MacKay Reservoir Dispersed Camping
BLM
Write a Review US-93 Mackay, ID 83251 208-879-6200 Official WebsiteGPS: 43.9681, -113.7105
Overview of MacKay Reservoir Dispersed Camping
Accessibility is not guaranteed, always scout ahead before driving down dirt roads. Learn more: Boondocking 101
Last Price Paid: $0
Reported by JoJo on 9/25/2023
Longest RV Reported: 27 feet (Class A)
Reported by MiniHouseBigLiving on 7/15/2020
Open Seasonally Yes
Elevation 6,069 ft / 1,849 m
Max Stay 10
Tent Camping Yes
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To ask questions of the owner or manager please contact the campground directly. 208-879-6200
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Reviews of MacKay Reservoir Dispersed Camping 5 people have reviewed this location.
“Nice Place For A One Night Stay!”
Reviewed 9/25/2023
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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There’s no water in the reservoir but a nice place. Almost no one here this time of year.
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Once You Find Your Spot, It’s GOLDEN!”
Reviewed 6/25/2023
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 3 |
RV Length: | 21' (Travel Trailer) |
Seriously one of the best boondocking spots I’ve experienced. It’s a little tricky figuring out what roads are off-road vs camper safe on Google maps, so you just have to trust your intuition. The reservoir is beautiful, and the snow capped mountains on the other side of you are stunning. Sunsets? Forget about it! Sooooo incredibly bea... more
Seriously one of the best boondocking spots I’ve experienced. It’s a little tricky figuring out what roads are off-road vs camper safe on Google maps, so you just have to trust your intuition. The reservoir is beautiful, and the snow capped mountains on the other side of you are stunning. Sunsets? Forget about it! Sooooo incredibly beautiful!!! Skip the paid sites and stay here. You won’t regret it!
Also, Joe Fallini campground is 1 mile away, so I’m going to dump there before I move on!
Jewels23 would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Basic Reservoir Camping With Two Main Camping Areas For Big Rigs And Some Smaller Private Sites”
Reviewed 11/19/2020
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 7 |
RV Length: | 24' (Class C) |
We camped here a few months ago in August. The place the coordinates lead to was ok but we ended up finding a spot just a little further south down the main road. There's a sign for a boat ramp and that leads to a larger camping area (43.964620, -113.702379) that's a little easier to access. It has some vault toilets and is right next ... more
We camped here a few months ago in August. The place the coordinates lead to was ok but we ended up finding a spot just a little further south down the main road. There's a sign for a boat ramp and that leads to a larger camping area (43.964620, -113.702379) that's a little easier to access. It has some vault toilets and is right next to the boat ramp.
We took a site that was on its own up on one of the cliffs. If you turn off the paved road to go to the big camping area I left the coordinates to there's a small dirt road right as you turn off that looks like it goes straight to the reservoir. It's only a few hundred feet long and you reach a decent sized open area. We were able to maneuver our trailer and set up there. The only problem was it was on a hillside and we had to really work to get our trailer level.
It was also a hike to get down to the water but the levels were low, and the water was getting pretty murky anyway. Cars would drive up to our trailer to check out the spot so it wasn't super private but it was still pretty great.
All in all, it's a beautiful area with some of Idaho's highest elevation mountain peaks right by the reservoir. The town of Mackay has a grocery store, a dump station, potable water, and propane. In late August it was already starting to get down to freezing at night.
There's more good free camping near the dam and closer to town as well.
thecampingnerd would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Lots of places to boondock”
Reviewed 8/17/2020
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 7 |
RV Length: | 24' (Travel Trailer) |
Spent a week on a grassy spot. Enjoyed the quiet, sunsets, stars & quiet. They drain the reservoir and you can see geese, ducks & cranes. Only a few bugs and some road noise during the day.
Lots of dispersed camping around the lake & campground if you want hook-ups.
Missd would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Easy access, excellent location, excellent cell signal!! ”
Reviewed 7/15/2020
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 1 |
RV Length: | 27' (Class A) |
This location is a win-win all around & one of our favorite boondocking locations yet!! The road is easy to access and there are so many great spots right on the water! We also had strong cell signal on both Verizon (14 download & 9 upload) and AT&T (14 download & 1 upload). To top it off, the STARS! There is little to no light poll... more
This location is a win-win all around & one of our favorite boondocking locations yet!! The road is easy to access and there are so many great spots right on the water! We also had strong cell signal on both Verizon (14 download & 9 upload) and AT&T (14 download & 1 upload).
To top it off, the STARS! There is little to no light pollution here, so the stars were magnificent — we could see tons of constellations & the Milky Way. Truly breathtaking.
ONLY CON: mosquitoes — there are a lot of mosquitoes, so bring bug spray or wear long sleeves & pants.
MiniHouseBigLiving would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Moved On”
noted 7/15/2021
We tried to stay here for a quick overnight, but couldn't find a decent spot that was anywhere near level. Also, we found the driving paths to be a challenge. No trees and the reservoir was dry this far up.
We moved on.
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Amenities
Hookups
- dry camping
- Dispersed Camping
Recreation
- fishing
- OHV
- water access
Nearby
Mackay Dam Camping Area
Nice Small Camping Area At The Base Of The Mackay Dam Next To The River
- thecampingnerd
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