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Overview: Willow Creek Campground is located along the Middle Fork of the Boise River Forest Service (FS) road 268 and the north end of the Arrowrock Reservior. There are 9 campsites at the campground. A stay at the campground enables guests to enjoy all the beauty and recreation offered along the river and reservoir. Weather is usually good from mid-May through late September and is easily accessible by car in good weather, although the road is sometimes rough and the drive can be seemingly long. Checking with the District on road conditions before heading out is recommended. Natural Features: Wildlife watchers may want to look for deer and elk. Waterfowl, eagles and osprey are attracted to the river. Recreation: There are several trails in the area including trail #189 beginning near Cottonwood Campground, leading to Bald Mountain Peak. Check the Idaho City Ranger District Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) for trails in the area that are open to hikers, equestrians, mountain bikers and off-road vehicles. Click here for an Idaho OHV safety message. The Middle Fork Boise River and Arrowrock Reservoir offer excellent trout fishing and good swimming holes. Big game hunting is a popular activity in season.
Irish Point is situated on the north shore of Arrowrock Lake. The hills are sagebrush covered with a few pine trees in the valleys. The camping sites have mature trees for shade. This is fairly isolated as the access road is rough and slow. This camping area is a good example of what is available at several spots along the road except Irish Point has an outhouse toilet available.
Campsites: There are no developed camping sites here. People have camped here for many years because of the trees. There are stone fire rings but no tables.
Water: No water.
Garbage Services: No garbage service here.
Restroom: There is one older outhouse toilet here.
Handicap Accessible: This is not handicap accessible.
Pets: Pets should be on a leash, however, this is not practiced from our observations.
Recreation: The main attractions here are camping and fishing. I am sure bird and wildlife watching are also available. We saw many four wheelers and motorcycles in the camps as well.
Fishing: Fishing is available in Arrowrock Lake for trout, bass and crappie. There are some small streams in the area which would also have trout fishing.
Boating: There is a boat ramp a few miles away.
Wildlife: There are deer tracks everywhere but we did not actually see the deer. There are also elk and geese seen here.
Phone service: No phone, we also had no cell service on our ATT phones.
Nearby Services: No services closer than Spring Shores Marina 13 miles away, which has a convenience store for ice, gas, drinks, telephone and other supplies, even a sheriffs office.
RV Dumping Site: The nearest RV dumping station is at Boise, Idaho.
Location/Driving instructions: Take Highway 21 NE from Boise to Arrowrock Road(turn right) then Irish Point is 14 miles. This road is a slow gravel winding road.
Within the national forests, the majority of land is open for “dispersed camping”, outside of developed campgrounds. These locations are usually wide spots off of forest roads, with no facilities provided, such as water, bathrooms or tables. Many people enjoy the solitude of camping away from developed campgrounds. Follow these guidelines to ensure that these areas can be enjoyed safely by you, and future generations.
Guide
In this video we provide a comprehensive review of 3 of the free boondocking(dispersed camping) sites near Stanley, Idaho in the Sawtooth National Forest. Salmon River Designated Spots 1, 2 and 3. All locations are in the Sawtooth National Forest and there is a 10 day stay limit between May 1- September 15th with an unlimited stay limited outside of that time period.
LegendIf you show up to Redfish Lake on a busy weekend and all of the campgrounds are reserved/full, no worries. There is a bunch of free dispersed camping all along highway 75. A quick stop at the Forest Service Office down the road and I had a pretty good map of the forest roads in the area, but more importantly, a tip about free camping a stone’s throw away from Redfish Lake and Sunny Gulch campground. The road in is a bit rough with ruts and rocks, but there are several established sites with fire rings. There was a loop to the right with about 8 such sites and a loop to the right with about 5 sites as well as one that was hidden behind the site I chose that you had to walk in to(it was actually a nicer site than the one I chose, but I was tired and set up before I saw it on my explorations. There was one vault toilet that was not especially clean, but free is free, and if you really wanted to, you could walk less than a quarter mile across to the developed Sunny Gulch campground. There are no picnic tables or grills or tent pads, but definitely stone fire rings at each site so no worries as long as you brought your own camp chair. If you need a shower, head into Redfish Lake to use the public pay showers there.
Guide
This is a dispersed camp spot with no services at all, but it is free. Nice and quiet, but a few folks did pass by in the dirt road/trail. The road in is a bit bumpy, but not terrible, just go slow. I was able to get my 30ft dual axel travel trailer in without much trouble. The spot could fit 3/4 rigs or 5-6 tents. Great view of the night sky.
Traveler
Perfect for an overnight stop during a long drive. The access road also serves residential property some distance away so is well maintained. The primitive camping spots are close enough to the highway to make it a quick drive but far enough away to buffer most noise from passing traffic. Even though the landscape seems sparse there was very active wildlife during our stay, with many species of birds throughout the night and a chorus of coyotes at one point. The water level was really low, which would probably inhibit launching larger water craft, but the reservoir still provided a peaceful atmosphere. There definitely isn't any nearby wood for fires so people do need to bring in their own.
