## Overview

 Elk Creek Campground offers visitors a little bit of everything. From scenic views and vistas, to attractive waterfalls and ancient foliage, the campground provides a great place to stay in the mountains of north central Idaho. Recreational opportunities abound in the area and a variety of services are located nearby.
## Recreation

 Elk Creek and nearby Elk River Reservoir provide visitors with opportunities for fishing and other water-related recreation. Cutthroat and rainbow trout, chinook salmon and steelhead swim in the clear waters. Fishing or hunting are popular activities in the rugged and primitive landscape. Hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding are available on the area\'s many trails and forest roads. The Elk Creek Falls Trail takes hikers 3.5 miles to the tallest waterfall in the state.
## Facilities

 The campground offers single-family sites for tent and RV camping, most of which are available on a first-come, first-served basis (no reservation needed). Electrical hookups are available at all sites including six campsites available for advanced reservations. Parking and driving surfaces are gravel throughout the campground. Each site is equipped with a table and campfire ring with grill. Accessible vault toilets and drinking water are provided. A more rustic overflow section offers additional campsites.
## Natural Features

 The campground is situated in a mature pine forest in the Clearwater National Forest, next to Elk Creek, at an elevation of about 3,000 feet. The surrounding area is home to the tallest waterfall in Idaho, as well as the largest cedar tree east of the Cascade Range. Elk, deer, moose, bear and cougar make the forested country their home. 
## Nearby Attractions

 The town of Elk River is less than a mile from the campground and offers a variety of basic services, including gas, groceries, showers and fishing equipment.

Elk Creek Service Camps

This is a small campground near a neat grove of giant cedars (about 10 miles). All sites have electricity and cost $20, which is expensive by Idaho standards if you have a tent. The campground has some large trees which provide shade and separation between sites. There is good dispersed (read free) camping on the same road leading to the cedar grove park, which is well worth visiting. The dispersed sites have fire rings and there are outhouses ever couple of miles.

Good location but Overpriced 

This is a pretty decent place to camp. There are other sites in the area that might be a little quieter and less expensive, but I would bump this site up on the list in terms of how easily it is to get to some of the attractions in the area! The giant cedars and Elk River Falls are a must stop if you head this way. It can be crowded, and a little noisy. Interesting plants and mushrooms to see, depending on time of year!

Good area attractions 

I've been coming to Elk River my whole life. If you are looking for a quiet town surrounded by forest this is the place to go. Be sure to go to the Giant Cedar Grove which has the largest cedar tree in North America. The hike to Elk Creek falls is beautiful too! There is not much to offer in town, but you can get great huckleberry ice cream at the store and a great burger from the Elk Butte Log Inn. Whether you are fishing, hunting, riding around, or just hanging out with the family this is a great place to stay. If you are having a get together there is a nice big pavilion that will hold everyone. 

One of my favorite places!

Although this campground is right on the road, it also has easy access to the reservoir where you can fish, swim, and boat. There are life jackets for use here next to the dock. Sites include a fire pit, grill, and picnic table. There is also water available and pit toilets for use. There is a wonderful pavilion just across the road which is perfect for large gatherings.

Waterfront Sites

Decent campground, but I likely wouldn’t stay there again. $20 per night, hookups are available and there were most RVers there. The spaces were all very close together so there wasn’t much privacy. Bathrooms seemed reasonably clean and there was fresh water spigots available. 
I got there on a Thursday night on August 27th and most of the non-reservable spots were full, we may have actually pulled into the last available space.
If you turn left towards the Giant Cedar trailhead instead of right towards the campground there are a number of free dispersed camping sites along that road, they looked pretty private and spacious. If we have known that before we paid we would have stayed in one of those instead. 
We drove up that road and up the mountain and went on a short hike to Perkins Cedar Grove, the forest was beautiful and well worth a visit.