Top 10 Bucket List Camping Locations In Idaho
From breathtaking views to quiet and serene escapes, Idaho has a lot to offer. There are countless options for places to hike, fish, hunt, and camp, but if you’re just passing through, you might be wondering, “Where are the best places to put on my bucket list?”
In this article, we’re going to share our list of the 10 best places to go camping in Idaho. If you love getting in your truck and leaving civilization behind, Idaho has more than 150 state parks, lakes, rivers, and forests, so there will be no problem finding a quiet place where nobody can reach you.
If you're looking for an off-the-beaten-path sort of campsite, check out our list below of 10 amazing camping locations in the state of Idaho. There are plenty more where these came from, so this list is merely a starting point for those looking for a unique experience.
Farragut State Park
This 4,000-acre park, once a World War II-era naval training station, now provides camping opportunities with 223 individual sites, 10 camping cabins, and 7 group camps.
Located in northern Idaho, Farragut State Park offers a wealth of recreational opportunities, including disc golf, radio-controlled airplanes, fishing, hiking, biking, equestrian facilities, and World War II history.
Contact the Park
Address: 13550 E. Hwy 54, Athol, ID 83801
Phone: (208) 683-2425
Hours of Operation: Day-use locations within state parks are open from 7 am to 10 pm.
Day-use hours may change based on park manager discretion.
The XII Boy Scout World Jamboree in 1976 at Farragut State Park.
Licensed from Wikimedia Commons.
Bear Lake State Park
Bear Lake State Park is in southeastern Idaho, near the Cache mountain range. The park has group campsites for up to 50 people as well as several serviced sites.
Bear Lake is popular with water lovers — 15,000 campers visit annually. Bring your boat and bathing suit, sunscreen, and fishing rod — Bear Lake is a water lover's heaven.
The lake is known for its intensely turquoise waters, which is often called the “Caribbean of the Rockies”. The lake measures 20 miles long by 8 miles wide. A gradual slope to the lake bottom provides an enormous swimming area in the summer.
In the winter, those with buckets and nets can ice fish for Bonneville cisco — a fish found nowhere else on earth.
Contact the Park
Address: 25 East 300 North, St. Charles, ID 83272
Phone: (208) 945-2325
Hours of Operation: Day-use locations within state parks are open from 7 am to 10 pm.
Day-use hours may change based on park manager discretion.
Bruneau Dunes State Park
From the first snowfall of the season to the last rays of summer sunshine, Bruneau Dunes State Park offers camping opportunities throughout the year. Campsites and cabins are available with plenty of first-come, first-served sites too.
Bruneau Dunes park boasts the tallest single-structured sand dune in North America with a peak rising 470 feet above the surrounding desert floor. Explore the dunes in your hiking boots or rent a sandboard from the Visitor Center, but off-road vehicles are only permitted on the main road.
You can fish for bluegill in the lakes at the foot of the dune — hike or ride horses up and down the dunes — plan a group picnic or visit the Bruneau Dunes Observatory, where you can gaze at the night sky through a collection of telescopes.
Contact the Park
Address: 27608 Sand Dunes Rd, Bruneau, ID 83647
Phone: (208) 366-7919
Hours of Operation: Day-use locations within state parks are open from 7 am to 10 pm.
Day-use hours may change based on park manager discretion.
Castle Rocks State Park
Castle Rocks State Park attracts rock climbers from around the world and offers superb hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding in a dramatic setting that dates back 2.5 million years.
Visitors to the park can see remnants of Native American pictographs, historic trail crossings, and 20th-century ranching.
There is evidence that people have been visiting Castle Rocks for nearly 9,000 years. Campsites are nestled among Idaho's largest pinyon pine forest on the east slope of Smoky Mountain at an elevation of 7,500 feet.
Contact the Park
Address: 3035 S Elba-Almo Road (Hwy 77 Spur), Almo, ID 83312
Phone: (208) 824-5901
Hours of Operation: Visitors Center open from 8-4:30 Wednesday-Sunday, closed on Mon & Tues.
Day-use locations within state parks are open from 7 am to 10 pm.
Day-use hours may change based on park manager discretion.
A quiet spring in Castle Rocks State Park.
Licensed from Wikimedia Commons.
City of Rocks National Reserve
The name “City of Rocks,” originally coined by emigrant James F. Wilkens in 1849, remains to this day. Hundreds of pioneer inscriptions and journal accounts testify to the nearly quarter-million people who traveled through here between 1843 and 1882.
Today, visitors will see a similar scene — granite spires and monoliths reaching 60 stories tall. These rocks are thought to be 2.5 billion years old, making them some of the oldest in the world.
