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Best Tent Camping near Bloomington, ID

370 Reviews

Tent camping options near Bloomington, Idaho include several established campgrounds along Bear Lake as well as dispersed sites in the surrounding mountains. Bear Lake State Park Campground provides tent sites with picnic tables and fire rings close to the turquoise waters of Bear Lake, while North Fork Campground in St. Charles Canyon offers more secluded tent camping near Minnetonka Cave at higher elevations.

Sites typically feature dirt or gravel surfaces with minimal leveling, and campers should verify seasonal availability as many campgrounds operate only from May through September. Most tent campgrounds provide basic amenities like picnic tables and fire rings, but facilities vary widely. Bear Lake State Park offers drinking water and vault toilets, while more primitive locations like North Fork Overflow lack these services. According to one visitor, "Back in the mountains a couple hours from civilization makes you thankful for the Idaho wilderness." Campers should prepare for variable weather conditions and bring adequate supplies since services are limited.

Areas farther from the main lake shore offer greater solitude and more walk-in tent sites suited for those seeking a more primitive camping experience. Smithfield Dispersed Campsite provides free tent camping with fires allowed but no facilities, making it ideal for experienced campers comfortable with backcountry conditions. A review noted that "After you've passed the Smithfield campground there are plenty of spots on both sides of the road where you can pull off and have dispersed camping." The canyon setting features a creek running alongside many sites, providing both scenic value and a water source for filtering. Tent campers particularly appreciate the natural surroundings and access to hiking trails throughout the region, though campgrounds near the lake can become crowded during summer weekends.

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Best Tent Sites Near Bloomington, Idaho (19)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Bloomington, ID

12 Photos of 19 Bloomington Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Bloomington, ID

370 Reviews of 19 Bloomington Campgrounds

  • Pat S.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 28, 2019

    Sunrise Campground

    Good campground, easily accessable

    Sunrise CG is located right of hwy 89 about 10 minutes west of Garden City.  The CG sits above Bear Lake. The sites are pretty spacious, heavily wooded with good shade. There are picnic tables and fire rings at each site. There are 27 sites available. There are no hooks or dump stations. There a vault toilets and no showers. there is drinking wager available. This CG can accommodate walk in tent camping to RVs. You can reserve some sites on rec.gov. 

    This was a good stop that was convenient on the way through northern Utah. The camp host was awesome and funny.

  • Laura M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 18, 2022

    Allred Flat

    Peaceful, and Lots of Beaver Dams!

     Beautiful, quiet campground. We could hardly hear the road noise, especially from our spot at the furthest end of the loop at #18. We just showed up on a Wednesday and the entire place was empty but many people came throughout the evening. Some hiking trails along the creek where beavers have made extensive dams.

     Several sites are pull through sites, and we only saw a few random sites that had bear boxes. Each site had a picnic table and a fire pit, and was nicely separated from neighboring sites. Each site had a different configuration as well as parking pad length. 

    Anyone from tent campers to large trailers can easily find a spot, larger fifth wheels and class A rigs may have a bit of trouble finding a suitable campsite here. Sites, however are not very level. 3 sets of gendered handicap accessible vault toilets. At least one had a trash bag hanging inside. Otherwise no other trash bins at this campground. There are hand pump water faucets, but a sign said that water is not tested and water should be boiled or treated prior to drinking. We did not try the water but another camper said he pumped for about 30 times and no water came out. 

    Zero cell service for any of the 3 major carriers.

  • Carrie C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 23, 2018

    Lake Alice

    Ranger Review: ICEMULE at Lake Alice Campground

    Disclosure: It is NOT 3.5 miles to the campground, it is 1.5 to the lake and another to .25 or so to the camping area on the east side of the lake. The app on my phone was screwy. Sorry for the confusion in my videos.

