Established Camping
Targhee National Forest Buttermilk Campground
About
USDA Forest Service
Caribou-Targhee National Forest
Overview
Buttermilk Campground is located approximately 30 miles southwest of West Yellowstone, Montana and 32 miles north of Ashton, Idaho in beautiful Island Park, Idaho. Buttermilk sits next to Island Park Reservoir at an elevation of 6,200 feet. Visitors love Island Park for its world-class fishing and outstanding scenery and wildlife viewing opportunities.
Recreation
The Island Park area is prized for its fishing; the Henry's Fork is known as one of the nation's best fly-fishing streams. Anglers cast for rainbow, cutthroat and brook trout and Kokanee salmon. Island Park Reservoir offers boating, water skiing and excellent fishing opportunities. The reservoir is used for irrigation so the water level recedes throughout the summer, but is generally useable all season. Henry's Lake is nearby. Hiking, biking, horseback riding and ATVing are popular activities. Many miles of trails are in the area, including the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail and the Nez Perce Trail. The Big Springs National Recreation Water Trail offers an approximately three-hour float or canoe trip through beautiful scenery. Wildlife, including moose, bald eagles and Sandhill cranes, are often seen along the trail.
Facilities
The campground contains two loops for single family camping and one loop for group camping, with a total of 55 sites. The large group site can accommodate up to 150 people. Site 038 has 15-amp electric hookups. Vault toilets and drinking water are provided. A concrete boat ramp with docks is located between the group camping and single family camping loops. Access to the campground is on a paved road but the interior loop roads and parking spurs are gravel.
Natural Features
Island Park is composed of two areas of extinct volcanic activity. The Henry's Fork Caldera sits inside the larger Island Park Caldera. The area is known for its dense forests of lodgepole pine, broad grassy meadows bursting with summer wildflowers and a wide variety of wildlife, including black and grizzly bears, moose, elk, deer, bald eagles, Sandhill cranes and much, much more. The campground is situated in a forest of lodgepole pine, which provides partial shade in some sites. Some areas of the campground are more open and sunny than others.
Nearby Attractions
Mesa Falls Scenic Byway is 13 miles south of the campground. This 28-mile road leads to scenic overlooks and trails at 110 foot Upper Mesa Falls and 85 foot Lower Mesa Falls. Harriman State Park is 15 miles south. The Henry's Fork meanders through the Harriman, offering excellent fishing. Over 20 miles of trails are available, and wildlife is abundant in this scenic park. Henry's Lake State Park is 18 miles north, offering fishing, a fish cleaning station and boat ramp. Yellowstone National Park's west entrance is just 29 miles north in the town of West Yellowstone, Montana. Visitors enjoy day-tripping to the park for unparalleled wildlife viewing and the beautiful and unique scenery.
Fee Info
Group Site Fees: <br/> $65.00 per night Sunday through Thursday and $130.00 per night Friday and Saturday. A weekly rate is not available.
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Boat-InSites accessible by watercraft.
Stay Connected
- WiFiUnknown
- VerizonFair
- AT&TUnknown
- T-MobileUnknown
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Group
Features
For Campers
- Trash
- Drinking Water
- Electric Hookups
- Pets
- Fires
For Vehicles
- Water Hookups
- Pull-Through Sites
Arrogant host and horrible experience
We come to this place numerous times a year and have never had an issue but this time was horrible. We had a parks and rec pass and the owner wouldn’t honor it even after booking it online, our friend has to run a generator for medical equipment and we were told if we didn’t turn it off then they would call the sheriff and make us pack up that night and escort us off the premises. We had stayed for 4 nights and never had a problem until the guy in the yurt came to stay.(yes there is private property right next to the campsite and unless you want to get the camp host called on you every 5 minutes, I’d recommend not staying here)We had to smell cigarettes non stop but it wasn’t ok to run a generator for medical purposes. The funny thing is, the camper running the generator wasn’t even by them! We were and couldn’t hear it. We will definitely be staying elsewhere from now on.
Couldn't have asked for better!
I he only reason tor the 4 stars was the host was being stubborn about a slightly early checkin. The site was vacant and was left clean. He made us wait. Other than that, we loved our site. We could walk to the boat launch (we use inflatable kayaks and paddleboard for ease). We had the only site with water and electricity.
Needed more time...
We picked this park for its relative proximity to Yellowstone. For that, it was quite convenient. We arrived at night in the rain. There were no issues with late arrival. We had electric and water hookup. The campground looks geared towards those who enjoy use of the lake for boating and fishing. We did not use the bathrooms, so i can't comment. We left in the morning, so we didnt have time to enjoy what it had to offer.
Location
Targhee National Forest Buttermilk Campground is located in Idaho
Directions
From West Yellowstone, Montana, take Highway 20 south, southwest for approximately 25 miles and from Ashton, Idaho, take Highway 20 north for approximately 27 miles. Turn west onto the Kilgore-Yale Road #030 (across from Elk Creek Gas Station) and go about 2 miles to the Buttermilk Loop Road #126. Turn onto #126 and go approximately 3 miles to an intersection where you will see the campground sign just off the right side of the road. The road will split ahead, with boat ramp and group area on the left, and the single loops to the right.
Address
BUTTERMILK LOOP RD
Island park, ID 83429
Coordinates
44.4325 N
111.4261111 W