With sites accommodating RVs up to 99 feet and online reservations available for $20 per night, Targhee National Forest Calamity Campground operates from mid-May through mid-September in the Caribou National Forest. The paved access road winds for several miles through forested terrain before reaching the campground, where each site includes a bear box, picnic table, fire ring, and camp stove platform.
Sites sit close together but maintain separation through tree cover, and a campground host stays on-site during the season. Dogs can accompany campers and access nearby water for swimming, while fishing opportunities exist in the adjacent waterways. The Forest Service provides trash service, firewood sales, and vault toilets throughout the facility. Campers seeking additional options can explore campgrounds near Caribou National Forest for different settings and amenities.
Description
Overview
Calamity Campground is located along the Snake River drainage at the north end of beautiful Palisades Reservoir at an elevation of 5,700 feet, just 55 miles east of Idaho Falls, Idaho. Visitors enjoy boating, water skiing, fishing and canoeing.
Recreation
Palisades Reservoir offers excellent boating, water skiing, swimming and canoeing. Lake and shore fishing are very popular here as well, with wild and stocked cutthroat trout as the predominate species. Kokanee salmon, brown and Mackinaw trout can also be found. A boat ramp and large parking area are located on-site. The Palisades Creek Trail begins nearby, leading hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders to beautiful Upper Palisades Lake and expansive views of Swan Valley.
Facilities
The campground offers several campsites on three loops. All sites are equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring with grill. Some sites have a few stairs from the parking spur to the site pad. Vault toilets, drinking water and trash collection are provided, but there is no electricity. Firewood is available for purchase from the host. Roads and parking spurs are gravel.
Natural Features
The campground is situated on a hillside above Palisades Reservoir, affording scenic views from many sites. A mixed forest of lodgepole pine, spruce, fir, aspen and maple trees partially shade the campground. Summer wildflowers dot the landscape.
Contact Info
For facility specific information, please call (541) 351-1182.
Nearby Attractions
Big Elk Creek Trail, for hiking, biking and horseback riding, begins at nearby Big Elk Campground and meanders up a beautiful canyon brimming with wildflowers, towering trees and views of the surrounding mountains. Swan Valley and the Snake River offer more great fishing and boating opportunities, as well as rafting, canoeing and numerous trails for hiking, biking, horseback and ATV riding. Fall Creek Falls is 20 miles away, and the Fall Creek area has hundreds of miles of such trails.
RV Road Trip Guides
Location
Public CampgroundTarghee National Forest Calamity Campground is located in Idaho
Directions
From Idaho Falls, Idaho, travel on Hwy. 26 for approximately 50 miles. Turn right off of Hwy. 26, (just before ascending grade to top of dam) and go mile, turn right and cross the river following signs to the campground. Distance is approximately 5 miles.
Address
TARGHEE
ID
Coordinates
43.3277778 N
111.215 W
Connectivity
T-Mobile is introducing T-Satellite to extend coverage in the outdoors
T-Mobile5GExcellent Coverage
VerizonLTESome Coverage- AT&TLTESome Coverage
Connectivity
T-Mobile is introducing T-Satellite to extend coverage in the outdoors- T-Mobile5GExcellent Coverage
- VerizonLTESome Coverage
- AT&TLTESome Coverage
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
Features
For Campers
- Trash
- Firewood Available
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- Toilets
- Alcohol
- Pets
- Fires
For Vehicles
- Pull-Through Sites
Drive Time
- 55 min from Idaho Falls, ID
- 1 hr 38 min from Pocatello, ID
- 2 hrs 53 min from Logan, UT
- 3 hrs 11 min from Ogden, UT
