Shadow Mountain Designated Dispersed Campsite #7

I arrived on a rainy Tuesday evening and found that site #6, which is directly above #7, was available. My wife and I set up only a small camp that night because I wanted to chat with the folks down in #7 to see when they were leaving—because the view was that much better. They left the following morning and we drove down the short road to #7.

Road access up to the site is rough but doable with a sedan IMO. I have a micro camper van (Nissan NV200) and the clearance is abysmal. The forest road up to the spur road for sites 6-7 was mostly rut-free but rocky in some places, but didn't have any problems getting up there, even when it was raining (just keep your momentum up). Going past 6-7 got a little worse and continued to be muddy for days after the rain. I'd recommend something a little higher clearance, if not 4x4, up further. The short spur road down to #7 from #6 is rutted with some roots sticking out. It was slick when wet and loose when dry (fine dirt) so you'll want to pick your line and go for it if you're in a 2x4 or low clearance. That said, I made it every time in low gear with minimal tire spin. It took us about 30 minutes, on average, to get back to Hwy 89.

The site has a sweeping view of the Tetons range and the view is tough to beat. There's very little shade but some trees on the backside of the site to block the morning sun. The parking/camping area is quite large and could accommodate 2-3 vans or trucks and several tents. It's unfortunately not terribly level though and it took me a few tries to get the leveling blocks situated. But once settled, you may not want to leave.

We have two dogs who loved the site. There's enough space for some short fetch sessions and plenty to smell around the perimeter. We took several walks up the forest road and into the multi-use trail in the middle of the mountain. Both are pretty rocky so I'd recommend some Mushers wax or boots.

We stayed for 9 days but we were there after Labor Day. If I remember correctly, stays are limited to 5 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Stays outside of those are limited to the typical 14 days.

Now for the bad part. There was human waste EVERYWHERE along the perimeter. Dozens and dozens of mounds only 1-2 feet from the edge of the site and much of the waste is buried only a couple of inches deep. The smell was noticeable but not quite bad enough to make us want to leave. You won't want to walk anywhere off the dirt pad because just scuffing your foot will unearth a pile of human feces. And definitely don't let your dogs go exploring—we learned that the hard way. It was absolutely disgusting. So please, any future campers, consider using a portable/cassette toilet. There are pit toilets at the bottom of the road where you can dump them. If that's not an option, please walk at least 100 feet (that's 2 full-size school buses) away from the site, dig a hole at least 6" deep, and cover your business.