National Parks and Monuments, such as Glacier and Yellowstone, beckon many tourists to Montana to see and experience their wonders. But there is much more to this state with a big sky and breathtaking beauty. And there is no place better to see and enjoy the wonders of Montana than at one of its nine national forests.

After years of criss-crossing this magnificent country, visiting 155 national forests and surveying over 2,367 campgrounds, Fred and I have come to appreciate the diversity of recreational opportunities found in national forests. Because we have seen so much, we are often asked, "Which is your favorite?" Our answer is always, "It depends on what you want to do." This holds as true in Montana as anywhere else in our country. Depending on what you're looking for, there is a perfect campground for you! Here are some of the national forest campgrounds we found especially attractive and what makes each special.

-- Wade Lake Campground in Beaverhead National Forest sits above a spring-fed, sapphireblue lake among mature pines. Bald eagle and osprey find Wade Lake particularly attractive and are frequent visitors. The drive to this campground is long and dusty but has some of the prettiest prairie vistas you'll find anywhere.

-- Lake Como Campground in Bitterroot National Forest is one of three campgrounds in the Lake Como Recreation Area. The other campgrounds, Upper Como and Rock Creek Horse Camp, are about the same size but Lake Como has a rare treat - electric and water hook-ups for recreational vehicles.

-- Spotted Bear Campground in Flathead National Forest. Talk about fabulously remote!!! Located below the southern end of the Hungry Horse Reservoir and next to the Bob Marshall Wilderness, this is a campground for the adventurous out-of-door loving type.

-- Big Creek Campground, again in Flathead National Forest, has good float opportunities on the adjacent North Fork of the Flathead River and cutthroat trout fishing. This campground is also located near the west entrance to Glacier National Park and Big Creek Outdoor Education Center of the Glacier Institute.

-- Soda Butte Campground, in the Gallatin National Forest, is about 6 miles from the northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park and convenient to the Beartooth Scenic Highway. It is one of those small campgrounds people usually stumble upon and return to year-after-year. Because the campground hasn't been discovered, it is rarely full of people. It also has lots of tall pines and open space that attracts wildlife.

-- Baker's Hole Campground, also in the Gallatin, is just north of the West Yellowstone community and along the Madison River (usually full of German Brown and Rainbow trout), is an outstanding basecamp for visiting Yellowstone National Park. And, with West Yellowstone between the National Park and the campground, every night could be a Cook's-night-out.

-- Tom Miner Campground, again in the Gallatin National Forest, is way out there. It is a long drive to this one but worth it. With sites nestled in among pines and aspen and a stream meandering down a hillside, the most vivid memories of this place were the wildflowers and some short but great hiking trails.

-- Big Therriault Lake Campground in the Kootenai National Forest is a secret place. Brilliant colors and quiet are the main features of this campground a stone's throw fromthe US-Canadian border. And that's all I'll say about it. (I've said too much already!)

-- Seeley Lake Campground, in the Lolo National Forest and at the edge of Seeley Lake, is a great loon nesting area and offers outstanding canoe adventure. This picturesque campground is tucked in among big Western Larch, shrubs and wildflower. It is also convenient to the Clearwater Canoe Trail, an interesting way to explore the area.

-- Lolo National Forest's Slowey Campground is adjacent to I-90 and is the only "horse motel" campground we found in the Forest Service campground inventory. A large open area next to the camp sites area provides a place for horses to be unloaded, hobbled and rest from the stress of their travels.

-- Bitterroot Flat Campground, again in the Lolo National Forest, is the only campground in Montana avid fly-anglers need to know about. Stretching along the "Blue Ribbon" Rock Creek, this campground features spacious sites, loads of shade, and solitude.

For more national forest developed campgrounds in Montana go to the U.S. National Forest Campground Guide website.