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Iron Mountain Campground — Mary Minerva McCroskey State Park

SUMMARY PRESENTED BYT-Mobile

Mary Minerva McCroskey State Park sits along the Idaho-Washington border, and Iron Mountain Campground occupies one of its northernmost positions, close enough to the state line that campers look out over both the forested ridges of Idaho and the rolling agricultural expanse of the Palouse. The park is managed by Idaho Parks and Recreation and draws visitors primarily for its hiking, biking, and equestrian trails. Access is by a narrow, unimproved dirt road, and low-clearance vehicles have had trouble with scraping on the rougher sections, so high-clearance rigs are a practical advantage here.

The campground itself is small, with just two spacious sites and a vault toilet. Sites sit in an exposed position near the ridgeline, which means limited shade during warm months. Cell service is unreliable. One bar occasionally appears, but reviewers report texts failing to send. Dirt bike traffic on the road passing through the sites is worth factoring in, particularly during warmer weekends, though midweek visits tend to be quiet. As Judy T. puts it, "You could see into both the forested hills of Idaho and the Palouse of Washington."

Each site includes a picnic table and a rock-built fire ring. Campfires are permitted, pets are welcome, and alcohol is allowed. There is no fee. For campers interested in what else the park has to offer, Fireplace Campground sits about 3.5 miles southeast and provides another option within the same trail network, while those wanting dispersed-style camping can look at Mail Route Road Dispersed — McCroskey State Park roughly 1.8 miles to the northwest.

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RV Road Trip Guides

Map & DirectionsIron Mountain Campground is located in Idaho near Potlatch

Detail location of campground
Public Campground

Coordinates

47.11868511474822 N
116.9702657880971 W

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Connectivity

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  • signal strength bars
    T-MobileLTE
    Some Coverage
  • signal strength bars
    VerizonLTE
    Some Coverage
  • signal strength bars
    AT&T5G
    Good Coverage

Connectivity

Presented byT-MobileT-Mobile is introducing T-Satellite to extend coverage in the outdoorsLearn More
  • signal strength bars
    T-MobileLTE
    Some Coverage
  • signal strength bars
    VerizonLTE
    Some Coverage
  • signal strength bars
    AT&T5G
    Good Coverage

Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites

Features

For Campers

  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

Contact

General Info

Drive Time


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Reviews4 Camper Reviews - Iron Mountain Campground

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4 Reviews

Free camping with spacious sites offering scenic views into Washington's Palouse region and Idaho hills. Several campers noted basic amenities like vault toilets and tables work well, though road access can be challenging and noise from dirt bikes varies by timing.

SUMMARY PRESENTED BYT-Mobile
Reviewed Dec. 2, 2023

Free camping with 2 state view

We drove in from the Washington side on a narrow unimproved road but only met one vehicle. Our views were into undulating hills of the Palouse farming region of Washington. We camped at the first campground in this Idaho state park close to the Washington border called Iron Mountain. There were two sites with a vault toilet. We chose site number two but both were very spacious. The road was right by our site but only one vehicle drove by, a dirt bike. It was so quiet there. You could see into both the forested hills of Idaho and the Palouse of Washington.

SiteIron Mountain
Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Iron Mountain Campground — Mary Minerva McCroskey State Park by Judy T., December 2, 2023
  • Review photo of Iron Mountain Campground — Mary Minerva McCroskey State Park by Judy T., December 2, 2023
  • Review photo of Iron Mountain Campground — Mary Minerva McCroskey State Park by Judy T., December 2, 2023
  • (6) View All
Reviewed Oct. 31, 2020

Rough getting in.

It was rough roads getting here and the terrain is fairly void of trees.

My car got scraped up a bit as it sits a bit low to justify coming back to this area.

Once I got up there I really enjoyed the views but it was hot and hard to find cool shady areas to cool off.

Instead of coming during the hottest time of year, I plan to come back during winter when I get a new truck this year and try out some free winter camping.

I was tantalizingly close to having cell service but none of my texts went through even though I had one bar of service on and off.

My campsite did have a table and a rock built fire circle that was on the smaller side.

We saw a moose in the distance which was very exciting and a bit scary, but it never came over to bother us.

Reviewed Jul. 27, 2016

Iron Mountain Campground

There are a handful of spots, but they're all really exposed and you have no real privacy. There's one pit toilet at the very top, and sites scattered around the top of the mountain. I didn't end up sleeping there because it was too noisy from dirt bike traffic, I parked off the road further down where it was more quiet. The dirt bike noise should be considered if you're planning on staying there. But hey, it's free.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are fires allowed at Iron Mountain Campground — Mary Minerva McCroskey State Park?

Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Iron Mountain Campground — Mary Minerva McCroskey State Park, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

Is there cell phone reception at Iron Mountain Campground — Mary Minerva McCroskey State Park?

According to campers on TheDyrt.com, there is good coverage for AT&T, some coverage for T-Mobile, and some coverage for Verizon.