Guide
Free camping among the sparsely located pine trees. Great views of the water and mountains. Vault toilet nearby.
Legend
This area along lower Iron Creek Road had some rough free dispersed spots that had cell signal from Stanley. As of June 2023 there are info boards and signage that notes dispersed camping only in designated spots marked on the ground with new signs. I saw an A group and a B group and may be more farther up but the road was so rough washboard potholed I did not check. These sites are small and not suitable for RVs and large TTs in my opinion. No toilets, no dumpsters and no water. However, this is very close to Stanley town.
Guide
I love this place as dispersed camping is our favorite. We are not stacked in n together and have great views of tue Sawtooth. My speed test was done with Verizon and I was using a WeBoost.
Guide
We camped at Irish Point at Arrowhead's designated dispersed camping area. The road around the reservoir is pretty tight, though that doesn't discourage long trailers and toy haulers. We're pretty self-contained so didn't miss any usual camp ground amenities. Our neighbors were sparse and quiet and we enjoyed the peace of this area.
Traveler
Camping is free, limit of 10 days. Not really any designated sites and surrounded by private land with aggressive signage. Not all roads around the reservoir are public, so be prepared to turn around and back up at dead ends. We came to an orange gate that said "private property", and stopped. While trying to turn around, we noticed a white truck sitting behind us. When we turned around and passed him, he motioned to roll down the window, and then berated us and called us idiots, even though we had not even entered the private land, nor did we want to. We felt threatened. In the end we chose a site on the upper road of the reservoir. The view was nice but not close to the pit toilet. No fire ring. No table. A no frills place. Like many lakes in Idaho, the reservoir is mostly dry. Not a huge deal but not the prettiest to look at. There is only one single pit toilet for the whole reservoir and someone was set up right next to it like it was their own. People ride off-road vehicles here. In an area with slim pickings for free camping, I guess you have to take what you can get.
Legend
Alpine lake is approx. 5.5mi from the Redfish Lake Inlet. With a 2000ft elevation gain and some killer switchbacks as you hike into altitude, the lake rests at about 8300ft. Never have I witnessed such beauty and serene, crystal clear waters. Absolutely no services, only dispersed camping—pack in/pack out and worth every step! We have snow mid-June that was up to our thighs on the way up (ouch!) but by two days later had melted enough to reveal the trail floor. Don’t forget your sunscreen ;) You will not regret visiting this heaven on earth spot
LegendThis is a nice area for dispersed camping. No water in the reservoir at this time (early September). Very few other people around, even on labor day weekend, and the area was so quiet and serene.
We stayed along the western side of the reservoir, and there's are little loops you can take in off of 160 to find a spot. The path was relatively narrow and our class c made it fine, but you could hear the sides brushing along the sage.
Watch for wasps, especially around the bathroom. We didn't see any wildlife, but heard coyotes in the night.
It was hard to find a level spot, so we just ended up moving next to the bathroom since we were only there for the night.
Good cell service with all 3 carriers.
Traveler
A variety of free and dispersed sites, most of them with rock campfire rings, near a nice shallow creek. A fair amount of RV and ATV traffic but still feels pretty secluded. No bathrooms or anything like that but it's only a 3 minute drive from Idaho City.
Guide
I drove up to check out this area since we were staying in Salmon River Designated Spot 2 and there are now no camping signs all over in this area. It is very hard to tell if the signs are meant just for the specific area where they are posted as it is clear those are in previous camping spots, but there are other spots that do not have signs right next to those. You may want to check with the ranger station before heading up to see if camping is still allowed in this area. On a side note, as others have mentioned the road up is pretty steep and rutted so enter with caution. I would not have pulled my 30ft travel trailer up there for sure.
Guide
A good friend of ours brought us up to Stanley, ID to explore for a week on horseback, hiking, and camping. I have been a professional photographer for many years, although I have seen stunning jaw dropping landscape photos in magazines I had yet to find myself in a location that would take my breath away… Until the day we set up camp at Decker Flatts.
I wont rattle on about how we were within 2 mins of a hiking trail that leads you to "Hell's Roaring lake", or about the amazing Trout fishing within 10 feet of my tent, or even the stunning sunrises every morning. I wont even describe the Beauty of the 5 other lakes that were all within a 10 min drive and a 5-10 mile hike or horseback ride from our camp. (Upper Marshall Lake, Alice Lake, Petti Lake, Alpine Lake & Sawtooth Lake) I'll just let you see the photos attached to this review and hope you'll make the life changing camping trip we did.
a few things to know:
The Sawtooth Mountain camping areas are designed for self-sufficient camping. the USFS campgrounds do not offer trailer hookups for water, sewer, or power. Because of heavy winter snows, most area campgrounds are open only from mid-May through Labor Day. The area you'll find Decker Flatts will amaze you when you see that the terrain flattens and broad meadows push back the forests. This sprawling preserve encompasses four mountain ranges, several large lakes which i have only explored a few. It's the sort of place that begs you to unplug your phone chargers let them die, lock the car, and put some ground under your feet, maybe even get knee deep in the crisp cool water of the river nearby.
