groceries, household goods, camping supplies, souvenirs and tourist info for the local area. Grocery stores, restaurants, automotive and some RV services are nearby in Hardin. A larger choice of services and shopping are available in Billings, Montana (45 miles).

Ratings (1-5)

Accessibility – 4/5

The campground is easily accessible from interstate I-90. Lanes in the park are well-maintained gravel. The park has both pull-thru and back-in sites and can accommodate large rigs. The campground facilities have provisions for Universal access.

Facilities/Amenities – 3/5

The campground offers the basic amenities expected from a KOA, including full and partial hookup sites, dry tent sites, rental cabins, RV dump station, propane, restrooms and showers, game room, laundry room, playground, horseshoes, tether-ball, Kamp Kitchen, and swimming pool. The park has a small general store with basic groceries, household goods, camping supplies, souvenirs and tourist info for the local area. Facilities are clean and well maintained, although the restrooms are showing wear and could use a renovation. Staff was friendly and helpful.

Site quality – 3/5

Sites are very basic, including full or partial hookups with 50/30/20 amp electric, basic cable TV, fire ring and a picnic table. Sites are surfaced with gravel and grass. Sites are wide enough to accommodate slide-outs and awnings, and have fair separation between sites. Trees throughout the campground provide welcome shade.

Scenic Value – 3/5

The campground set amidst rolling wheat, hay and corn fields and has a rural charm.

Location/Isolation – 3/5

The campground feels rather isolated as it is in farmland on the outskirts of Hardin, about a mile north of interstate I-90. The campground is quiet and receives little road noise from adjacent highway MT-47 or distant I-90.

One detraction is a strong petroleum smell which is noticeable when the wind is from the east – there is an asphalt/petroleum storage facility about a half mile away in that direction.

Paws Friendliness – 3/5

The park is pet friendly and has a pet walk along the edge of the campground, but does not have any enclosed pet run or cleanup bag stations. The campground is large enough for a decent walk with your pet.

Overall Rating – 3/5

Overall, the Hardin KOA campground is a convenient place to stay while travelling through the area or as a base to explore local attractions, like the Little Big Horn Battlefield or Pompey’s Pillar. We would not mind staying here on another visit.

Additional info

Internet access

We received a moderate 4G Verizon signal at this campground. We did not need to deploy our cellular antenna and booster to improve MiFi hot spot internet access. The campground provided free WiFi, but we did not use this during our stay.

Water Quality

The water at this campground tested hard – we added our water softener to the water filtration stack.

Nearby attractions

Here are a few local attractions and activities:

  • Little Big Horn Battlefield National Monument (“Custer’s Last Stand”)
  • Yellowtail Dam
  • Pompey’s Pillar National Monument
  • Big Horn County Historical Museum

 

Photos

2205 MT-47, Hardin, MT 59034

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