    Campground Review: For a primitive camping area this place is pretty sweet! They have metal fire rings with grills and there is an outhouse as well. The picnic tables are built of of half hewn logs. I did see that one of the tables at a site was badly broken, so everything is not in the best repair. There was also garbage left behind by the previous visitors which we packed out for them. The views more than make up for it, though! This lake is the most beautiful blue-green color. Lake Alice is home to the only pure lake strain of Bonneville Cutthroat Trout in Wyoming. We caught about 4 this trip but I wasn't quick enough with the camera to share any shots. We had to leave just as the fishing was getting good in the evening. Fish AM/PM, the wind can pick up in the afternoons, and temps rise making fishing not so great in the afternoon. Horseback riders are frequently in the area, so make way for them on the trail. We passed a string of about 8 riders going in further. You can trail ride through all the way to La Barge Creek Road. The campsite at the very beginning of the lake has a primitive corral for the horses. There are a few ambitious folks who have packed canoes into the lake. There are also some forest service water crafts locked away. Maybe if you had the right connections…It would be so fun to canoe this lake!

    If you continue along Poker Creek Trail that follows the east side of the lake, you can visit Mount Isabel which is 5 miles from the start of Lake Alice. Poker Creek Trail will reach LaBarge Creek Road at mile 9.

    Don'f forget to leave no trace! Picking up after others is frustrating.

    Gear Review: ICEMULE Coolers https://icemulecoolers.com/collections/pro-coolers/products/the-icemule-pro-large Occasionally the Dyrt will provide gear to demo on camping trips. I had the opportunity to demo the ICEMULE Pro Large Soft cooler. I have been using this cooler for a little over a month now and it has come along on a variety of adventures and has not failed! This was the longest trek I've carried the cooler. We went for a day trip into Lake Alice. The trail to the lake is 1.5 miles. I was able to pack the fully loaded cooler with lunch, drinks, and snacks for 4, into the lake comfortably. I loved that this cooler has the crisscross bungee cord to hold additional gear. It held my fly rod case snugly as we packed in. The cooler has a vent on the side, you can inflate the side walls to help extend the insulating factor of the cooler. It also helps it float! The bag rolls closed like a dry bag and clips closed. The shoulder straps are adjustable and there is a chest strop for a good fit. It worked just as good as a garbage receptacle as we packed out trash we found in the campground. #leaveitbetterthanyoufoundit

  • skoerber@moscow.com The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 2, 2025

    Maple Grove Campground

    small campground by the lake

    Stayed one night at the end of May. The road along Oneida Narrows is good graded gravel. At the base of the dam, a sign recommends against large RVs and towed vehicles so I scouted it first, but it's ok, just a little rutted in places. The campground is small, 12 spaces. I suggest not towing a camper that's longer than 20 ft or so, due to the general smallness of the pull ins and the narrowness of the road. Sites have picnic table and fire ring. Vault toilets that were reasonably clean. No water or trash service. There is access to the reservoir shore, but it has a lot of aquatic growth near the shore, which i don't like. So many fish jumping, big ones! I don't know what they were. It was about half full when I was there mid week. Quiet except when the neighbor was playing his trumpet -- are you kidding me?!?! No cell service, Verizon.  Nice shade from the maples. Surrounding ridges are scenic.

  • skoerber@moscow.com The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 7, 2025

    Cottonwood Group Campsite

    small campground in the woods

    This is about Cottonwood Campground, not just the group site. It's pretty small, about 16 (?) sites. It's about 8 miles up the road from Hwy 89. The road is mostly one lane, though a little wider in some spots, so if you are towing, hope you don't encounter someone coming the other direction. There are some potholes all along the road, so if you're towing, it's slow going. 

    The campground is about 1/4 mile or less from the lake. Group camp is up the right hand fork (not towards the lake). The Group site is large, with room for several tents. When I was there a church group of about 18 people with 5-6 tents was there. The sign says it requires reservations. There are 2 pull through sites up the right hand fork; the rest are back in or walk in. The walk in sites do not have tent pads or even room for a tent so I'm not sure what you would do there. The left fork goes to an equestrian area with a couple of non-equestrian sites also.

    Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. I collected a lot of trash from fires rings.

    There were vault toilets that were very clean to start with, though a camper pooped on seat in one of them, so gross. I don't know why people are so filthy sometimes.

    There are trailheads from the CG and from the south end of the lake.

    No signal on Verizon.