The City of Rocks was established as a national reserve in 1988 and is now 14,407 acres of land. It is renowned for its scenic, geologic, and historic significance — this area was an important landmark on the California Trail.
Contact the Park
Address: 3035 S Elba-Almo Rd, Almo, ID 83312
Phone: (208) 824-5901
Hours of Operation: Visitors Center open from 8-4:30 Wednesday-Sunday, closed on Mon & Tues.
Day-use locations within state parks are open from 7 am to 10 pm.
Day-use hours may change based on park manager discretion.
Dworshak State Park
Dworshak State Park is a recreational haven on the western shore of Dworshak Reservoir. More than 100 campsites are available, as well as amenities such as swimming beaches, boat ramps, fishing docks, hiking trails, and picnic areas.
When you visit Dworshak State Park, you can spend time on the water with family and friends. Anglers will find bass and kokanee in abundance, hikers will enjoy the trails, and those looking for a peaceful getaway will certainly find it here.
Contact the Park
Address: 9934 Freeman Creek, Lenore, ID 83541
Phone: (208) 476-5994
Hours of Operation: Day-use locations within state parks are open from 7 am to 10 pm.
Day-use hours may change based on park manager discretion.
Hells Gate State Park
Hells Gate State Park is a unique combination of recreational opportunities and natural beauty. The park's reputation as Idaho's Banana Belt is well earned, with long summer days and mild weather in the spring and fall.
The site of Hells Gate State Park was once the location of an important Nez Perce village. Little is left of the village, but just south of the campground, you’ll find the location of pit houses that were used for years by the Nez Perce as they fished for lamprey in Asotin Creek.
Contact the Park
Address: 5100 Hells Gate Rd, Lewiston, ID 83501
Phone: (208) 799-5015
Hours of Operation: Open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed on major holidays.
Day-use locations within state parks are open from 7 am to 10 pm.
Day-use hours may change based on park manager discretion.
Henry’s Lake is high in a mountain bowl (elev. 6,470 feet).
Licensed from Flickr Commons.
Henry’s Lake State Park
Henry’s Lake State Park offers campsites on the shores of 6,000-acre Henry's Lake. Located fifteen miles from Yellowstone National Park and surrounded on three sides by the Continental Divide, campers can enjoy swimming, boating, and fishing in the waters of this popular park.
Henrys Lake is one of the great high-mountain lakes of Idaho. It’s a fisherman’s dream come true. Anglers come specifically to fish for cutthroat, brook, and cut-bow hybrid trout.
The park also offers trails for hiking, biking, and wildlife viewing, as well as beautiful picnic areas.
Contact the Park
Address: 3917 E. 5100 N., Island Park, ID 83429
Phone: (208) 558-7532 Summer | (208) 558-7368 Winter
Hours of Operation: Day-use locations within state parks are open from 7 am to 10 pm.
Day-use hours may change based on the park manager's discretion.
Heyburn State Park
Heyburn State Park is a paradise for water lovers and trail explorers. Comprised of 5,744 acres of land and 2,332 acres of water, miles of trails await hikers, cyclists, and horseback riders.
Rent a kayak, canoe, or standup paddleboard and enjoy three lakes — Chatcolet, Benewah, and Hidden Lakes — or the shadowy St. Joe River, which winds along the eastern boundary of the park. Or explore the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes, a popular biking trail that runs directly through the park.
Contact the Park
Address: 57 Chatcolet Rd, Plummer, ID 83851
Phone: (208) 686-1308
Hours of Operation: Day-use locations within state parks are open from 7 am to 10 pm.
Day-use hours may change based on the park manager's discretion.
Lake Cascade State Park
Lake Cascade offers a variety of campsites, including two group camping opportunities (Snowbank group camp and Osprey Point group yurts) and 10 developed campgrounds with power, sewer, and water at Poison Creek and Ridgeview. There are also two dispersed camping areas with primitive camping and several day-use areas.
The park is open year-round. In summer, reservations are from Memorial Day to Labor Day. In the winter, camping is limited based on snow. Outside of reservations, camping at Lake Cascade is based on a first-come, first-serve basis. Call the park for details.
Contact the Park
Address: 100 Kelly's Parkway (P.O. BOX 709), Cascade, ID 83611
Phone: (208) 382-6544
Hours of Operation: Day-use locations within state parks are open from 7 am to 10 pm.
Day-use hours may change based on the park manager's discretion.
THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING
Hopefully, this list will be a great starting point for your trek through The Gem State. Be sure to look around, too. Countless other camping areas and hiking trails in Idaho are worth checking out.
We can promise you that there is so much nature to be found here—you'll be eager to come back for more!
