Best Camping in Idaho

Camping in Idaho

By Sara Sheehy

Idaho is a state that flies under the radar for many travelers—until they arrive, that is. Naturally, it's a wonder, with rugged mountain ranges, wild rivers, dense forests, and arid high desert. Home to the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, which is the largest Wilderness Area in the lower 48 states, Idaho is a destination that thrills adventurous spirits who thrive off the beaten path.

Closer to civilization, Idaho offers up a handful of cities and even more small towns that surprise first-time visitors with their farm-to-table restaurants, modern art galleries, green spaces, and welcoming locals.

Ready to check out the Gem State? Here's where to camp while you're here.

Idaho State Parks

Sixteen state parks in Idaho welcome campers. The parks are scattered throughout the state, each offering a different landscape to enjoy, with many scenically located along rivers, reservoirs, and lakes.

Idaho State Park camping favorites include Bruneau Dunes State Park, home to the tallest single-structure sand dune in North America; northern Idaho's Farragut State Park, situated on the shore of massive Lake Pend Oreille; Henrys Lake State Park near Yellowstone, just a stone's throw from one of the country's best trout rivers; and Ponderosa State Park, a secluded haven nestled in the woods near the resort town of McCall.

Learn more about Idaho State Parks.

Idaho National Parks

Though no national parks reside entirely within Idaho's borders, there are plenty of other National Park Service lands to explore. Take Craters of the Moon National Monument, for example. Visiting this vast landscape of lava flows, cinder cones, and sagebrush is an otherworldly experience in any season.

Other destinations to put on your bucket list include the City of Rocks National Reserve, a rock climbers paradise, and Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, home to over 200 species of fossils and the famous Hagerman horse.

And don't forget Yellowstone National Park, a sliver of which graces Idaho's eastern border with Wyoming.

Idaho RV Parks

Idaho is a wild place, filled with more remote locations than front-country destinations. That being said, there are a smattering of full-service RV parks that welcome campers of any stripe for a night, week, or season of Idaho explorations.

RV parks abound at Lava Hot Springs, a quirky town that developed around a series of perfectly clear, odorless hot springs. You'll also find several RV park options in Idaho's bigger cities, including Boise, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Falls, and Twin Falls.

Learn more about Idaho RV Parks.

Idaho National Forests

If there's one thing that Idaho does not lack, it's public land. The federal government manages over 32 million acres of public land in Idaho, covering nearly 62% of the state. National Forests make up almost 20.5 million of those acres.

Camping in the National Forests in Idaho is a mix of campgrounds and free, dispersed camping. While you won't find many amenities at the campgrounds, you will find designated campsites, spectacular views, remote corners to explore, and plenty of quiet.

For a taste of National Forest camping, check out Boundary Campground, just minutes from Sun Valley, or French Creek Campground in the Boise National Forest.

Explore the National Forests in Idaho

Dispersed Camping Idaho

With so much public land, Idaho is nirvana for boondockers. We'll even go out on a limb and say that it's easier to find free, dispersed camping in the majority of Idaho than it is to find amenity-rich campgrounds.

While it's near impossible to highlight just a few boondocking destinations in such a big state, favorite destinations include the tiny mountain town of Stanley (and nearby Redfish Lake) in the Sawtooth Mountains, the river-runs-through-it allure of Island Park near Yellowstone, and the wilderness gateway of McCall, with it's easy access to the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.

Learn more about free camping in Idaho.

portable computer displaying map of camping locations
mobile device showing map of camping locations
Roadpass Pro
Signup for Roadpass Pro to get premium access to all of these great road travel apps.
Unlock pro campendium features
Ad Free Experience
Cell Service Overlays & Reports
Public Land Map Overlays
Trail Maps
Filter by Elevation
Pro icon Join Roadpass Pro

Recent Idaho Campground Reviews

Feb 29, 2024

"Bathroom & showers locked, no power, no water"

active starinactive starinactive starinactive starinactive star
Campground open and they will take your money. But everything is shutdown. Water is off. Bathroom and shower is locked, despite notice saying one near cabins in upper campground is open. Power pedestals have no power. Not happy

DanOregon
6 reviews
Bliss, ID

Love's RV Hookup

Feb 18, 2024

"Help Staff. Easy Access"

active staractive staractive starinactive starinactive star
Nice upgrade to a truck stop. Full hookup and room for slide outs

camper-906149
1 review
Jan 31, 2024

"Pictures Are Deceiving "

active starinactive starinactive starinactive starinactive star
We checked this place out on a scouting trip. The RV sites were in a gravel parking lot and the park was full of full-timers. I reached out to the park via their website to find out if this was normal or just during winter months. They never responded. My opinion is, you will probably want to scout this park out yourself and see if this is...
Read More

Gray Beard
5 reviews
Mountain Home, ID

Mountain Home AFB FamCamp

Jan 24, 2024

"QUAINT!"

active staractive staractive starinactive starinactive star
{Dates Stayed: April 23-24, 2023} Very small RV park, 22 spaces, but typical for a small AFB. Ok for passing through, however a bit of a trek from I-84 but worth it. Nice paved streets & concrete sites. Laundry & restroom/showers all ok. Very clean, good place for BBQ.

The Green Team!!
86 reviews
Jan 06, 2024

"Beautiful campground and friendly host"

active staractive staractive staractive staractive star
We stayed here 7-16-7-17 (Sun-Mon). Arrived 2:00 Sunday, Double pull-through site #7, $26/night (single was $13). Chose a double pull-through site because of its location. Super friendly host Roger. Very clean campground and nice hardcoat painted tables. Beautiful forest area. Nice fairly steep 4-mile hike up mountain on forest road...
Read More

Choosehappy
12 reviews