    I enjoyed staying here.

  • Alan B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 1, 2019

    North Fork Campground - St. Charles Canyon

    Beautiful Scenery in Idaho Mountains

    This beautiful campground lies close to the end of St Charles Canyon near the Minnetonka Cave.  It has 2 sections one of which is mainly for rvs and the 2nd which is for tents and camper Van's.  The RV spots seemed kind of close but the tent sites had ample room along with metal fire rings and picnic tables.  There was a vault toilet up near the rvs  and down by the tent sites

  • GoWhereYouAreDraw N.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 20, 2021

    Wood Camp Campground (Ut) — Uinta Wasatch Cache National Forest

    First come, first serve!

    Great area and very clean. The noise from the road isn't very noticeable as you sit along a beautiful creek. It's super relaxing and very afforable! 

    Vault toilets, no water but lots of shade. Each site has a picnic table, tent, and fire pits. Dumpster available when leaving the campground. I would consider this campground more on the primitive side of things.

  • P H.
    Jun. 23, 2020

    Devils Creek RV Park

    Close quarters but friendly faces

    This is an older campground, and space near reservoirs is a hot commodity. The RV park host was very friendly and accommodating. Very clean campground with a nice boat dock and plenty of spaces to get down near the reservoir and fish.

    Warning - Some of the spaces felt like extremely close quarters especially with slide outs. The picture below shows one of the older full utility locations. Some units may not have much room to slide out without contacting the utility boxes. Some units offer great shade and an awning next to a shared fire pit, shared picnic table. Some units have a really nice shared grass area between trailers. Also several people here are seasonal campers with monthly rates. This can make finding a space a little more challenging. Call ahead and make sure to get reservations so you can get a spot.

    Lot size seems inconsistent between spaces as some feel very cramped and some of the high number units without utilities had larger spaces between them, almost appearing as an extra space between two units people were using for pet/kid play areas.

    Dogs are to be kept on leashes, but people should consider short leashes/tie lines as it is easy for pets to cross into adjacent units depending upon where they are staked. Make sure to plan ahead for power adapters. Only one 30amp service so if your planning to run AC, plan to be the first in or coordinate with your neighbor.

  • Greg L.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 1, 2023

    Allred Flat

    Nice small cheap CG

    CG in a narrow forested draw. 32 sites most shaded. Only $10/$5 senior, 14d limit. Vault toilets but no dumpsters and water pump did not work. No cell signal, however STarlink works in site 16 for me. No CG host, some sites have bear boxes.

Guide to Bloomington

Bloomington, Idaho, offers a variety of tent camping options that allow you to immerse yourself in the stunning natural beauty of the area. Whether you're looking for lakeside views or secluded spots in the woods, there's something for every outdoor enthusiast.

Tent campers should check out Bear Lake State Park Campground

  • Enjoy the beautiful scenery and easy beach access at Bear Lake State Park Campground, where you can swim and relax right by the water.
  • This campground features picnic tables and fire pits, making it perfect for evening gatherings under the stars.
  • With a variety of sites available, including those suitable for larger tents, you'll find a spot that fits your needs.

Explore local attractions at Maple Grove Hot Springs

  • Experience the unique combination of camping and relaxation at Maple Grove Hot Springs, where you can soak in natural hot springs after a day of hiking.
  • The campground offers a range of accommodations, including tent sites, allowing you to enjoy the outdoors while having access to modern amenities.
  • Participate in yoga classes included with your stay, adding a refreshing twist to your camping experience.

Engage in outdoor activities at North Fork Campground

  • Nestled in the scenic St. Charles Canyon, North Fork Campground - St. Charles Canyon provides ample opportunities for hiking and exploring the surrounding wilderness.
  • The campground features spacious tent sites equipped with picnic tables and fire rings, ideal for cooking and enjoying meals outdoors.
  • With its proximity to Minnetonka Cave, this location is perfect for those looking to combine camping with a bit of adventure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Bloomington, ID?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Bloomington, ID is Bear Lake State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 14 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Bloomington, ID?

TheDyrt.com has all 19 tent camping locations near Bloomington, ID, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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