Big Sky RV Park & Campground is located in Anaconda, Montana, which is northwest of Butte, Montana. There are 20 available RV sites at the property, all of which have full hook-ups. Depending on how long visitors would like to stay, they have spaces available for daily, nightly, and weekly rates. While the park is only open from May 1st to September 30th, there are eight RV spaces that are available during the off-season. The RV park is pet-friendly and allows guests to bring their animals with them for their stay. Beyond the RV park, there are a number of places that patrons can visit, like The Old Works Golf Course and Washoe Park. Activities that can be done in the surrounding area include off-roading, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, hunting, hiking, biking, and more.
Big Sky RV Park & Campground has 20 RV spaces in total, ranging from short-period stays to long-period stays. Every site has full hook-ups, including water, electricity, sewage, cable, and wireless internet. The electrical hook-ups have at least 30 AMPs, but seven of them have access to 50 AMPs of power. A personal picnic table accompanies each location. The RV spaces are found along the perimeter of Big Sky RV Park & Campground. In the center of the living arrangements, one can find the main office, which has a coin-operated washing machine and dryer. Two gazebos available to all patrons can be found on the eastern edge of the grounds. One unique aspect of the property is that, in the main office building, there is a life-sized dummy that holds a sign that reads, "Hi, my name is Bob Waite." The sign goes on to explain that "the boss had to step out, and he thinks I'm a dummy and can't help you, but we'll show him." Then it goes over the process of checking in so that guests do not require an employee to get settled into their RV space.
Beyond the property are the town of Anaconda and several mountains and lakes. Across the road, south of Big Sky Park & Campground, a small river called Warm Springs Creek runs through the town, covered with Cottonwood trees along the edge. In the words of Roland, the owner, "It kind of makes you feel like you're in the middle of nowhere." The Anaconda, the river that the town is named after, is located about three miles to the east. Also in the area are a wide variety of lakes. Georgetown Lake is about 18 miles from the property, and Storm Lake is a lake found in the mountains that can be more accessible than others. Due to the location of these lakes and the mountains in the vicinity, there are a wide variety of hiking trails that allow guests to go hiking, biking, fishing, kayaking, and more. There are also a number of trails that allow for off-road vehicles such as mountain bikes, ATVs, side-by-sides, dirt bikes, and others.
Inside the city, there are a variety of attractions that patrons can visit, ranging from activities to restaurants. The Washoe Theater is a movie theater that was ranked by the Smithsonian Institute as one of the top five most beautiful theaters in the nation. Washoe Park offers a swimming pool, playgrounds, gardens, a horseshoe pit, a swing set, and fire pits. Bars and breweries can be found across the town, many of which host live music on occasion. The Smelter Brewery is one such place that the owner likes to recommend to his patrons. He also recommends that people visit Gallicano's Pizzeria, which specializes in pizzas and other Italian cuisines; Haufbrau, an eatery with a game room that serves burgers, wraps, fries, pizza, grilled salmon, chicken, steak, and more; and Barclay II Supper Club, which is more upscale and serves a five-course meal.
Roland, the current owner of Big Sky RV Park & Campground, explains that the goal for his property is to be a place that guests consider a home away from home. To help create this kind of atmosphere, he strives to interact with the visitors as much as possible, but he also tries not to bother them if they do not need help or want to be left alone. One of Roland's favorite parts of owning the business is that he gets to meet new people and see patrons that have stayed before. He enjoys talking to people and answering questions about the property or the area, as well as giving his insight into some of the attractions and restaurants in the area that he personally likes to visit.
Big Sky RV Park & Campground hosts hotdog roasts on a monthly basis during their seasonal period. Roasts are most often held on holidays such as Father's Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day. The owner of the property mentions that sometimes they do them "just because it has been a while since the last one." Besides the hotdog roasts, the property does not often host other events, but they will usually have a celebration on the Fourth of July. In the past, along with the hotdog roast, the owner has set up his own fireworks display on the hillside, and all of the guests are invited to a pot luck dinner. The town's fireworks usually take place close by as well.
Roland has several rules and policies that he would like guests to be aware of when they come to stay. He asks that patrons do not park on any of the grassy areas, as there are sprinkler systems lined throughout the property that could get damaged. Tents are not allowed on any of the RV sites, but there is a tent area that is specifically outlined for the purpose of guests staying in a tent. This also allows patrons to set up their tents in a place that is not going to get sprayed with water when the sprinklers turn on at night. Pets are allowed on the property as long as they are kept on a leash, they are not left alone, and their owners clean up after them. Visitors are required to have an elbow - an RV part that attaches to the hose - in order to use the property's sewage system. Without this part, the sewage system may suck the hose in and cause other damage. Quiet time begins at 9:00 PM, and Roland asks that guests be respectful of their neighbors during the night. Finally, there is no limit on the age of the RVs that are allowed to stay at the property.
The typical demographic of visitors that stay at the RV park tends to be families. The owner explains that, years ago, he would often see more older couples that wanted to escape their home life for a while, but in more recent years, he has been seeing more families come to Anaconda. Some of the people that stay at Big Sky RV Park & Campground have left reviews. One previous patron wrote, "We had a fantastic stay at Big Sky RV Park. The space was beautiful with shade trees but still able to accommodate our 36' 5th wheel with pop-outs on both sides. Nice creek access and bike path to walk our dogs. The deer coming through the yard was a bonus."
Big Sky RV Park & Campground came into Roland's ownership in 1997. He is the second owner of the business, which was initially started in 1985, but the property itself has been used as an RV park for even longer. In 1954, the property first opened its doors as a campground and RV park under the name of Untied Trailer Court. The name changed in 1985 when the property was sold to a relative of Roland, who went about working on the grounds and trying to improve them.
Roland explains that he was led into the industry because it has always been an atmosphere that he enjoys. Before he started running Big Sky RV Park & Campground, he sold insurance, but he wanted a job that did not take him away from his home and family. Roland says that he likes to meet new people and enjoys talking to others, so when the opportunity arose to purchase Big Sky RV Park & Campground, he took it. Ever since Roland took ownership of the business, several updates have been made, including the addition of the two gazebos, repairing the firepits, and fixing up the office building and bathrooms.
The town of Anaconda also has some historical aspects. The golf course called Old Works Golf Course used to be owned by a company called Copper Works, which specialized in smelting metals. A train used to run through the area that would bring raw materials to the smelters. They would harvest the resources, turn them into workable material, and then ship them to other companies. The most common metal that was smelted and gathered in the vicinity was copper. Another unique thing about the town is that Anaconda was in the running to become Montana's state capital when the government was choosing one, according to the owner.
350 Copper Sands Rd
Anaconda, Montana 59711
United States
Campground
Roland
