Planning a camping trip for Memorial Day weekend? These Boise-area campsites are open
Campsites across Southern Idaho are starting to open for Memorial Day weekend. While some sites have already filled up, plenty are still available.
Some Idaho campgrounds require reservations. Reserve federal campgrounds at recreation.gov, and visit parksandrecreation.idaho.gov to reserve state-managed campgrounds. Others require fees, which can be paid on-site using the cash dropbox system or online.
Here’s where you can camp over the holiday weekend, as well as which sites remain closed until later in the season.
Boise National Forest
Idaho City Ranger District, 208-392-6681
- Grayback (including group site), Bad Bear, Hayfork, Edna Creek, Ten Mile and Black Rock campgrounds open May 21. Reservations are required.
- Queens River, Willow Creek, Whoop Um Up, Riverside and Power Plant campgrounds also open May 21 and are first-come, first-served.
Lowman Ranger District, 208-259-3361
- Pine Flats, Park Creek, Helende, Bonneville and Bull Trout campgrounds open May 21. Reservations are required.
- Little Deadwood and Deer Flat campgrounds also open May 21. No reservations required.
- Barney’s, Cozy Cove, Hower’s and Riverside campgrounds open June 19. Reservations are required.
- Bear Valley and Fir Creek open June 19. No reservations required.
- Mountain View Campground is closed for the season for renovations.
- Kirkham Hot Springs is open for day use only, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Emmett Ranger District, 208-365-7000
- Rattlesnake, Swinging Bridge, Silver Creek, Antelope and Sage Hen Creek campgrounds are already open. Reservations are required.
- Hot Springs, Tie Creek, Hardscrabble, Trail Creek, Big Eddy and Canyon Creek campgrounds are already open. No reservations required.
- Eastside Campground and group sites at Hot Springs, Peace Valley and Cold Springs open May 28. Reservations are required.
- Boiling Springs, Antelope Annex, Cartwright Ridge and Hollywood campgrounds also open May 28. No reservations required.
Mountain Home Ranger District, 208-392-6681
- Elks Flat and Dog Creek campgrounds are open. Reservations are required.
- Curlew Creek, Pine, Castle Creek, Evans Creek, Spillway, Tailwaters Campground, Cottonwood, Willow Creek, Badger Creek and Troutdale campgrounds are open. No reservations required.
- Shafer Butte Campground opens June 15. Reservations are required.
- Big Trinity Lake Campground, Little Roaring River Lake and Big Roaring River Lake campgrounds open July 15. These sites are first-come, first-served.
Cascade Ranger District, 208-387-7400
- Amanita, Rainbow, French Creek, Picnic Point and Shoreline (single and group) sites open May 21. Reservations are required.
- South Fork Salmon River, Penny Springs, Warm Lake, Summit Lake, Penn Basin, Buck Mountain, Trout Creek, Ice Hole, Golden Gate and Yellow Pine campgrounds open May 21. No reservations required.
Sawtooth National Forest
Minidoka Ranger District, 208-678-0430
- South Hills:
▪ Schipper, Steer Basin, Third Fork and Harrington Fork are closed because of last year’s Badger Fire. Third Fork and Schipper will open by Memorial Day weekend. Watch for other closures in the area at trailheads.
▪ Bear Gulch Campground is open. No fees or reservations required.
▪ Pettit, Lower Penstemon, Upper Penstemon, Porcupine Springs and Diamondfield Jack campgrounds should be open by Memorial Day weekend. Sites at some of these campgrounds can be reserved ahead of time, and unreserved sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations will be posted, so be sure not to camp at another camper’s reserved site.
▪ Some campgrounds at higher elevations may still have snow. Contact the Minidoka Ranger District prior to heading to Bostetter and Father and Sons campgrounds to check snow drift conditions.
- Sublette:
▪ Sublett and Mill Flat campgrounds are open. No fees or reservations required.
- Raft River:
▪ Clear Creek Campground is open. No reservations needed.
- Albion:
▪ Bennett Springs Campground is open. No reservations required.
▪ Lake Cleveland, Thompson Flats, Twin Lakes and Independence Lakes campgrounds are closed due to snow.
Ketchum Ranger District, 208-622-0091
- Boundary Campground is open.
- Copper Creek/Garfield, Deer Creek, East Fork Baker Creek, Federal Gulch and Sawmill campgrounds are closed.
Sawtooth National Recreation Area, 208-727-5013
- A bear food storage order is in place on the Sawtooth National Recreation Area from May 29 through Labor Day. Campers must store food and trash inside vehicles or in bearproof containers. Find more details at the Sawtooth National Recreation Area website.
- Heyburn, Point, Glacier View, Sockeye, Chinook Bay, Mt View, Sunny Gulch, Lakeview (Stanley Lake), Salmon River, Casino, Mormon Bend, O’Brien’s, Riverside (Hillside), Alturas Inlet, North Shore Smokey Bear (campground and day use), Iron Creek, Grandjean, Wood River, North Fork, Murdock, Caribou and Easley campgrounds are open. Some of these are among Idaho’s most popular sites and require reservations. Be sure you aren’t camping in a reserved site.
-North Shore and Sandy Beach day use sites are open, as is the Alturas Inlet beach.
Fairfield Ranger District, 208-764-3202
- Chaparral, Abbott, Baumgartner, Bird Creek, Canyon Transfer Camp, Bowns and Willow Creek campgrounds are open. There is a fee to use these sites, but they are first-come, first-served.
- Five Points, Bear Creek Transfer Camp, Pioneer, Willow Creek Transfer Camp and Hunter Transfer Camp are open. No fees or reservations required.
- Deadwood Creek Trail is closed, as are Buttercup Roads #418 and #418A.
Payette National Forest
McCall and New Meadows Ranger Districts
- Last Change Campground is open. No reservations required.
- Cold Springs and Kennally Creek campgrounds open May 21. Some sites at Cold Springs can be reserved, while Kennally Creek is first-come, first-served.
- Burgdorf, Jeannette and Chinook campgrounds open May 28. No reservations required.
- Lake Fork Campground will open in early June.
Council and Weiser Ranger Districts
-All campgrounds are open except those in the Mann Creek Corridor: Mann Creek, Spring Creek, Justrite, Paradise and Kiwanis campgrounds.
Krassel Ranger District
- All campgrounds are open except Big Creek Campground, which remains closed because of snow.
Other campsites
- Dispersed camping is available in the national forests. Be aware of potentially snowy roads, area closures or other issues before you go.
- Many campsites at Idaho State Parks will be open for the holiday weekend. Some sites require reservations, while others are open on a first-come, first-served basis. Visit idahostateparks.reserveamerica.com to look for open sites.
- Horsethief Reservoir, which is run by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and the Treasure Valley YMCA, is open.
This story was originally published May 20, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