Natural Features:
Dispersed campsites are stung along the flat river side, find yourself between pine and spruce trees that tower in stark contrast over the surrounding sprawling meadows. Although, this area is inaccessible during the winter months the meadows are wide and utilized by local ranchers to rise cattle.
Visitors may want to keep their eyes out for elk, deer, coyotes, and hawks as you take in the surroundings. Bobcats, mountain lions, and bear do live in the park, however they are rarely seen near humans.
Recreation:
Hikers, fisherman, photographers, mountain bikers and the average nature junkies flock to the Sawtooth Mountain range for the variety of available activities of the park.
LegendEntering the park is beautiful! There’s a paved road with campsites you need a reservation for. Where the coordinates are on this map is about 30 minutes down a gravel road that looks ok, but is very rutted. I drive a cargo van and it shook everything to the point where I didn’t want to do 30 minutes of it. There are signs that say “no roadside camping next 7 miles”, but after mile marker 7, you’ll notice fire rings off the sides of the roads on both sides, including lake front. So I just want to make sure y’all know that you don’t actually have to drive all the way down to the dispersed spots to find camping. Other than that, it’s a gorgeous area. No Verizon service for me.
Ranger
This is a clearly dispersed location. There is a single pit toilet. Camped right next to the lake. Lots of bugs being close to water but seemingly few mosquitoes
TravelerSo hot and no shade. If it were not close to the water you may not have a way to beat the heat. It was beyond crowded and hard to find a secluded spot to camp away from others. Only pro is its close to town and you can swim, fish, and boat.
ScoutGot here on a Friday (8/26) around 7:30 pm. There were already some folks out here, but there were still some spaces. Although, they were a bit close to each other in the main area where you pull in. Found a spot up the way by the creek that was further away from being around everyone there for a more secluded feel. Clean and easy.
Scout
I thought it was beautiful here. There are places to barbecue and have a fire and there is a river right below the camp sites. Very quiet.
GuideThis is a very simple campsite with access to the reservoir. There isn't much shade. If the lake holds water for a couple of years, the fishing can be great.
LegendThere are many camp sites along the road. Good cell service. Verizon. Only a mile or so to Redfish lake. Awesome lake. There is a paid shower, laundry and dump available there. Road narrow and is loose gravel.
ScoutPrimitive campsites along the Salmon River. There was road noise from the nearby highway but otherwise it was quiet. I saw people fishing so I assume it's good for that. The river is great for rinsing off as well. Beautiful views, close to Stanley for essentials.
GuideI enjoyed my 2 night stay here. I pitched a tent however it was quite windy due to it being an open area so just stake your tent down well. I had a spot right beside the salmon river and was able to access this campsite via my Honda Accord vehicle.
TravelerFairly easy access off US 20. There is open grazing so we did have cattle close to our campsite by morning. Tons of bugs but not many mosquitoes. Quiet and not many others. T-Mobile worked well. There was some in/out movement around 5:30 am but as an early riser I wasn't disturbed.
GuideArrowrock Reservoir is a decent place to camp. The drive there is long and slow-going along a washboard dirt road, but the best part is that this spot is usually uncrowded, which is nice when you are looking for some quiet solitude. It's a steep hike down to the water in the reservoir, but not too bad. The camp sites are nice and have some pine trees, but other than that, the landscape is very desert-y.
GuideThere are many group sites and single sites. Many sites own a corner turn. Also your entire campsite will be visible to every car passing. There are other sites on the other side of the road that are more private. Be wary the road is very dangerous getting in. Take it slow.
Some people park their trailers at lake front but beware of the dune sand , you might get stuck.
I love being able to jump into the lake and ride my bike along the lake.
T
TravelerWe camped here in June 2020. There are clean vault toilets but not much else. The reservoir was practically empty. There were not picnic tables and the roads off the main road were not maintained. It was hard to tell if there were campsites there at all, but there were fire rings so we pulled in next to one and set up. One other camper came in later and set up down by the lake, but otherwise it was really quiet. Nice place to get away from everyone during a pandemic.
Experience the beauty of nature with dispersed camping near Boise National Forest in Idaho. This area offers a variety of spots where you can enjoy the great outdoors without the constraints of traditional campgrounds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Boise National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Boise National Forest is Arrowrock Reservoir Dispersed with a 4.1-star rating from 18 reviews.
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